more on sorry Congress may try retain airliner "scissors" ban

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lee Tien <tien () eff org>
Date: December 2, 2005 4:36:20 PM EST
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on sorry Congress may try retain airliner  
"scissors" ban

For IP if you wish:

TSA has rightly been criticized over the past few years, but Congress  
deserves criticism as well.  E.g., a few days ago, the Washington  
Post reported that

"The TSA's internal studies show that carry-on-item screeners spend  
half of their screening time searching for cigarette lighters, a  
recently banned item. . . ."

Meanwhile, CNN notes that lighters are "the only item prohibited by  
law.  Congress, concerned that terrorists would have an easier time  
igniting a bomb with a lighter than with matches, enacted the ban. It  
took effect April 14:"

I find it difficult to believe that this is a rational policy.

Plus, I'd really like to see those "internal studies."  It's good  
that TSA is studying what it does, but such studies about how these  
policies are working -- well or poorly -- should be openly published.

Lee




> http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/12/02/passenger.screening.ap/index.html
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Paul Levy <plevy () citizen org>
> Date: December 2, 2005 2:14:55 PM EST
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: Re: [IP] Congress may try retain airliner "scissors" ban
>
> Was there supposed to be a link in here?
>
> Paul Alan Levy
> Public Citizen Litigation Group
> 1600 - 20th Street, N.W.
> Washington, D.C. 20009
> (202) 588-1000
> http://www.citizen.org/litigation
>
> > > >  David Farber <dave () farber net> 12/2/2005 2:11 PM >>>
> Do read this and then ask why did we ever elect clowns like this who
> want to ban small sharp objects but allow forks and plastic knives
> and glass drinking glasses  etc. My reading is for once TSA has it
> right.
>
> Dave
>
> -------------------------------------
> You are subscribed as PLEVY () citizen org
> To manage your subscription, go to
>   http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
>
> Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting- 
> people/
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------
> You are subscribed as tien () well sf ca us
> To manage your subscription, go to
>  http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
>
> Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting- 
> people/

--
**********************************
... it is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could  
someday facilitate a police state. -- Bruce Schneier


Lee Tien
Senior Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
454 Shotwell Street
San Francisco, CA  94110
(415) 436-9333 x 102 (tel)
(415) 436-9993 (fax)
tien () eff org



-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/