3 chapters across the catalog
Adam Curry recounts his recent travel experiences through Schiphol Airport and Nice, noting the lack of full-body scanners and the ability to keep shoes on during screening. He contrasts the relaxed European security with the strict TSA protocols in the United States. Curry highlights the absurdity of being allowed through with a bag full of wires and circuit boards while families are stopped for toy guns or shampoo.
Airport Security Harassment, Chanel No. 5 Liquid Test
A traveler at Gatwick Airport was forced to exit security and wait in a 20-minute line to obtain a plastic bag for a small tube of toothpaste and Chanel No. 5 perfume. Upon returning, security personnel performed a "liquid test" by spraying the perfume into the air to sniff it. This incident is cited as an example of petty authoritarianism and harassment within the modern aviation security apparatus.
A UK jury failed to convict the alleged ringleaders of a plot to blow up airplanes with liquid explosives, finding them guilty only of conspiring to commit murder. Virgin Atlantic has called for the removal of the 100ml liquid restriction on flights following the verdict. Despite the lack of evidence for a specific aviation plot, the government intends to retry the defendants.
