Tuesday
Oct072008
October 7, 2008 Unless you enjoy strip searches...
…don’t try techno artist Evan Roth’s method of “security theater” statement making. Laser-cut steel sheets inserted in carry-on luggage raise eyebrows and - I’ll bet - threat levels as they shout their message on scanner screens.
Update on October 8, 2008 by
Frank@OBOW
Frank@OBOW
The long-suffering folks that run the offical TSA blog claim to be amused by this, but they make it clear that any traveler that decides to send this type of message will not be amused by what follows:
As some of you might have seen on other blogs, Evan Roth is an artist who is designing personalized messages you can send to TSA security officers. He laser cuts the letters out of a sheet of stainless steel. The sheet is designed to be placed inside of a passenger’s bag so they can send personal messages to the officer. Have to give the guy credit, he’s creative. Even we got a laugh out of it.
This may seem like a clever gag, but actually the joke is on whoever decides to use one of these plates. Based on the preliminary examples shown on Mr. Roth’s web page, the metal plate will get the passenger’s bag searched every time. And no, it’s not because of what the plate says, it’s because the metal plate acts as a shield and conceals items below it. If an officer can’t get a good look at what’s in the bag, it’s “bag check” time. Fair warning: there are detailed procedures on how to search this type of bag and it’s not one of our quicker searches.
Reader Comments (2)
A decade before 911 I thought it was "funny" to cut a piece of lead sheet into the shape of a .45 automatic and glue it inside a manila file-folder slipped into a colleagues briefcase. The security boys in Seoul went nuts trying to find the "hidden gun," failed, and ended up just confiscating everything. My buddy missed his flight and I re-thought my whole theory of practical jokes. Never again!
This is hilarious - even better than the "Kip Hawley is an Idiot" zip-loc baggies.
I hope he makes some smaller ones - maybe credit card-sized. That's about as much space/weight as I'm willing to devote to pranking the TSA.
I want mine to have a little picture of a guy in a turban with a callout that just says "Boo!".