New Restrictions: No Using Electronic Devices for the Last Hour
Apparently, in the wake of thousands of deaths from idiots paying more attention to GPS, cell phones, GameBoys, iPods and other such electronic devices, TSA has announced a ban on all use of such devices for the last hour of your commute.
No, just kidding. Apparently, they may be imposing new secret restrictions on use of electronics during the last hour of flight.
How can we break the cycle of terrorist does something irksome, we all pay forever? Our current oversight isn’t restraining DHS or TSA.
It’s worth noting that despite several statements regarding the events of yesterday, the TSA have so far indicated nothing like the restrictions echoing around the bloggosphere. I say ‘echoing’ since I’ve not seen a single report of this which doesn’t site another blog as a source.
Some airlines are restricting moving around the cabin in the final stages of the flight, which is something that they have always tried to do and now the get to pretend it’s about “security”. Most are restricting passengers to one item of hand luggage, which is a common occurrence when there is a “very high alert level” since the fraction of carry-ons being screened goes up. Air Canada are actually waiving their excess baggage fee for people who have to check something that would be carry-on.
None of the (extensive) news reports on the incident suggest that the perp used any electronic device in his attempt. Based on the nature of previous knee-jerk reactions it would be unusual for the TSA to impose a sudden ban on some item that wasn’t directly involved in the plot. Unfortunately it now seems that all the jokes about removing shoes and it being a good thing that Richard Reid didn’t put the bomb in his underwear might have been rather prescient!
Please note that I said may be imposing, not is imposing.
However, if you’d like a non-blog source, The New York Times is reporting that:
“Two foreign airlines, Air Canada and British Airways, disclosed the steps in notices on their Web sites. The airlines said the rules had been implemented by government security agencies including the T.S.A.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/us/27security.html?hp
The “you cannot use electronic devices during the last hour of flight” business reminds us how stupid TSA really is. No one would attempt to blow up a plane two hours into the flight, would they?
A tweet from Kevin Poulsen cited this source.
Quoting it:
New rules imposed by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration also limit on-board activities by customers and crew in U.S. airspace that may adversely impact on-board service. Among other things, during the final hour of flight customers must remain seated, will not be allowed to access carry-on baggage, or have personal belongings or other items on their laps.
I do not consider a travel advisory issued by Air Canada to be “a blog”.