Car Gear Shift Knob Causes Airport Evacuations

[Itsme]

Fake Grenade Causes Evacuations, Flight Delays at Southern California Airport
Source: Associated Press
Publication date: 2005-10-21

ONTARIO, Calif.--A fake grenade ended up being a major inconvenience for some travelers at California's Ontario International Airport.
Security screeners spotted the device packed in a suitcase yesterday morning. The owner told officers it was a car gear shift knob. But as a precaution, officials evacuated part of the terminal and called in the bomb squad to detonate it.

Eleven flights were delayed.

Some passengers missed flights and had to rebook. Travelers who had the chance to make later flights were whisked to the front of long security lines when the terminal reopened.

[raimin]

better safe than sorry :rolleyes:

[Apex]

Only a complete idiot packs something like that on a flight.

[InfiniteNothing]

Cuz you never know when your going to need a shift nob- I guess he figured better safe than sorry. ;)

[Grimm]

It takes a few seconds to disassemble a grenade to verify it isn't real. The traveler should have been told he isn't taking it on his flight (large metal object is bad in and of itself) and that he needs to ship it home instead.

Here's an idea, hire competant TSA agents instead. And don't have delays.

[Merlin]

It takes a few seconds to disassemble a grenade to verify it isn't real. The traveler should have been told he isn't taking it on his flight (large metal object is bad in and of itself) and that he needs to ship it home instead.

Here's an idea, hire competant TSA agents instead. And don't have delays.
I can see them not wanting it on the plane - it would fall under the same classification as a toy gun that looks too real. But once again a few seconds of common sense would go a long way.

And as for stupid security people I've got a new one for you......Yesterday I was going through security. I've got a backpack with stuff in it and my passport in my hand. Bag goes through just fine. I go through just fine. Then I get called back and the screener asks me to put my passport in a bin so it can be x-rayed. That's right - they wanted to separately x-ray a passport. I said "you've got to be kidding me. You want to x-ray my passport? why? Blah - here it is"

[Itsme]

It takes a few seconds to disassemble a grenade to verify it isn't real. The traveler should have been told he isn't taking it on his flight (large metal object is bad in and of itself) and that he needs to ship it home instead.

Here's an idea, hire competant TSA agents instead. And don't have delays.

Unfotunately, the management writes rules that they tell the inspectors they MUST follow...they don't let them be "reasonable." It's the same rules that instruct them to pat down and almost undress 80 year old women and infants, and let 6' 225 guys like me go through.

[Grimm]

Unfotunately, the management writes rules that they tell the inspectors they MUST follow...they don't let them be "reasonable." It's the same rules that instruct them to pat down and almost undress 80 year old women and infants, and let 6' 225 guys like me go through.
Whle adherance to the rules is important, rules that do not allow agents to use their discresion up to a reasonable point are counterproductive and represent a danger to security.

When I was working as a prison guard (understand that this is real life and mistakes get people injured and killed in this environment) it was understood that rules are fallible and when I was the boss on a wing, I was the one calling the shots. When I made a call that went against a rule my supervisor backed me. He reminded me of the rule, but I told him that it's my wing and that's the way it needed to be. That was the end of the discussion. Later he commended me on a job well done.
When rules help maintain order they are all well and good. But there needs to be a precidence to the rules so that a more important rule allows a less important rule to be disregarded.

Machines do not make good security officers. Thinking, educated, well trained people with good decision making abilities make good security officers. Having someone memorize a few rules is not sufficent. They must understand the rules and be able to discern where they do and do not apply.

[BigJon]

"Sir....we're gonna have to detonate that car gearshift knob."

[cheapie]

tools. they are generally power-hungry uneducated bullies making these calls. i have been yelled at by TSA agents for complete bs. you know what TSA stands for? Thousands Standing Around