TSA Bans Toner and Ink Cartridges On Planes

Grond writes "The US has banned toner and ink cartridges from passenger aircraft in the wake of last month's bomb plot. 'The printer cartridge ban affects cartridges over 16 ounces.' No word yet on whether that's a weight or volume measurement or whether it's a per-cartridge or per-passenger limit." The ban comes alongside a prohibition on air cargo originating from Yemen and Somalia. Bruce Schneier's blog points out another potential consequence from the recent bomb plot: the end of in-flight Wi-Fi.

Just in time.

[The MAZZTer]

I don't think these guys would be happy with their promotion being messed up. [blogspot.com]

Re: the end of in-flight Wi-Fi ?

[Anonymous Coward]

like the airplane engineers have never heard of a faraday cage for the cockpit

If you think all of the important electronics are located in the cockpit, you clearly have never seen an airplane before.

I want to know...

[Thelasko]

how they did it. I work with diesel fuel systems. If I need to send a failed fuel pump back to the factory in Germany, it has to go by boat. The tiny amount of fuel still left in the pump after it is cleaned will get detected, and I will get a friendly visit from law enforcement if I try to send it by plane.

Re:Home Security Theater

[Rix]

Yes, it is, and frankly, young Middle Eastern men have damned good reason to be nervous at a security checkpoint.

Re:Diminishing returns...

[sconeu]

only allowing passengers to the gate (after screening) ensures we'll never have a 9/11-type attack again

Why does this enhance security? All the 9/11 guys had valid tickets and boarding passes.

Re:Hang on...

[Enuratique]

From what I read, is that the PETN explosive put inside the toner cartridge looks just like toner powder through an X-Ray machine. At least one of these packages was screened through normal processes and was not detected. Another article I read said that the authorities in England couldn't find anything wrong with the printer they were told was a bomb until instructed by authorities in Dubai on what to look for. It sounds like this was an incredibly well-made bomb, and I think it is in part to the fact that visually it raised no red flags.

Re:Home Security Theater

[Adrian Lopez]

Yet another ban for show rather than actual security. How about, gee, I dunno, profiling passengers? You know, be politically incorrect and actually practice forensic science for a change, and stop harassing and inconveniencing the rest of us?

Profiling passengers doesn't work, either: most of the passengers who fit broad profiles (like race) are perfectly innocent, and focusing on those passengers means focusing less on the rest, creating potential holes in your security.

Re:Home Security Theater

[Triv]

Yes, it is, and frankly, young Middle Eastern men have damned good reason to be nervous at a security checkpoint.

Or, as happened to my friend Kamal a few years ago, merely being of Middle-Eastern complexion was enough to get him hassled every day on the way into the subway station to get to work. Never mind that he was a typical middle-class American kid with Indian parents, born and raised in New Jersey and putting himself through college in a used bookstore.

Profiling is abhorrent. Let's not go (any farther) there; hell, a couple steps back to sensibility would be nice.

Re:Disturbing to see TSA still behind the curve.

[YrWrstNtmr]

If "dangerous weapons" had been allowed to law-abiding citizens 9/11 would never have happened.

Yes it would have. The terrorists would simply load up one or two aircraft with several firearms, overwhelming the one or two carrying civilians. If 'we' could carry, so could they.

After reading this;

[ameline]

http://www.npr.org/assets/news/2010/05/17/concern.pdf [npr.org]

I am not going to go through one of those machines.

VERY scary stuff here.....

Re:I want to know...

[Ogi_UnixNut]

They used one of the component explosive (PETN) in SEMTEX [wikipedia.org].

Developed in the USSR, SEMTEX was seen as highly dangerous (and liked by terrorists) because it nearly impossible to detect. So hard to detect, that nowadays SEMTEX actually has stuff added to it so it can be detected more easily and it's export and use is highly restricted (presumably why these guys decided not to actually use modern SEMTEX).

Fuel gives off a very strong smell, making it trivial to detect :P

Re:Diminishing returns...

[Virtucon]

And box cutters...
And flight training where they were only interested in flying the plane and navigation, not takeoff and landing....

and...

Look, your chances of having a Trent 900 engine blowing up on you are greater than experiencing a Terrorist event... ;-)

Re:Disturbing to see TSA still behind the curve.

[Anonymous Coward]

Simple Fix - Faraday cage

Every storage bin and cargo hold encased in copper mesh.

Problem solved.

Re:Disturbing to see TSA still behind the curve.

[Roger W Moore]

Drive to Canada, and fly from there?

Airport security in Canada is relatively consistent and extremely polite. However your plan still involves crossing the US border so expect large delays when entering the US by car only now with the added fun that they have a car to search. In addition there is an entry fee for the US if you are not US or Canadian so you will have to get out of your car and have your fingerprints and photo taken after which you'll get charged for the privilege. Sadly travel to the US via any means has become so unpleasant that I now avoid it if it is in any way possible.

Re:Dildos

[The Wild Norseman]

The first rule of Fight Club is do not talk about Fight Club!