Bombing the Tests

At least these folks were smarter than those French security guys!

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) -- Baggage screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport spotted -- and then lost -- a fake bomb planted in luggage by a supervisor during a training exercise.

Despite an hours-long search Tuesday night, the bag, containing a fake bomb complete with wires, a detonator and a clock, made it onto an Amsterdam-bound flight. It was recovered by airport security officials in Amsterdam when the flight landed several hours later.

Although this is pretty disappointing, it demonstrates two good things. The first is that, unlike the French security officials who are mentioned in the article, the TSA folks didn't use real explosives; as far as I know, the plastic explosives the French used are still at large. Second, the test was carried out in such a way that the screeners could fail. If you're not in a position to fail, you're not in a position to learn how you can do things better.

Let's hope this incident helps the TSA to keep us all safer when we travel. Having travelled, and travelled abroad, on a number of occasions since September of 2001, I feel that the screening is a lot better in the States than it is abroad. It's annoying, but it's better to be annoyed than to be the victim of terrorism in the air.

And now, back to The Real Gilligan's Island and this looming twenty pager...