Yes, TSA has 20 layers of security at airports. While not all are triggered for all passengers, you’ve already been checked out several ways before you arrive.

Their blog tell you all about it.

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Loaded guns and knives in luggage and hidden, fake documents. Just another Friday checking passengers at TSA.

Yes, it’s a good thing they found the guns.

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They’re patterning them after ski trail signs; green for families and special assistance needed (beginner), blue for casual travelers (intermediate), and black for expert travelers.

This is a good idea. A family with a baby in a stroller can seriously slow down a line. Me, I can have my laptop out of the bag and personal belongings in the trays in about 20 seconds. Lines based on skill levels make sense.

This is from the TSA blog. It’s been fascinating watching their blog grow, as this behemoth and unwieldy federal agency slowly appears to be getting it that they need to be more responsive with less haphazard, bizarre restrictions that are not applied uniformly. They really do appear to be trying, and a blog is a great way to communicate.

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Near as I can tell, this affects pretty much no one except audio/visual professionals.

Cell phone lithium metal batteries are under the limit as are most laptop batteries. Batteries in a device are ok, batteries not in a device can not be checked. Best bet. Carry-on all devices and batteries.

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A new study finds no evidence that x-raying luggage, making passengers take off shoes, or confiscating small items helps prevent attacks or incidents.

The goal isn’t to confiscate prohibited items. The goal is to prevent terrorism on airplanes. When the TSA confiscates millions of lighters from innocent people, that’s a security failure. The TSA is reacting to non-threats. The TSA is reacting to false alarms. Now you can argue that this level of failures is necessary to make people safer, but it’s certainly not evidence that people are safer.

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