Imagine taking a breadboard version of a stereoscopic camera rig on a trip and checking the rig through to your destination.
Two guys did just that in 2012. The TSA, naturally, has no idea what it was. So, on the fear that it could be something, the TSA opened the case the camera rig was in and cut all of the red wires.
Because, what, some goddamned movie had them cutting the red wires?
And then, because they thought they had defused whatever it was, they let it go through on the flight?
The bind moggles.
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8 comments:
Totally Stupid Agency
By reading the article you linked to, I'm a little puzzled on what the complaint is or how you think this was "stupidity".
An unknown device, but clearly not a bomb, was allowed to travel in the cargo hold of a plane after it was disconnected from its power source. Since this was hand-wired, they had to cut the voltage leads.
That all makes sense to me, since I do minor electronics as a hobby. Perhaps the camera team shouldn't have left it wired into the "on" position when they put it in the case.
And yes, the actual leads happened to be "red". Because that is the color you really use to wire the positive end of the battery to the electronics. So if they just cut the wires at the battery, yes, they would be the red ones.
YGTBSM!!! Sigh...
Sheesh, when people know little they read fantasy into things.
Too many years of electronics engineering says that positive is what ever the builder assigns to a color. FYI in house wiring white is neutral and black is HOT. For years I've always used orange or yellow for positive, Reason I usually had far more of that color.
If it were a bomb why disable it and still ship the explosive...??? Think about it its pure stupidity.
Rightfully it should have been flagged for closer inspection and identification rather than hamhanded tampering.
Eck!
ToddG, if they didn't know what it was, they could have pulled it and pulled the guys from the plane to ask them. If they thought it might be hazardous, they could have called the Bomb Squad.
But no. Confronted with some strange piece of electronic kit, the TSA just vandalized it.
Damn right it was stupid Totally stupid.
An additional level of stupid is not considering that it might have anti-tamper built into it. Cut the wire and Boom.
Note that the website you posted to has gotten a facelift, so the URL to the post has changed: https://rainveiltech.com/posts/tsa-red-is-the-bad-color
Updated, and thanks!
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