Bob CollinsThe Transportation Security Administration is pooh-poohing reports that it’s expanding security screening at airports to random checks of liquids at airport gates, and not just at the security checkpoint.
It started, apparently, with a report from a Colorado TV station.
“The water or or the juices or anything you buy here in the airport, TSA is going to come over and look and check and test it? That’s just ridiculous,” traveler Thomas Burgard told the station.
On a slow news day, that led to some copycat stories, suggesting the measure is an expansion of airport security.
It’s not, the TSA Blog, Bob Burns says it’s been going on for years
As far as the testing of liquids at the gate, this is just one of the many options we have to choose from when deciding what additional tactics to use each day. We started using test strips back in the summer of 2007 and continue to do so. The test involves a test strip and a dropper containing a nontoxic solution. In case you’re wondering, our officers don’t place the test strips in your beverages/liquids. They simply have the passenger remove the cap/lid and they hold the strip over the opening of the container. Procedures call for moving the test strip to the side and applying the solution from the dropper to test the strip. If the test results are positive TSA will conduct additional testing to make a final assessment.
Did he say “test strips?” It’s not what you probably think.
