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posted by martyb on Monday May 29 2017, @07:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the going-to-need-a-narrower-laptop dept.

In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," [U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John] Kelly said the United States planned to "raise the bar" on airline security, including tightening screening of carry-on items.

"That's the thing that they are obsessed with, the terrorists, the idea of knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly if it's a U.S. carrier, particularly if it's full of U.S. people."

In March, the government imposed restrictions on large electronic devices in aircraft cabins on flights from 10 airports, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Turkey.

Kelly said the move would be part of a broader airline security effort to combat what he called "a real sophisticated threat." He said no decision had been made as to the timing of any ban.

"We are still following the intelligence," he said, "and are in the process of defining this, but we're going to raise the bar generally speaking for aviation much higher than it is now."

Airlines are concerned that a broad ban on laptops may erode customer demand. But none wants an incident aboard one of its airplanes.

Reuters

Fox News has a transcript of the interview (archived copy).

Previous stories:
President Trump Revealed Classified Information to Russia; and Tweets it to the World [Updated]
"Sources" Fear Terrorists will get Past Airport Security with Laptop Bombs
US Bans Tablets and Laptops on Flights From Eight Muslim-Majority Countries


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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by AthanasiusKircher on Monday May 29 2017, @10:58PM (3 children)

    by AthanasiusKircher (5291) on Monday May 29 2017, @10:58PM (#517359) Journal

    I still remember the first time I crossed the Canadian border after 9/11 (nearly a year afterward). I was with some friends on a camping trip. We decided to take our pickup truck and go for a little daytrip across the border. In Canada, we were greeted by two pleasant (and, I'll admit, attractive) women who chatted with us nicely for a minute. They apologized (yes, apologized) and asked us to pull the truck over briefly so they could take a quick look in the back. (Seemed perfectly reasonable for a pickup truck.) It was all efficient, polite, and generally made us feel welcome to the country.

    A few hours later, we returned and were greeted by a dour short fat man and a marine with a large weapon on his shoulder. The man was abrupt, almost nasty -- even though we were perfectly polite and explained we had just been to a park across the border. One of my friends was Asian (not Middle Eastern), and the official seemed troubled by that, even though he was an American citizen and had been raised in the U.S. (The kind of questions he was asked frankly were somewhat unprofessional and vaguely racist.) Rather than asking us to pull over and to come look over the truck with them (as the Canadians did), they firmly instructed us to stay in the truck while they performed a search, and proceeded to ask us a bunch of bizarre questions about the little bit of camping gear that was in the back of the truck... which didn't contain anything that could in any way seem suspicious.

    Yes, every time I've gone to Canada and have returned, the difference has been very noticeable. Even the last time I returned from Canada after a short business trip, the U.S. official was positively rude and literally imitated and mocked the way I answered her questions. (I had gotten up at 4am for my first flight, so I was exhausted, and I apparently said "Um" a few times; I guess you can't be tired at the border anymore.)

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @03:18AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @03:18AM (#517437)

    ... and proceeded to ask us a bunch of bizarre questions about the little bit of camping gear that was in the back of the truck... which didn't contain anything that could in any way seem suspicious.

    Well if your gear is searched they'd find your cooking equipment, including your pot, so of course they'd have questions!

  • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday May 30 2017, @02:27PM (1 child)

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Tuesday May 30 2017, @02:27PM (#517647) Journal

    9/11 changed the border crossing with Canada profoundly.

    It was always true crossing back to America was less pleasant than going in the other direction. Despite being a nation of immigrants that prides itself on its Melting Pot, America is not a welcoming country at its borders to even its own citizens.

    Going to Canada, though, used to be less fanfare than crossing the state line to California, where they would stop and interrogate you to see if you were bringing any produce into the state, and to confiscate it if you were.

    Now when you're going to Canada they can be severe. Even with small children in their car seats in the back their disposition does not change.

    It makes me sad that Canada's been dragged down with America's dysfunction.

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @02:41PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @02:41PM (#517654)

      I dunno how accurate this is. I visited Canada about 8 months ago by car, and the crossing in New York state was quite easy and pleasant. Short conversation, couple of stamps on the passport. Not that I am not even a U.S. citizen, and it was a breeze. I think your mileage can vary quite a bit with this one.