Knives 'hidden on planes for weeks': "United States authorities took five weeks to uncover box cutter knives and other suspicious items that had been placed on two planes, the student at the centre of a security breach investigation has said.
Nathaniel Heatwole, 20, said that he had placed the knives and a mock-up bomb on board two specific Southwest Airlines flights back in September and sent an e-mail to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) outlining what he had done. "

Can you believe this? Someone someone smuggles box cutters and dangerous objects that look like explosives, and what does our great TSA do? They ignore the email that tells them exactly where the dangerous objects were stashed. And they were told exactly where to find them. And who placed them there--by the person who did it.

He told them why he did it. To point out the vulnerabilities to us. And what do they do? Well they arrest him, of course. But only after maintenance workers find the stuff he stashed, by chance.

In other words, they not only failed to get the guy as he smuggled the stuff on board. And they missed him doing it on several flights. They also failed to follow up when he sent them detailed information about where to find the stashes on board two specific planes--for five weeks! They should be charged with crimes: not this guy.

He may have pulled a prank. But he did us a favor. He showed us that the TSA checks are not working.
- posted by geoff @ #