Comments on: How to Get Arrested at the Airport Without being Shot! http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/ A design blog with a particular emphasis on green design, design for society, and environmental technologies, Vestal Design Blog also discusses web design, product design, graphic design, and architecture. Sat, 18 Dec 2010 00:46:48 +0000 hourly 1 By: Jeffrey Warren http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/comment-page-1/#comment-104767 Jeffrey Warren Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:18:20 +0000 http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot.html#comment-104767 While I disagree with some of what you say, Alexander, my main point is about the emphasis on suspicion/fear/intimidation as tools (or at least as byproducts) – sure, I've never been beaten or cavity searched in an airport, but I find them to be beyond tedious to the point of humiliating and offensive. And they don't have to be that way. While I disagree with some of what you say, Alexander, my main point is about the emphasis on suspicion/fear/intimidation as tools (or at least as byproducts) – sure, I’ve never been beaten or cavity searched in an airport, but I find them to be beyond tedious to the point of humiliating and offensive. And they don’t have to be that way.

]]> By: secret http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/comment-page-1/#comment-104542 secret Fri, 12 Oct 2007 03:27:31 +0000 http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot.html#comment-104542 Is she still in jail, or something? Your post makes it seem that way...I'd think that she'd be released as soon as they found out it wasn't a bomb. But, still? What was she thinking? Is she still in jail, or something? Your post makes it seem that way…I’d think that she’d be released as soon as they found out it wasn’t a bomb.

But, still? What was she thinking?

]]> By: Alexander http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/comment-page-1/#comment-100768 Alexander Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:55:37 +0000 http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot.html#comment-100768 No, we shouldn't. That said, we're talking about Homeland Security workers, not engineers, so we can hardly expect them to be able to visually differentiate between a breadboard and a bomb. As such, I think they acted pretty reasonably in arresting her. While it's obviously a slippery slope, I think that Soviet intrusions represent the end of that slope, not our present location on it. I've never had a single issue going through any airport security line, and it's certainly not because I spend undue hours trying to figure out what I can and can't get on planes. It's common sense: Don't bring flashing electronic devices with wires to airports. No, we shouldn’t. That said, we’re talking about Homeland Security workers, not engineers, so we can hardly expect them to be able to visually differentiate between a breadboard and a bomb. As such, I think they acted pretty reasonably in arresting her. While it’s obviously a slippery slope, I think that Soviet intrusions represent the end of that slope, not our present location on it. I’ve never had a single issue going through any airport security line, and it’s certainly not because I spend undue hours trying to figure out what I can and can’t get on planes. It’s common sense: Don’t bring flashing electronic devices with wires to airports.

]]> By: Jeffrey Warren http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/comment-page-1/#comment-100534 Jeffrey Warren Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:59:45 +0000 http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot.html#comment-100534 Yeah just to chime in I don't think we should be consigning entire swaths of our object lifestyles (batteries, play-doh, wires, clear liquids) to the "THEY'RE A TERRORIST" bin... the whole phenomenon of airport security as defined today just reminds me of "wreckers" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrecking_(Soviet_crime) "NAMELESS TERRORS LURK UNDER EVERY STONE AND BEHIND EVERY TREE SO JUST TRUST US AND LET US SEARCH YOUR EVERY CAVITY AND VIOLATE YOUR PRIVACY IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR SLIGHTEST WHIMSY" Ugh. Yeah just to chime in I don’t think we should be consigning entire swaths of our object lifestyles (batteries, play-doh, wires, clear liquids) to the “THEY’RE A TERRORIST” bin… the whole phenomenon of airport security as defined today just reminds me of “wreckers” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrecking_(Soviet_crime)

“NAMELESS TERRORS LURK UNDER EVERY STONE AND BEHIND EVERY TREE SO JUST TRUST US AND LET US SEARCH YOUR EVERY CAVITY AND VIOLATE YOUR PRIVACY IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR SLIGHTEST WHIMSY”

Ugh.

]]> By: Billy Bob http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/comment-page-1/#comment-100106 Billy Bob Wed, 26 Sep 2007 15:50:22 +0000 http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot.html#comment-100106 Alexander, I'd say a cell phone looks more like a bomb than Star's 'artwork'. More than one Palestinian terrorist has found that out the hard way. Cell phones are especially convenient, because the Mossad guy can verify the target's identity and ask him if he'd like to meet Allah before he presses *# to set off the charge. Alexander,

I’d say a cell phone looks more like a bomb than Star’s ‘artwork’. More than one Palestinian terrorist has found that out the hard way. Cell phones are especially convenient, because the Mossad guy can verify the target’s identity and ask him if he’d like to meet Allah before he presses *# to set off the charge.

]]> By: Billy http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/comment-page-1/#comment-99862 Billy Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:46:12 +0000 http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot.html#comment-99862 Regardless of the idiocy of wearing something resembling a bomb into the airport, she should have been arrested again by some facet of the fashion police. Trying to pawn off something so obviously uncreative such as this as art when the intention is clearly to satiate one's starvation for attention is a crime itself. Regardless of the idiocy of wearing something resembling a bomb into the airport, she should have been arrested again by some facet of the fashion police. Trying to pawn off something so obviously uncreative such as this as art when the intention is clearly to satiate one’s starvation for attention is a crime itself.

]]> By: Mike Lin http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/comment-page-1/#comment-99858 Mike Lin Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:24:31 +0000 http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot.html#comment-99858 I appreciate all the comments and it's definitely an interesting topic to debate... I'll post some new info and articles soon. I appreciate all the comments and it’s definitely an interesting topic to debate… I’ll post some new info and articles soon.

]]> By: Alexander http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/comment-page-1/#comment-99833 Alexander Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:56:22 +0000 http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot.html#comment-99833 Ah, after a bit of further research, I concede that the arrest itself (many guys with machine guns?) was a bit much. Ah, after a bit of further research, I concede that the arrest itself (many guys with machine guns?) was a bit much.

]]> By: Alexander http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/comment-page-1/#comment-99832 Alexander Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:51:57 +0000 http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot.html#comment-99832 To be fair, Mike, this seems like a deliberate provocation. I don't know her and you do, so maybe I'm off-base here, but if it is a provocation, what's she proving? That devices resembling bombs will get you in trouble at the airport? There are a lot of excesses in airport security and our culture of fear in general, but I don't think this is exactly instructive or demonstrative. It actually looks to my eye enough like a bomb to reasonably get you arrested. And if it's not deliberately provocative, then what was she thinking? All told, I obviously don't support further action against her, but I think she kind of had it (an arrest) coming. To be fair, Mike, this seems like a deliberate provocation. I don’t know her and you do, so maybe I’m off-base here, but if it is a provocation, what’s she proving? That devices resembling bombs will get you in trouble at the airport? There are a lot of excesses in airport security and our culture of fear in general, but I don’t think this is exactly instructive or demonstrative. It actually looks to my eye enough like a bomb to reasonably get you arrested.

And if it’s not deliberately provocative, then what was she thinking?

All told, I obviously don’t support further action against her, but I think she kind of had it (an arrest) coming.

]]> By: Bob http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot/comment-page-1/#comment-98583 Bob Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:39:10 +0000 http://www.vestaldesign.com/blog/2007/09/how-to-get-arrested-at-the-airport-without-being-shot.html#comment-98583 Last time I went to the airport I had a little electronic device that flashed lights and I punched codes into. I then hooked it up to a cord connected to the building's main power grid. It was my freaking cell phone. The most serious charge seems to be "she wasn't scared enough to totally change her life around what idiots could possibly misinterpret as a threat." Last time I went to the airport I had a little electronic device that flashed lights and I punched codes into. I then hooked it up to a cord connected to the building’s main power grid. It was my freaking cell phone.

The most serious charge seems to be “she wasn’t scared enough to totally change her life around what idiots could possibly misinterpret as a threat.”

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