wear a watch, go to jail?

[gunsmith]

http://m.washingtonpost.com/national/ca-man-with-weird-watch-arrested-at-oakland-airport-charged-with-having-bomb-making-materials/2012/11/16/245d4e52-3065-11e2-af17-67abba0676e2_story.html


I imagine they yelled "let me see your hands" ( ha ha get it? a watch has hands )

Also, he tried to make his own elevator shoes, apparently that is a crime now as well.

While no actual explosives were found, McGann was carrying potentially dangerous materials and appeared to have made alterations to his boots, which were unusually large and stuffed with layers of insoles, Nelson said.

oh oh, my mind is potentially dangerous - I should turn my self in to the TSA.

[gunsmith]

Reason mag has a picture, cool watch!
http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/21/tsa-leave-your-weird-fancy-arty-utterly

[zahc]

Good thing it wasn't a Casio F91W, or he might have found himself in gitmo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Guantanamo_Bay_detainees_accused_of_possessing_Casio_watches

[gunsmith]

Good thing it wasn't a Casio F91W, or he might have found himself in gitmo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Guantanamo_Bay_detainees_accused_of_possessing_Casio_watches

very interesting, of course now I want two watches!

[tokugawa]

The explosives team arrived in five minutes and determined there were no explosives- so exactly why the @#$%^ did they throw his ass in jail, and charge him? This is the thing that gets me- they can't admit, even for a second, "oops, sorry, all cool dude" and let him go. They just have to #$%^ with him just because.

 "bombmaking materials"- AKA everyday household and shop items, found in most of the homes in what used to be America,  we are now at the point where a spare fuse and a toggle switch is evidence of a terrorist? 

[kgbsquirrel]

The explosives team arrived in five minutes and determined there were no explosives- so exactly why the @#$%^ did they throw his ass in jail, and charge him? This is the thing that gets me- they can't admit, even for a second, "oops, sorry, all cool dude" and let him go. They just have to #$%^ with him just because.

 "bombmaking materials"- AKA everyday household and shop items, found in most of the homes in what used to be America,  we are now at the point where a spare fuse and a toggle switch is evidence of a terrorist? 

Better start shutting down Home Depots, Sears, Wal-Marts, etc. as bomb factories. 

[zxcvbob]

Better start shutting down Home Depots, Sears, Wal-Marts, etc. as bomb factories. 

God help you if you're carrying a Radio Shack bag.

[RocketMan]

"bombmaking materials"- AKA everyday household and shop items, found in most of the homes in what used to be America,  we are now at the point where a spare fuse and a toggle switch is evidence of a terrorist?  

In my garage shop there are electronic components, switches, wires, batteries, rocket motors, chemicals...I'm totally screwed.  I wonder if they offer free WiFi at the Gitmo Inn?

[birdman]

This stinks.  I have to fly to SF after christmas with two large cases full of electronic parts, tools, etc for a build, guess I'm checking them and hoping they make it :/

[Tallpine]

This stinks.  I have to fly to SF after christmas with two large cases full of electronic parts, tools, etc for a build, guess I'm checking them and hoping they make it :/

Funny, a few years back (2008?) I flew out to Seattle with a 787 power conditioning board in my luggage - no case, just the nekkid circuit board packed in my clothes.

They just shrugged and looked at me weird when I told them what it was and asked if it was a problem (the luggage scanners sit in the middle of the lobby and I waited there while they ran it through so the airport wouldn't get shut down).

Really, how did they know it was okay     

[AJ Dual]

Funny, a few years back (2008?) I flew out to Seattle with a 787 power conditioning board in my luggage - no case, just the nekkid circuit board packed in my clothes.

They just shrugged and looked at me weird when I told them what it was and asked if it was a problem (the luggage scanners sit in the middle of the lobby and I waited there while they ran it through so the airport wouldn't get shut down).

Really, how did they know it was okay     

Simple answer, they don't. It's security theater, and you complied by your manners.

Knowingly,  or not, his dress, manners, and "art pieces" mocked the security theater, and hence comes his legal  peril.

[Tallpine]

Simple answer, they don't. It's security theater, and you complied by your manners.

Knowingly,  or not, his dress, manners, and "art pieces" mocked the security theater, and hence comes his legal  peril.

I suppose that I wouldn't have stood there by the scanner if it was going to blow up 

I wonder if they can even see anything at all with those scanners    The guy just looked at me like "duhhhhhh" 

Oh yeah, and you're supposed to just leave your luggage sitting in a heap out there in the middle of the lobby until a tsa goon finally comes along to run the scanner 

[kgbsquirrel]

I suppose that I wouldn't have stood there by the scanner if it was going to blow up 

Actually that's a rather important indicator those of us engaged in actual security work (and not security theater) look for. As taught to me by the military, when searching packages and bags I would ask the owner to open it. I'm watching them for hesitation, facial tells, etc. that might indicate there's something in said container that I should be concerned over. That's just one small part of the whole shebang but still rather important.

[MillCreek]

So if I were to squeeze my eyes shut and put my hands over my ears, that is a give away?

[AJ Dual]

So if I were to squeeze my eyes shut and put my hands over my ears, that is a give away?

If you're a little kid playing an extra at the Mt. Rushmore gift shop/cafeteria, it is.

[HForrest]

California has some of the most insane "destructive device" laws conceivable. Under the same law they charged him with (or at least I'm assuming it's the same one), you are a felon (2 year recommended sentence) in California if you possess dry ice, water, and a plastic bottle alone, with the mere intent to assemble them into a "destructive device". And of course when it comes to all aspects of the law in this state that's just the tip of the iceberg. This is why I am leaving.