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Homeopathic Medical Device Causes Bomb Scare At LaGuardia
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 31, 2012
Modified Jan 31, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 31, 2012
Modified Jan 31, 2012
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A traveler who tripped up security at LaGuardia airport with a homeopathic medical device yesterday was eventually allowed to proceed on to his destination, albeit without his mysterious New Age device. But long after he was gone, the device—which could possibly be mistaken for a crude pipe bomb—caused a bomb scare at the airport, because security screeners left the pipe behind after their shift change without telling the next team what it was.
After the passenger was cleared, the device was left in an abandoned property area without the full information, a TSA official tells us. When the next shift started, one officer noticed the items, and CNN reports that he "mistakenly believed they were test objects, used to check screener proficiency. When that officer later learned they were not test items, the officer alerted others, and the TSA contacted the Port Authority Police Department." They, in turn, called the NYPD bomb squad.
The device was finally removed from the airport at 5:30 p.m., some six hours after they were taken from the passenger. And the Post is having a field day with this, reporting that "TSA bozos at one point left the pipes — which eventually turned out to be harmless — resting on a radiator as hundreds of fliers passed through security nearby." One Port Authority police official tells the tabloid, "Six hours to report a potential bomb? It’s outrageous." But in a statement, the TSA insists the device was inspected merely "out of an abundance of caution." BOOORRRING! Flyin' Shame: TSA Bozos Bungle Bomb Boner In PA Blame Game is much more fun!
Tagged
homeopathy
laguardia
port authority
security theater
tsa
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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