It was a loaded diaper, but not like you would think.

Security officers found 17 bullets concealed inside a disposable baby diaper Wednesday at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, the Transportation Security Administration said.

Officers pulled the otherwise clean diaper from a passenger’s carry-on bag after it triggered an alarm in an X-ray machine at an airport security checkpoint, the TSA said.

  • Omnificer@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    What’s actually news worthy is that TSA managed to catch this. Their success rate is abysmal, so I’m sure this is a big confidence boost for them.

    • Mamertine@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      In their defense, they stare at a screen all day looking for contraband. The human brain can only do a task like that well for maybe 15 minutes before zoning out.

      I know people who worked in manufacturing. There was a quality control position where a worker had to look at glass going by them on a assembly line looking for defects. They studied how long a person could reliability do that before they started missing defects. It was only about 10 minutes.

      I think if that story every time I go to the airport, or when the TSA get trashed for missing half of the weapons they’re supposed to be searching for.

      AI should be used to assist roles like that.

      • Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works
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        11 months ago

        Have you ever looked at their screen? This isn’t a 1970’s scan, the computer automatically flags anomalies and makes a box around them.

        • Beetschnapps@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Speaking from experience they seemed to actually catch more back then regardless.

          I miss the days of a magnetometer and keeping my shoes on.

        • Mamertine@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          That’s good to hear.

          No, I can’t really get a look at them. They’re positioned to hide the screen an my airport. Well and airport security is a pain, so I’m trying to get through as quickly as possible.

          • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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            11 months ago

            When I went to the airport last time they had one of those full body scan things we have to wave your arms in the air. I don’t understand why I wasn’t allowed to look at the picture, it’s a picture of me. I want to see it.

            It’s night and day flying out of the US to somewhere in Europe. You go through all the rigmarole of TSA on the US side. Then when you land on the other side of the Atlantic they go “you look all right” and leave you alone.

            • hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              11 months ago

              You were not allowed to look at the photo mostly because the security can’t be arsed to deal with your bullshit.

              • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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                11 months ago

                Yeah but it took longer to say no than it would have to just turn the screen around so they’re just being dick heads.

                And they do love to do that. Then the most unpleasant people it’s like they actually have a job and their job isn’t security their job is to be unpleasant awkward unhelpful rude and aggressive.

                • hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                  11 months ago

                  Probably, but letting every tourist have a look on it, take photos, organize toured xray picnics and have their ass eaten in security check will just complicate their life. I do recognize they’re assholes, but in this case I would do the same. Not my fucking job to tend idiots

      • geogle@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        They’re constantly being switched out at my airport (ATL). Either they are on a similarly short schedule, or I’m lucky enough to always hit shift change :/

    • tinkeringidiot@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Very much this. Four times I’ve accidentally flown with live ammo in my carry on and gotten through the TSA checkpoint unflagged. I can also verify that the hand swab thing they do doesn’t pick up gunpowder.

  • magnetosphere@kbin.social
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    11 months ago

    Why the hell would anyone need to carry bullets that badly?

    The TSA identified the passenger as a man from Arkansas…

    Never mind.

  • [email protected]@sh.itjust.works
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    11 months ago

    the passenger initially claimed he didn’t know how the bullet-filled diaper ended up in his bag.

    If anything, it just confirms how irresponsible they are.

      • CADmonkey@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I used to run a CNC laser. It would cut 2-d shapes out of metal up to 19mm thick.

        We had a supervisor who was going on a trip once, and we joked about cutting out the silhouette of a handgun and sewing it into the lining of a carryon bag. We didn’t do it, but I could see a stunt like that causing problems.

      • [email protected]@sh.itjust.works
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        11 months ago

        Who knows, maybe it’s just my gf doesn’t have a bunch of bullets in her pockets to shove in a bag while I’m not looking.
        Whether it’s him or her, that household kinda has an issue with safe firearm/ammo storage and handling.

        • Duranie@literature.cafe
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          11 months ago

          Back in the early 80’s my sister was planning to travel with her infant son to get some time away from her husband (abusive addict when he’d relapse - real life Jekyll/Hyde.) She was waiting to board a plane in Chicago when several police pulled her, stating they’d gotten a call that she was carrying a bomb. All she had was a diaper bag with baby things, her purse, and saltines as she’d developed an ulcer.

          They let her go once they realized what the situation was, but manipulative people can really create nightmares.

      • pohart
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        11 months ago

        It looks like they came from two different boxes too. Like she wanted to include both in case one didn’t get detected as easily.

  • breakfastmtn@lemmy.ca
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    11 months ago

    That’s just what happens when you feed fully loaded guns to babies. Bullets are the corn of the consumed weapons world.

    • x4740N@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      I know this is satire but with the shit I’ve seen come out of america I would nit he surprised if someone has actually tried to feed their baby a loaded gun

      • dan1101@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        The dumb thing is this wasn’t even a gun, just bullets. Bullets are easy and legal to buy so why smuggle them?

        • x4740N@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Plausibly similar to people who have built bombs out of stuff that wouldn’t normally be suspicious to airport security

          It reminds me of the person who built a bomb in a airplane toilet with a casio watch and some other things

  • Mostly_Gristle@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    All that trouble over maybe $10 worth of ammunition… You’d think they’d just quietly drop it in the trash or something. It’s not like it’s some kind of ultra-precious irreplaceable unobtanium or something.

    • Butterpaderp@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      TSA will do anything to justify their existence. Finding anything related to weapons is like pornography to them.

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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        11 months ago

        TSA are pointless. Airport security is a necessity but you don’t need the level of stupid that they go to. Every time they find anything it’s because of the metal detector or an x-ray scan, not some super high level training.

        They should just go back to having normal security. It’s equally as effective and doesn’t cost as much. Plus no more security doesn’t drop my iPad.

  • 21Cabbage@lemmynsfw.com
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    11 months ago

    I remember when I was a teenager flying back from a hunting trip and I had my sister with me, the TSA did their usual routine of giving me a hard time because they think fucking with the autistic kid is funny, she breezed through, we get on the plane and are in the air when she nudges me and pulls A HANDFUL OF SHOTGUN SHELLS out of her pocket. Like, put those things the FUCK back in your pocket.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    the otherwise clean diaper

    I love that part. You mean he didn’t put his bullets in a shit-filled diaper?