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Comment by chrisseaton | Hacker News Reader

> Correct, but I think the general escalation of security in airports which caught the Richard Reid

Eh? But he wasn't caught due to airport security. He got onto the plane and tried to set off the bomb during the flight.

He would have been caught if someone had looked at his shoes.

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But if he knew they were checking shoes at airport security, then he probably would have put it somewhere else.

Well isn't that the reason for it? Deny an avenue of attack so they to use another less effective option?

But anyway - the point was 'general escalation of security in airports which caught the Richard Reid' is a provably false statement.

What like his underwear? And now we get to go through full body scanners without our shoes. You're much more likely to be able sneak a firearm through than an explosive device now.

Let's all be grateful this dude didn't try to pull his underwear bomb stunt on an airplane.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/09/30/saudi.arabia.a...

Do you mean like this other guy did? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umar_Farouk_Abdulmutallab

Where?

> Where?

Are you familiar with any recent bomber story at all? All he needed was some matches and a small amount of plastique.

Someone put an incendiary in his underwear. There are tons of possibilities. If you can't name 3 ways other than shoes and underwear, you might be in the group that thinks the TSA is fine.

They scan your body for bulky objects under clothing and X-ray luggage. Shoes are the only other location to hide an explosive device.

How do they get cellphones into prison?

Mostly guards smuggling them in

Yes, but I think you get where I am coming from.

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