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Comment by metaphorm | Hacker News Reader

unlike human workers, automated exit doors don't hesitate to imprison the occupant with no thought about the situation.

these are jail cells, not doors.

From what I've heard TSA agents don't think about the situation either

They are not jail cells. We had the same thing in restricted hallways when I worked my prior job in big pharma. They were used mainly to allow big hallway access and securely allow one person at a time through the door, with weight sensors at the bottom of the pod.

You can override these doors most likely with an emergency button if needed.

On the other hand, that company building was not an essential destination of travel for millions of people.

Have you never used an automatic double-door vestibule in a cold city?

I have, but as far as I can remember they all have small normal doors to the side - is that not the default setup?

Not one that can lock on both sides at the same time.

The whole principle behind such vestibules is that there is an instant when both doors are closed at the same time, which keeps the cold draft outside from getting inside.

Closed, but not locked.

For an automatic door, what's the difference?

I can force it open? Even Equinix datacenter mantrap doors can be pushed open. Firecode trumps security. Unless you're the TSA, and then its security theater > common sense.

What makes you think you can't push the airport doors open?

Simple: that premise isn't as fun to talk about on a message board, and so can't be true.

You honestly don't think the TSA wouldn't have the ability to "secure" you in this device until someone arrived on foot if they wanted to?

I'm absolutely sure the TSA wouldn't abuse this device. At all.

If TSA wants to "secure" people I don't think they need evil magic robot doors to do that. But because this is HN, of course, I can't win that argument.

I would argue that TSA agents are more likely to abuse their power while benefiting from a power imbalance. Stopping someone physically is much harder than locking them in a box they have to walk through to get out of a terminal.

I don't believe you can't win the argument because this is Hacker News; you can't win the argument because of the TSA's track record (and to a greater extent, the results of unchecked power on humans).

The current reporting on these "detention pods" indicates that there is a moment when both doors are closed, and presumably unable to open. I'll have to test one in person to see.

Yes, locked. The point is that you have to wait for one door to close before you can open the other.

Have you ever been in a jail cell before?

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