Tomato Juice and X-Ray Machines Don't Mix

Note to all mixologists: Tomato juice does not go well with X-ray machines. Especially when the X-ray machines are part of the screening process at LaGuardia Airport, where thousands of passengers are waiting to be checked out.

WCBS 2 found out that security screening at LaGuardia was a lot slower than usual (and it can be really slow already!) because someone spilled tomato juice on an X-ray machine yesterday: "The Transportation Safety Administration confirmed the spill knocked out one of the five units that screen thousands of passengers here each day." And when WCBS 2 told travelers that's why they were waiting, their reactions ranged from "That's insane" to "It makes one very sad and very worried."

The TSA said a vendor spilled the drink and added, "That's the risk you take when you deal with technology." Well, technology and people who refuse to use sippy cups!

Here's the TSA's latest thoughts on liquids during air travel. And which airport screening do you think is worse, LaGuardia, Newark or JFK? And we've looked at some great Bloody Marys around the city before.

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By Jen Chung in News on October 21, 2007 10:58 AM

Comments [rss]

krispayne

OR when you come back from international only to be greeted by a huge line of people weary from travel and you're in this basement compaund ala David Coresh and you don't have cell phone service and you finally reach the line and it's a 75 year old man and a 20 year old college drop out working that huge line.

krispayne

My favorite is when I travel for work and they immediately suggest I'm a terrorist because I have two laptops. Special Line time!

Jen Chung

Thanks, krispayne, I meant Newark.

I know the TSA only has so many screeners, but what bugs me is when there are, say, five X-ray machines but only two screeners to deal with the growing lines.

krispayne

Aren't Kennedy and JFK the same airport? Just sayin...

JackDangers

I travel every couple months, and I can't say I've ever had much trouble at either LGA or JFK as far as security goes. At most I've had to wait 20 minutes. The worst wait I have consistently had, though, has been at LAX, where I regularly have been held up as hundreds of people are squeezed through a single working X-ray machine.