Airline Passengers May Face Hefty Fines

[ALM]

February 24, 2004

That long-forgotten Swiss Army knife, or that joke that a
screener deems threatening, could cost airline passengers
hefty fines at airport security checkpoints under a new
enforcement policy the Transportation Security
Administration put in place last week.

Previously, unless they found a gun or other obvious
weapon, security screeners merely confiscated most
prohibited items they found in carry-on bags. In one
three-month period in 2002, for example, security screeners
discovered nearly 2 million knives or blades of less than 3
inches, and 3.3 million other "sharp objects" in passenger
bags, the T.S.A. said.

The new guidelines spell out various levels of fines for
prohibited items discovered at checkpoints, within secure
airport areas, or on board aircraft. Loaded firearms, or
those with ammunition accessible, warrant fines of $3,000
to $7,500, as well as criminal referral. For unloaded
firearms, fines are $1,500 to $3,000, plus criminal
referral.

For other "weapons," which the T.S.A. says include "sharp
objects, club-like items and other prohibited items" that
could be used as weapons, fines are $250 to $1,500.

The guidelines chiefly "send a message that it's no longer
O.K. to say, 'I'm sorry, I forgot I had my gun in my bag,'
" said Ann Davis, a T.S.A. spokeswoman. The guidelines list
"aggravating factors and mitigating factors" in giving
authorities discretion in levying fines, she said. Among
those factors are a suspected violator's attitude, past
violation history and level of traveling experience.

The guidelines also set fines of $1,500 to $5,000 for
"interfering with screening" through "physical contact,"
and fines of $500 to $1,500 for "nonphysical" interference.
Anyone making "false threats," like joking about a bomb or
a weapon, can be fined $1,000 to $2,000.

The tightened procedures are meant to "encourage travelers
to be a little more aware of what they're traveling with,"
Ms. Davis said. Since the T.S.A. assumed responsibility for
airport security in 2002, there have been 4,568 civil
penalties assessed against passengers for prohibited items,
she added.

Test of Iris ID System

Under Way in Germany

A test of a biometric identification system based on iris
patterns is under way at Frankfurt Airport.

Passengers stand at an electronic device that checks their
iris patterns against iris patterns previously registered
on their passports. Seven of the devices, developed by
Byometric Systems and Oki Electric Industry, are in place
at the airport. They are part of a pilot project that
ultimately is expected to lead to use of
iris-identification technology at airports in 18 European
nations.

While the technology has not been proved a foolproof way to
ensure identify, proponents say it has great promise. "It
must be guaranteed that the registered biometric
characteristic can be matched absolutely correctly," Otto
Schily, the German interior minister, said. "The iris
recognition is currently considered to be the most secure
biometric system."

JOE SHARKEY

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/24/busin ... 1094ac9680