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The unasked question is whether this prohibition on saying the "B" word at airports has any REAL safety benefit. As if the hypothetical terrorists would really be chatting about it in line at security.

Where is the evidence that chatting about bombs correlates with actual bombings?

This reeks of the rest of the TSA's ineffectual show efforts that provide no real security.

To amplify my point, there are three options for airport jokers:

1. Punish them (with fine, prison, denying travel presently and/or in the future).

2. Harrass, threaten, and frighten them into never doing this again.

3. Briefly admonish them about how they are making security more difficult, and rescreen them with heightened sensitivity.

Which of these will improve security?

#1 and 2 will stop an indivudual from joking again, but this will not change the number of bombers that get through, nor those from the multitudes who will be the next joker.

#2 is fun for the police-state-thugs to show whose turf the subjects are on, but has no effect on security.

#3 is no fun for the thugs, but actually addresses the hypothetical risk that those who make such comments are more likely to be a threat than an average passanger. (And if they are not an increased risk, then such jokes should be ignored, and the screening should be relied upon.)