Toy, cookie are mistaken for bomb parts

ap on Yahoo ^ | 10/25/05 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

SAN DIEGO - A terminal at San Diego International Airport was evacuated Tuesday after luggage screeners mistook a child's toy and a cookie for bomb-making components, officials said.

A screening machine at the Commuter Terminal detected what appeared to be bomb-making material in a carryon bag around 7:45 a.m., said Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Jennifer Peppin.

A bomb squad was called to the terminal, which serves regional flights, and investigators determined the bag did not contain any "IED," or improvised explosive devices, Peppin said.

"Essentially what they did find was a child's toy and some organic material in a bag that turned out to be a cookie," Peppin said. "Those two items combined on-screen, they very much appeared to be an IED, and it turned out not to be."

The terminal was reopened about 9:20 a.m. and passengers were allowed back in, Melendez said. Five commuter flights to Los Angeles and one flight to Salt Lake City were delayed, said Steve Shultz, an airport spokesman.

The discovery followed bomb threats called in earlier Tuesday to airports in Long Beach and Orange County. The calls triggered massive searches of both facilities but no explosive devices were found.

[gondramB]

Hmmm sop what kind of cookie does the bomb sniffing equipment mistake for explosives... I'd like to avoid eating that variety at airports.

[truthkeeper]

The official story.

[NormsRevenge]

what they did find was a child's toy and some organic material in a bag that turned out to be a cookie..

[paddles]

First it was my belt, then my shoes, and now I can't take no damn oreos or my G.I. Joe with the kung fu grip through the mags without getting wire-brushed by some illiterate moron with an attitude and a badge.

[mlc9852]

I feel so much more secure knowing our Dept. of Homeland Security is protecting us from cookies!

[Prime Choice]

A terminal at San Diego International Airport was evacuated Tuesday after luggage screeners mistook a child's toy and a cookie for bomb-making components, officials said.

The solution?

Find who flipped out over a toy and a cookie. Fire them.

Repeat as necessary.

[Trampled by Lambs]

Did someone say COOKIES?

[Thinkin' Gal]

luggage screeners mistook a child's toy and a cookie for bomb-making components

[NormsRevenge]

It was a TSA screener that saw it on the screening machine screen and acted accordingly when it appeared to be indicative of components for an IED.

[Palladin]

What the heck....? This sounds like it's from The Onion.

[NRA1995]

ME DETECT SOME COOKIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

[hobbes1]

what they did find was a child's toy and some organic material in a bag that turned out to be a cookie..

The Culprit...

[NJ_gent]

We asked airport screeners...

[RetiredArmy]

Hey! They could have hired me. I could have sniffed out that cookie and saved them all this trouble and expense for a lot less money. Well, maybe less, expense. Let's see: Salary: $175,000 per year; retirement contribution per year: $25,000; 60 days sick time; 120 days vacation time; 14 days at Christmas; 1 week at Thanksgiving; 1 week at 4th of July; 2 weeks around Labor Day; 2 weeks for baseball spring training; 3 weeks for the Giro de Italy bike race; 3 weeks for Tour de Frenchie bike race; 3 weeks for Tour of Spain bike race; 1 week on my anniversary. There that should cover it I think.

[RightWhale]

What kind of cookie? This is important. Cookies can go horribly wrong.

[joebuck]

"It was a TSA screener that saw it on the screening machine screen and acted accordingly when it appeared to be indicative of components for an IED."

This doesn't make a lot of sense. My experience is that when something suspicious shows up on the x-ray machine, the screeners open and search the bag to investigate further. So, these screeners couldn't recognise a toy and a cookie when they opened and searched the bag?

[D.P.Roberts]

Genius alert!! I guess it pays better than his last job flippin' burgers.

[tdewey10]

Yeah. Very weird--almost makes me put on my tinfoil hat. I can't imagine how a toy and a cookie = IED.

[Jonah Hex]

"Nothing to see here, folks, just move along."