Airport Security

Over the last year, 3 million travelers have zipped through special airport security checkpoints without having to remove their shoes, belts, coats or unpack their laptop computers, according to federal officials. They were participants in a program run by the Transportation Security Administration to let pre-screened, frequent travelers avoid long lines at security checkpoints at the nation's airports. The program, called PreCheck, began in October 2011 and has expanded to 26 airports and five airlines: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and US Airways.

There are a lot of places and interesting things to do on spring break. But an off-duty California police officer capped off his vacation by becoming a hero. Cpl. Justin Rogers of the Pinole Police Department was on vacation in Hawaii and had just removed his shoes to go through security at Honolulu International Airport when he saw a woman hitting a female officer of the Transportation Security Administration, according to the security video of the March 30 event. Rogers, a six-year veteran of the Pinole Police Department in Contra Costa County, is seen leaping over the small barrier and wrestling the suspect to the ground.

First there was the coat, designed by a Pennsylvania businessman, that is lined with dozens of pockets that let air passengers pack all of their electronic gadgets without hauling a bag onto the plane. Then came the suitcase, designed by a Michigan marketing manager, that was designed to fit the exact dimensions of the space under an airline seat, to avoid carry-on bag fees charged for using the overhead compartment. Now comes a New York designer who is marketing a belt to make getting through airport security a snap.

An off-duty California police officer is being credited for going to the rescue of a security agent being assaulted at the Honolulu airport. Corporal Justin Rogers of the Pinole Police Department was on vacation and had just taken off his shoes to go through security March 30 when he spotted the assault, the Contra Costa Times reported. Security footage released Thursday showed a woman hitting a female Transportation Security Administration officer and putting her in a headlock.

City officials need to do all they can to help the 12,000 Los Angeles International Airport workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But the solution isn't to try to balance airport security with job security, no matter how wrenching the pleas of the hundreds of laid-off workers who marched on City Hall this week. Airport security tips the balance. It has to come first.

Nicholas George planned to brush up on his Arabic vocabulary during a flight in August from Philadelphia to California, where he was to start his senior year at Pomona College. So he carried some Arabic-English flashcards in his pocket to study on the plane. But those flashcards changed George's life far beyond the classroom. The 22-year-old from Pennsylvania is speaking out against what he contends are abuses by federal authorities in airport security measures. George, a physics major who is considering a career as a U.S. diplomat in the Middle East, is suing the Transportation Security Administration, the FBI and Philadelphia police for jailing him after his flashcards were found and confiscated in a Philadelphia airport screening.

Seems like Justin Bieber will do just about anything to show off his sculpted abs -- even walk shirtless through a Polish airport for no apparent reason. File this one under the growing list of his unusual actions on the European leg of his "Believe" tour. The "Beauty and the Beat" singer took off his shirt in the car Monday on the way from his concert to the Wladyslaw Reymont Airport in Lodz, Poland, according to the Daily Mail. He walked shirtless into the airport and through the security gate, then got dressed before boarding a private jet, the newspaper said.

Will the airport of the future be able to verify the identity of passengers with a quick eye scan? Aoptix Technologies Inc., a Campbell-based high-tech company, has developed iris scan technology the company hopes can be used by the Transportation Security Administration to verify passenger identification in a matter of seconds. To market, sell and develop such technology, Aoptix announced last week it had acquired $42 million in additional funding from investors, bringing the total amount it has raised to $123 million since it launched in 2000.

Bothered by select air travelers who get to move faster through airport security checkpoints? Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) is. He has introduced legislation that would bar airlines and airports from giving passengers, often first class and elite frequent fliers, preferential treatment on security lines.   “This bill is about fairness," Nelson said. "Regardless of whether you have a first-class ticket or have reached a certain frequent flier status, the purpose of the airport security screening line is to ensure traveler safety.

Because of the stepped-up security after the 2001 terrorist attacks, several private companies collaborated with the federal government to offer pre-screening services so frequent travelers could speed through the airport. But in the last few months, all three of the major companies approved by the Transportation Security Administration to participate in the registered traveler program have folded or suspended operations.

Seems like Justin Bieber will do just about anything to show off his sculpted abs -- even walk shirtless through a Polish airport for no apparent reason. File this one under the growing list of his unusual actions on the European leg of his "Believe" tour. The "Beauty and the Beat" singer took off his shirt in the car Monday on the way from his concert to the Wladyslaw Reymont Airport in Lodz, Poland, according to the Daily Mail. He walked shirtless into the airport and through the security gate, then got dressed before boarding a private jet, the newspaper said.

Take a night light (and extra bulbs), and plug it into the hotel or cruise ship bathroom. Great when getting up during the night in different surroundings. I write a big note to myself to be sure I pack it. Been doing this for at least 25 years and have never forgotten to remove it. Judy Carter-Johnson Seal Beach Take a small (3-ounce) empty spray bottle to combat clothing wrinkles. When I get to my destination, I unpack and hang the clothes I will be wearing (or you can also lay them flat on the bed)

The budget battle in Washington that is forcing cuts to federal budgets has already resulted in delays and long lines at some of the nation's largest airports, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday. At a breakfast meeting with the news organization Politico, Napolitano said her agency is cutting overtime pay and sending out furlough notices to customs officers and airport security screeners. As a result, she said lines have already increased 150% to 200% at airports, including Los Angeles International Airport and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

In this "Tiny" episode of "Once Upon A Time," another new resident of Storybrooke is introduced as Anton the Giant, shrunken and brought against his will by Cora and Capt. Hook, crashes his way through the town. But first things first: Regina. We know that she and her mother Cora are cooking up some plan, the first part of which is to make herself known again. Regina does so, going to see Henry at Snow White and Emma's place.  But Snow and Henry left earlier for the airport with Mr. Gold, and his protective scarf, on a quest to find Gold's son. Grrr, says Regina, and leaves.

If you are a member of a hotel loyalty program, you are probably not very loyal to your hotel. That is one finding of a survey of about 4,000 travelers by Deloitte & Touche about how they book hotels and what guides their decisions. Only 1 in 4 travelers spent more than 75% of their nights at their preferred brand, and 65% of frequent travelers reported staying in two or more hotel brands in the last six months, according to the survey, released last week. Only 19% of those who responded to the survey said that a loyalty program was very important when choosing a hotel.

First there was the coat, designed by a Pennsylvania businessman, that is lined with dozens of pockets that let air passengers pack all of their electronic gadgets without hauling a bag onto the plane. Then came the suitcase, designed by a Michigan marketing manager, that was designed to fit the exact dimensions of the space under an airline seat, to avoid carry-on bag fees charged for using the overhead compartment. Now comes a New York designer who is marketing a belt to make getting through airport security a snap.

When an online video gets more than a million views, it's hard to ignore. That may be the reason the Transportation Security Administration took the unusual step last week to address an online video that claims to show how to circumvent the full-body scanners that the TSA has installed at 140 airports across the country. Jonathan Corbett, a blogger and TSA critic, posted a video this month on YouTube and his own Web page, www.tsaoutofourpants.wordpress.com , titled "How to Get Anything Through TSA Nude Body Scanners.

As 19 hijackers made their way along the concourses at three East Coast airports on Sept. 11, bent on executing the deadliest terrorist attack in history, they were subjecting the U.S. aviation security system to its most critical test. At almost every step along the way, the system posed no challenge to the terrorists--not to their ability to purchase tickets, to pass security checkpoints while carrying knives and cutting implements nor to board aircraft.

Two City Council members on Wednesday demanded to know why the city's airport commission approved almost $4 million in contracts for a public relations campaign to highlight the ongoing modernization of Los Angeles International Airport. Dennis Zine, a candidate for city controller, and Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes LAX, called for a council review of the three contracts, which were awarded without discussion by the Board of Airport Commissioners last week to companies that are not based in Los Angeles.

Don't forget Green Valley Lake Christopher Reynolds' "Their Heads Are in the Clouds" (Southern California Close-Ups, Dec. 23) was quite an extensive article on our local mountain resorts, but he neglected to mention Green Valley Lake. It wasn't even marked on the map. I compare Green Valley Lake to "Brigadoon. " Green Valley Lake is off Highway 18 near Running Springs and Snow Valley and is made up of mainly a general store, a malt shop, a bait shop and a few real estate offices.