terrorists really can't mix chemicals together on board an airplane

[madmusic]

According to this Raw Story piece, terrorists really can't mix chemicals together on board an airplane to blow it up. Homeland Security, take note. Can we please start bringing our toothpaste, concealer, and bottled water with us again when we fly?

http://talkleft.com/new_archives/015763.html#comments

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. No.....You May Not

Sorry, but if you want to fly, you have to do so by their rules. If you have any complaints, they'll be happy to have you thrown out of the airport and arrested on "terrorist" charges, for not obeying orders.

That means No Toothpaste, No Shampoos, and ESPECIALLY....No Bottled Water!!!

[Anakin Skywalker]

4. Amurkins are just jealous

of those fine Evian bottled water. They are SUPERIOR because it's a French company.

[sofa king]

2. Maybe not those chemicals, but...

Give me enough UDMH and nitrogen tetroxide, both colorless liquids, and I'll send us all to the Moon.

Edit: I should explain. Unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide form one of the simplest and most powerful rocket fuels. They react violently in contact with one another, which is chemistry-ese for "blows up real good." No ignition is necessary; they just go boom as soon as they touch.

As a sideways example, the Messerschmidt 163 rocket plane ran off of a less powerful but chemically similar combination of hydrazine and peroxide. One German rocket scientist reputedly killed himself by pouring peroxide into an improperly washed flask that had once been filled with hydrazine. Slap two orange-sized water balloons of UDMH and NT together and you'll create an explosion which could easily blow a hole in an airplane, along with several rows of passengers.

My point is this: there is a potential reason to be concerned about colorless liquids on planes, but the way we're going to stop such dastardly deeds from happening is to make our country stop acting like such an asshole.

Then, all you have to worry about is the mad scientists, and they're usually recognizable by their lab coats and deformed sidekicks.

[Warpy]

3. What they might be able to mix are the binary ingredients

for various nerve gases, though, and I think that's what DHS is thinking of more than explosives, which would be incredibly difficult to mix onboard.

The stink of the precursor chemicals would quickly alert every passenger in the vicinity that something was going on that they'd better stop very quickly. Whether or not enough of the chemicals could come in contact with each other and form the agent is debatable with a couple of dozen passengers trying to prevent it.

The rules are going to have to be modified to include factory sealed water bottles and small bottles of medication, I think, or they're running the risk of making airline travel such a PIA that people will stop doing it.

[Tesha]

5. You don't think someone can fake a "factory sealed water bottle"? (NT)