Israeli Security Opens Fire on a MacBook. Thrice.

[SAL-e]

[citation][nom]sublifer[/nom]Why in the world did they shoot it?[/citation]
Because too many Israelis have died by bombs. I would do exactly the same in their place. The price of one MacBook can't justify the risk of risking somebody's life. They have might over reacted, but I can't blame them. I have personal experience working as contractor for Israelis and it is very difficult job because you need to follow strict security protocol. And to answer why they did not use x-ray. When you see unattended bag you don't want to touch it at all. They have nice robot that just fires at it. Their luggage area is specially design to sustain small explosion.

 

[SAL-e]

[citation][nom]sublifer[/nom]Why in the world did they shoot it?[/citation]

Because too many Israelis have died by bombs. I would do exactly the same in their place. The price of one MacBook can't justify the risk of risking somebody's life. They have might over reacted, but I can't blame them. I have personal experience working as contractor for Israelis and it is very difficult job because you need to follow strict security protocol. And to answer why they did not use x-ray. When you see unattended bag you don't want to touch it at all. They have nice robot that just fires at it. Their luggage area is specially design to sustain small explosion.

 

[sliem]

Suspicious passenger luggage... so you shoot at it? Why? Think a terrorist is hiding in a luggage? or a grizzly bear?

 

[mianmian]

That's why we need backup!

 

[sqhacker]

[citation][nom]gendoikari1[/nom]Wouldn't just running the luggage through a metal detector instead of pumping it full of lead be a better option?[/citation]
Isn't there metal in the lap top too... maybe they just wanted to look inside and see for themselves, kinda like being at a customers desk to look in their pc instead of reading a diagnostic utility right?

 

[Belardo]

Should have kept her eye on her bag... They didn't shoot her notebook, but the bag it was in. Her notebook might have been making some noises.

I don't think a ThinkPad would have faired much worse... if it was an HP - it would have shattered into a million pieces...

 

[noodlegts]

Fits generally with Israeli policy of "shoot first, ask questions later."

Either that or someone is a big PC fanboy.

 

[idisarmu]

lol. It looks better than before.

 

[lejay]

[citation][nom]customisbetter[/nom]There is literally no reason for that bullsh*t. Firing bullets into a laptop, even containing explosives, will not do ANYTHING.[/citation]
Then how do you explain the three holes in the laptop? I know apple makes great hardware, but let's be realistic about it.

 

[fwupow]

What a wonderful world! How anyone can actually look at the state of human existence on this planet and then turn around and ridicule others for turning to religion and God in a hope for something better is beyond me.

 

[omnimodis78]

[citation][nom]gendoikari1[/nom]Wouldn't just running the luggage through a metal detector instead of pumping it full of lead be a better option?[/citation]
Well that's the Israeli terro.....err.....military for you: shoot first, ask questions later, then go back and shoot just to make sure they're dead.

 

[djackson_dba]

[citation][nom]gendoikari1[/nom]Wouldn't just running the luggage through a metal detector instead of pumping it full of lead be a better option?[/citation]

Yes, but not nearly as entertaining!

 

[traesta]

I've been saving for YEARS for a macbook 🙁 they have pushed me to far !!!! i'm joining the marines

 

[traesta]

I've been saving for YEARS for a macbook 🙁 they have pushed me to far !!!! i'm joining the marines

 

[bipolargraph]

At least it wasn't a suspicious looking kid they shot.

 

[earthwormsvx]

Security must read XKCD: xkcd.com/651/

My first thought, "Not enough bullets"

 

[lumpy]

This persons an idiot..left luggage unattended,had no back ups,and bought a mac.i hope they charged her for the bullets.

 

[Supertrek32]

[citation][nom]jellico[/nom]gendoikari1: If you suspect an item contains an IED (improvised explosive device), the safest thing to do is attempt to set it off at a safe distance. Usually, they just blow it up with a small charge of C4 or Semtex.jmchien: Probably a Galil.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMI_GalilOthers questioning why they shot it: As I said, the best way to deal with a suspicious package is to detonate it with a small charge of C4 or Semtex in a bomb-proof container (a detonation chamber). However, you can also shoot the suspicious page at a discrete distance. The shock from the bullet impacts has a high degree of probability of detonating an improvised explosive (an explosive is, by definition, unstable; and improvised explosives are even more so), and/or the detonator (which will then set off the explosive). Considering the on-going tension between Israel and their neighbors, this is probably a daily occurance.[/citation]
C4 can't be detonated by gunshot. Shooting a laptop-bomb wouldn't guarentee disarming it, and would likely cause it to be even less stable. Talk to anyone in the business of blowing things up and they'll tell you that things are scariest when something's supposed to blow up but doesn't.

Also, from the description, the laptop was only a room away from civilians. With the amount of high-explosive you could pack into a laptop, people would have gotten hurt.

Should they have destroyed the laptop? It was "where they instructed" her to put it so probably not, but it's semi-understandable.

Should they have carried out said destruction in the way they did? No. Terrible procedure on the part of security and could have lead to a lot of people being hurt.

 

[ckim2116]

Um.. did anyone not read the part where it says she was instructed to leave her bag unattended? I assume this was by airport personnel, so no, there was no reason to shoot the laptop.

 

[lashton]

is guess the isrealis dont like macs either

 

[lumpy]

Totaly justified.DONT LEAVE BAGS UNATTENDED AT ISRAELI AIRPORT..DUUUUHHH.

 

[back_by_demand]

Must be the new iPalestinian

 

[lumpy]

Sure ..someone told her to leave it unattended.Sounds like a lie to Me.
So as not to seem so dumb.

 

[HansVonOhain]

[citation][nom]jmchien[/nom]those bullet holes look pretty big...wonder what size firearms are they carrying?...[/citation]

7.62mm

These guys went too far, maybe she got confused, those were Palestinians. lool

 

[doron]

The weapon used is probably an M-16, maybe it's a "Tavor" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMI_Tavor_TAR-21) which is a new weapon developed by Israel, both rifles using 5.56mm rounds.

Anyone who served in the army and knows the devastating and nasty effects of any firearm knows better than to have a trigger-finger, so my guess is that there's some sort of protocol for unattended baggage (Ever been in an Israeli airport? Try not to leave your bags alone anyway..)

By the looks of it, it seems that the bullet pierced the macbook from the screen and through the keyboard, meaning the macbook was closed and inside the bag when this happened. Reading the original blog, this leads me to suspect that the woman has left a bad impression (Read it if you want) and since the bag was left unattended, the macbook's steel chassis (which can't be c4 - plastic) was probably treated as a potential bomb.

I'm no bomb expert, but I know that if you learn something from the army / Life in Israel, it's "safety first".

btw, the woman was indeed refunded for her macbook (replies section, original blog), and most people in Israel DO hate macbooks, or at least not using them