# Why did Heatwole sneak bleach on the airplanes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2003, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-heatwole-sneak-bleach-on-the-airplanes/209280 "2003-10-24T08:03:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carver42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc8723/32.png) [@carver42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carver42)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-heatwole-sneak-bleach-on-the-airplanes/209280/1 "2003-10-24T08:03:46Z")
If it is not a National Security secret, why did he sneak bleach on the plane? I guess it would bad to spray it out of the suntan lotion bottle into someone’s eyes. Is that it? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-heatwole-sneak-bleach-on-the-airplanes/209280/2 "2003-10-24T08:10:19Z")
To duplicate the ease with which someone might have smuggled a flammable substance onto any given aircraft. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-heatwole-sneak-bleach-on-the-airplanes/209280/3 "2003-10-24T08:12:02Z")
Bleach is flammable? ---
**Author:** ![carver42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc8723/32.png) [@carver42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carver42)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-heatwole-sneak-bleach-on-the-airplanes/209280/4 "2003-10-24T08:19:24Z")
OK, just like the clay could be C4. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-heatwole-sneak-bleach-on-the-airplanes/209280/5 "2003-10-24T13:19:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*Bleach is flammable? \*\* No, but he was just demonstrating that someone could put almost anything in an empty sunscreen bottle, and get it onto a plane. Of course, if you think the current air travel security screening measures are a pain, just imagine what it would be like if the screeners had to open every carry-on bag and open every bottle or tube of sunscreen, moisturizer, toothpaste, shaving cream, etc., etc. You’d have to get to the airport three _days_ before your flight. While their situation is different, the El AL security guys are essentially correct when they say that it’s simply not possible to check every item in every piece of baggage. They take a different approach: ignore the luggage, and pay attention to the travelers. Yes, they’re profiling. But that’s what actually works, it would appear. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-heatwole-sneak-bleach-on-the-airplanes/209280/6 "2003-10-24T15:15:17Z")
- - - Yea, but the local newspaper article said that “bleach was one of the things now prohibited on aircraft”…? ~ ---
**Author:** ![Qazzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@Qazzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qazzz)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-heatwole-sneak-bleach-on-the-airplanes/209280/7 "2003-10-24T16:37:09Z")
Can’t you mix ammonia and bleach to make gas which kills people? Maybe they prohibit ammonia, too. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-heatwole-sneak-bleach-on-the-airplanes/209280/8 "2003-10-24T18:34:04Z")
Yeah, nobody can pee on this flight. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-heatwole-sneak-bleach-on-the-airplanes/209280/9 "2003-10-24T19:22:32Z")
Basically, the guy was a well-meaning but naive kid who thought he was doing something profound.But what’s the big deal?Everybody knows that airport security is a joke–it is physically impossible to check each and every item. Everybody who’s travelled since 9/11 has a story about stupid security checks.Example: My wife was strip searched because she had a safety pin holding her camera case to her belt. But I had a pair of scissors in my shaving kit that nobody noticed. Life isnt like a college campus.You dont get faced with a grade of A,B,C for your actions-- you get faced with real responsiblity. That student will learn how the real world works–if you publicly embarrass people who hold power, they’ll use their power to make you sorry. And you can’t re-do it next semester to get a better grade.