Holocaust museum and water bottles
May 2, 2016 3:13 PM Subscribe
I'm visiting DC, and visited the Holocaust Museum today. I had an unsealed bottle of water, which I was allowed to bring in. However, the security officer asked me to take a sip of it first. Why is that? A Google search wasn't very insightful. Thanks!
Yep, what ArbitraryAndCapricious said. (I'm a former USHMM volunteer)
posted by orrnyereg at 3:20 PM on May 2, 2016
posted by orrnyereg at 3:20 PM on May 2, 2016
Response by poster: Makes sense! Thanks
posted by cozenedindigo at 3:21 PM on May 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by cozenedindigo at 3:21 PM on May 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
(Same logic for acid, which has been used in the past both to attack people and vandalize artwork.)
posted by Wretch729 at 3:58 PM on May 2, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Wretch729 at 3:58 PM on May 2, 2016 [4 favorites]
For what it's worth, long ago they let you do this at airports, too (take a sip and take it with you.) Honestly, I'm a little surprised the museum still lets people bring anything in, giving their status as a target.
posted by SMPA at 4:23 PM on May 2, 2016
posted by SMPA at 4:23 PM on May 2, 2016
Museum employee here, although not the Holocaust museum --- I work at Udvar-Hazy Air & Space, and while security is always a concern, you'd better believe they really ramp it up for the first half of August: there's always people trying to hurl fake blood at the Enola Gay; every year they stop them coming in with the stuff.
Yeah, making you drink some is to ensure it's water and not something worse you've got for vandalism/destructive purposes. They'd rather nobody even brought •water• in, so be happy there's that much of a compromise.
posted by easily confused at 4:49 PM on May 2, 2016 [5 favorites]
Yeah, making you drink some is to ensure it's water and not something worse you've got for vandalism/destructive purposes. They'd rather nobody even brought •water• in, so be happy there's that much of a compromise.
posted by easily confused at 4:49 PM on May 2, 2016 [5 favorites]
A big-time explosive called TATP can be created by mixing two clear liquids. Both liquids are poisonous. (Only one of them has a characteristic scent.)
If you were intent on causing trouble, you could bring one of them and a co-conspirator could bring in the other.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:34 PM on May 2, 2016
If you were intent on causing trouble, you could bring one of them and a co-conspirator could bring in the other.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:34 PM on May 2, 2016
Also, there are poison gases which can be produced by mixing two clear liquids, such as cyanide, chlorine, and chloramine. And in these cases, too, the component liquids are poisonous.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:48 PM on May 2, 2016
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:48 PM on May 2, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 3:14 PM on May 2, 2016 [13 favorites]