Like a Wet Match in a Dark Cave

What happens when airport security detects explosives residue found in common household products? Why, shut down and evacuate the entire airport terminal, of course!

A West Virginia airport terminal was evacuated Thursday after two bottles of liquid found in a woman's carry-on luggage twice tested positive for explosives residue, a Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said.

Chemical tests later Thursday turned up no explosives in the bottles, said Capt. Jack Chambers, head of the State Police Special Operations unit. The airport was reopened after nearly 10 hours.

"It looks like there were four items containing liquids," said TSA spokeswoman Amy von Walter. A machine that security checkpoint screeners use to test for explosives registered positive results for two containers, and a canine team also got a positive hit, she said.

The TSA screening looks for a range of explosives residue, some of which can be found on common household items, said TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser.

Airport manager Larry Salyers said he was told the woman was a 28-year-old of Pakistani descent who had moved to Huntington from Jackson, Mich. He did not know how long she had lived in Huntington.

No charges were filed against the woman, who was taken from the airport by federal authorities at 5 p.m., Salyers said.

The woman was very cooperative, officials said.

Commercial airline service was suspended, and about 100 passengers and airport employees were ordered to leave the terminal, said Tri-State Airport Authority President Jim Booton.

Two airlines - Comair and US Airways Express - serve the airport.

A screener noticed a bottle in a woman's carry-on bag as she was going through security before her 9:15 a.m. flight to Charlotte, N.C., Booton said.

One bottle contained a gel-type facial cleanser, FBI spokesman Jeff Killeen said.

I'm sure she was very cooperative. Can you imagine being a woman of Pakistani descent being caught with facial cleanser in your carry-on? I can imagine the horror! Thank goodness no charges were filed against her. Although, I can't imagine what those charges might be since thousands of travelers have had to part with equally "explosive residue containing" facial products in the nearest receptacle during the course of their security screening upon boarding their flights. And these people just slay me:

"This is such a small airport. I never imagined something like this happening here," said Shannon Bloss, who was traveling to Orlando, Fla., for a wedding.

Joy and John Cloutre of Ulysses, Ky., were waiting to begin the first leg of their trip to the southeast Asian country of Brunei when the evacuation order came.

Joy Cloutre told the Herald Dispatch of Huntington that her family didn't want her to leave because of terrorism in the region. "And then we don't even get out of Huntington without something like this happening."

I hate to burst your precious bubble Shannon and Joy, but gross stupidity does not discriminate when it comes to geographical location. Obviously.

Suspicious Liquid Found at W.Va. Airport