Incident Leads To Long Lines, Hot Tempers At LGA

Just when you start to think airport security can't get any more absurd... Tempers flared in a screening line at New York's LaGuardia Airport Saturday, when passengers were kept standing in line for hours due to an equipment malfunction.

An X-ray machine inside American Airlines' Terminal D went on the fritz, CBS News reports, after a vendor spilled tomato juice on it.

When informed of the reason for the delay by CBS-2, passengers couldn't believe the most modern technology available to the Transportation Security Administration could be brought down by a can of V8.

"It makes one very sad and very worried," said Bonnie Schmitta.

"That's insane," said Pat Jones, who was trying to catch her flight to Dallas. "That shouldn't be our problem, should it?" Another passenger asked the reporter if they were "kidding."

"I just want to make sure I make my flight," added one traveler. "I'm not sure that's going to happen."

A spokesman for the TSA -- who apparently declined to give their name to the television station -- shrugged the incident off. "That's the risk you take when you deal with technology."

Meanwhile, passengers were left stewing in a line that stretched for several city blocks, until things finally shook loose in the afternoon.

"It's the biggest crock of inefficiency," said Leonard Williams. "Things should be better."

FMI: www.tsa.gov