Bakersfield Airport Shut Down Over Hazardous Material In Luggage

The Bakersfield Airport in California was shut down at around 8:20 AM on Tuesday morning over a hazardous material found in a checked luggage bag. All passengers and personnel were evacuated into the airport's parking lot. Flights were delayed both to and from Bakersfield until around 10 AM. Some flights were diverted to Los Angeles.

The bomb squad and hazardous material crew had to be dispatched as a precaution to examine the hazardous material found. Upon the inspection of the luggage bag, two TSA screeners smelled strong fumes and raised the alarm. Both screeners were examined and treated on the scene -- the two have been apparently sickened by the material, developing nausea and other symptoms. It is still not clear what the nature of the chemical was, but no explosives have been reportedly found. The latest update is that the suspicious material that shut down the Bakersfield airport were soft drink bottles filled with honey. Officials says there is likely no connection to terrorism.

However, it seems every day now, there is a security scare at one of the airports in the United States. On Sunday, Newark Airport authorities had to re-screen thousands of passengers after an unchecked man crossed into the secure zone and disappeared. Just yesterday, Ronald Reagen Airport had a power outage, causing all flights to be halted because none of the screening equipment was operational. And today - hazardous material found at Bakersfield. But, is the incidence of security scares getting higher because they happen more often now, or is it that the media now covers every minor breach of security in the wake of Flight 253 terror attempt? What is your take?