Editing 434: xkcd Goes to the Airport
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | The various characters of | + | The various characters of xkcd cause problems at the airport due to their various quirks. |
− | + | Panel 1: [[Beret Guy]] and [[Megan]] are lost, following each other in a loop. Beret Guy displays his obsession with baked goods as he also does in later comics: [[442: xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel]] and [[452: Mission]]. | |
− | + | Panel 2: [[Cueball]] tries to carry a {{w|Lock picking|lockpick set}} (a tool able to unlock doors without the original key) through security because of "this hacker girl" (spoofing the incidents where someone has been manipulated into carrying drugs or other contraband by a romantic interest they met on the Internet). The security guard tells Cueball to come with him but Cueball continues rambling on about the girl. It could be a reference to the Homeless Hacker from [[343: 1337: Part 3]] or another guy Elaine met during this period of her life. Alternately it could be a reference to [[147: A Way So Familiar]]. | |
− | + | Panel 3: On the plane, Cueball has been instructed to disable the wireless transmission functionality of his device. Many airlines require passengers to disable {{w|Mobile phones on aircraft|mobile phones on aircraft}} as well as other radio transmitting devices because they may interfere with the radio-based navigation and communication equipment of the aircraft. However, his laptop is running Linux and he doesn't know how to change the wireless settings; he's reading the {{w|Man page|manual}} for the program that controls the wireless radio. However, this is probably not the ideal situation, as the airplane is pressed to take off. Man page was also referenced in [[293: RTFM]]. Much later a plane was again linked to a man page in [[912: Manual Override]]. | |
− | + | Panel 4: [[Black Hat]] tries to carry a container of liquid through security. According to US law{{Citation needed}}, the maximum amount of liquid in a container is three ounces, a security measure taken to prevent terrorists from taking explosives onto planes. When the guard has doubts about the amount of liquid in the vial, Black Hat reveals that the liquid is actually blood from a churchmouse, a fictional mouse created by Lewis Carroll. The guard is visibly uncomfortable and clearly does not want to deal with the issue any further. | |
− | The title text continues off the final panel, saying that there are less than three ounces of blood in a churchmouse, but it "stains panties, | + | The title text continues off the final panel, saying that there are less than three ounces of blood in a churchmouse, but it "stains panties", an undesirable scenario. However, this undesirable scenario is paralleled by the implied undesirable scenario of a terrorist attack due to explosive liquids, the possibility of which caused the law. The title text seems to parody the prospect of an explosion with the relatively insignificant staining of panties, a term for women's underwear. This may also be a menstruation joke. |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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:Megan: You always assume that! | :Megan: You always assume that! | ||
− | :[Presumably the security checkpoint | + | :[Presumably the security checkpoint.] |
− | :Security | + | :Security Guy: Lockpicks? These are... illegal, actually. Where did you get them? |
:Cueball: Oh man, it all started with this hacker girl. | :Cueball: Oh man, it all started with this hacker girl. | ||
− | :Security | + | :Security Guy: You need to come with- |
:Cueball: Sure, sure. But man, let me tell you about her! | :Cueball: Sure, sure. But man, let me tell you about her! | ||
− | :[On a plane | + | :[On a plane.] |
:Announcement: If your device has a "Transmit" function, please disable it. | :Announcement: If your device has a "Transmit" function, please disable it. | ||
− | :Cueball: Okay - hang on, I'm | + | :Cueball: Okay - hang on, I'm half way through the iwconfig man page. |
− | :[Security checkpoint | + | :[Security checkpoint.] |
:Security guy: Sir, is this container under three ounces? | :Security guy: Sir, is this container under three ounces? | ||
:Black Hat: Not sure, how much blood is there in a churchmouse? | :Black Hat: Not sure, how much blood is there in a churchmouse? | ||
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[[Category:Food]] | [[Category:Food]] | ||
[[Category:Man pages]] | [[Category:Man pages]] | ||
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