San Francisco will be first to screen all passenger cargo

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

See recent posts by Josh Roberts

Flights out of San Francisco could get a little safer later this year. The airport (SFO) is set to become the first in the U.S. to screen every piece of passenger cargo for explosives as part of a $30 million pilot program launched by the Department of Homeland Security, according to a report in Tuesday’s Mercury News (free registration required).

The eventual goal is to get every airport in the country involved in the program, says Earl Morris of the TSA. But for now, the screening process will kick off in San Francisco and expand to two other undisclosed airports. The program could be up and running at SFO by October.

I’ll give the last word to San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, who says it best: “We’re taking off our shoes and we’re pulling out our tweezers … but what lies beneath, we haven’t necessarily been checking to the degree we should.”

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