June 21, 2006: The billions being spent to stop terrorists has brought to the market items that can be used in a combat zone. Case in point is the Temporary Roadblock Apparatus Pack (TRAP). This is a portable system consisting of a battery operated gate and speed bump. The speed bump, which fits across one lane of traffic, can, on radio command, unmask tire shredding blades. It's all battery operated, and the rechargeable battery can lift the barrier about 10,000 times between charges. TRAP has been very useful in Iraq, where driving habits border on the manic, and a checkpoint is often regarded as a challenge to Iraqi drivers, not a reason to stop. But some of those cars are suicide bombers, trying to get to the U.S. troops guarding the checkpoint, or some target further on. TRAP allows U.S. troops to stop cars that try to dash through, without having to open fire. This saves the lives of reckless Iraqi drivers, and stops suicide bombers as well (who sometimes detonate their explosives once they realize their tires are toast.
