The TSA And The Unknowable: What You Can And Can't Carry On
Yet another smart post from Sommer Gentry at TSANewsBlog:
The TSA confiscates larger-than-3-ounce containers of shampoo, toothpaste, and perfume because these items supposedly might be liquid explosives, and then tosses these potentially explosive items into a huge unsecured bin right there at the checkpoint. If the TSA knows these liquids are harmless, then passengers should be allowed to take them; and if the TSA thinks these liquids might explode, then they are endangering themselves and the traveling public by their careless handling.What about empty breast milk bottles? How are those a threat to the aircraft? One TSA screener found empty breast milk bottles so threatening that he forced young mother Amy Strand to pump her breasts in a dirty public bathroom to satisfy his power trip. Or there was the six-inch plastic toy hammer that mentally disabled adult Drew Mandy had carried for 20 years as a comforting constant, until the TSA senselessly stole it from him. Cupcakes might actually be liquids, depending on the mood of your screener. Sterile bags of saline might be ruined at the checkpoint, as cancer sufferer Michele Dunaj experienced. Jean Weber had to remove her mother's adult diaper on the say-so of the blueshirts.
...What exactly are all these confiscations accomplishing? They sure as heck aren't keeping weapons off planes, because TSA screeners miss box cutters, twelve-inch razor blades, clearly labeled blocks of C4, and loaded guns, all of which have been carried on to airplanes recently.
It's time we stopped this massive over-investment in security theater. The TSA's procedures don't work! Luckily, they don't have to, because air travel is the safest form of long-distance transportation known to man - and it always has been, even without the TSA boondoggle.
I travel a lot, and I never worry about my stuff being stolen except by the TSA. Not only is it impossible to know entirely what's going to be taken, but it's really easy to forget about banned items. I forgot I had a jar of peach jam in my bag that a friend handed to me on my way to the airport. I had one small carry-on bag, and the TSA agent suggested I check the bag. I had to ask myself, is this peach jam worth $25? My peach jam was a threat to sugar levels, but not to national security.
My husband carries lots of tools with him pretty much all the time. They're useful. He's lost about half a dozen Leathermen because they're easy to forget about in a backpack's side pocket or at the bottom of a bag.
MonicaP at November 6, 2012 12:37 PM
Once when my nephew was flying out to AZ, he brought a sunny-d with him in the security line. When he was told it could not be taken through, he started to slam it (not being "disobedient"; just trying to accommodate their request). The TSA lady was a real bitch and yelled at him, saying he couldn't do that either. I had words with TSA that day, but it never occurred to me to point out the absurdity that these supposed dangerous liquids were being disposed of in a trash can.
My ex-husband traveled a lot when we were married. We always did a "shake-down" on him to remove anything TSA would be offended by, and then I always waited until he went through security in the event of missed items (a construction manager tends to have lots of goodies that can be overlooked). Oddly enough, they never thought twice about his backpack, which had removable rods that could be quite lethal if used as a weapon.
Meloni at November 6, 2012 2:01 PM
In Japan, they take pocket knives, etc. and then return them at the end of the flight. Seems easy enough. But TSA has to make more rules, so as to seem like they're doing something.
KateC at November 6, 2012 2:58 PM
I'm going to state simply: as long as the TSA exists I will do my best not to fly. If I have to fly at all my carry on bag will have every battery operated adult toy available from my local toy store that I can carry.
I will then pull them out in plain view of everyone and put them in the plastic bin turned on and running.
Then say I can't carry them on the plane.
Jim P. at November 6, 2012 9:35 PM
Really Japan will return pocket knives and other similar items? Through I am still angry at Japan taking off my bottle of legit duty free booze on a stop over! Maybe they changed. Good. I always wondered why not for some items have a mini check in box. A place for those that have something they forgot to take off themselves. Airline could get a nice big tackle box. Put the stuff in. Then lock it securely away maybe even.
I almost lost a nice cigar cutter because of stupid security rules (Canada not TSA). My ability to take over a plane with the cutter would be thwarted by everyone making a fist. I could not cut any fingers off, worse point is then every body can then used said fist to pummel me. Logic, what happened to it.
One more question? Really someone missed a block of fucking (pardon my French) C4! Ok the guns and knives happen, but how the hell do you miss the C4! Does that not come out on the X-Ray?
John Paulson at November 6, 2012 10:25 PM
Leave a comment