Oh, how the TSA sucks.

[JAlexander]

I just a got call from my wife, who's about to board a plane to fly back from California after attending a wedding.  She didn't search all her pockets before packing and left her pocketknife in a pair of jeans.  Now, we're not talking a big ol' Benchmade 710 or Spyderco Police model.  Nooooooooooooooooo.  This was a slipjoint with a single blade measuring a bit over two inches long.  Somehow the TSA in Austin missed it, but the ever-vigilant authorities in Oakland caught it.  Of course they took it away from her, 'cos it's a deadly weapon, right?  Well, after she called me about it, and I roundly cursed them, she decided to go back and see if she could get the knife back, put in her bag, and check it.  Nope.  No way.  It's theirs now, and they ain't lettin' it go.  
Now, okay.  The law's the law, but gawda'mighty is it a stupid law.  And a person can't even be offered the courtesy of returning the offending item to their bag and checking the bag in question?  If I were the kind of person who's inclined to get angry, that'd raise my blood pressure.  But I'm not, so it doesn't.

Anyhow.  Just hadda vent.  Thanks.

James

[BryanP]

It'll probably end up in an auction like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=43335&item=6540026932&rd=1

[Standing Wolf]

The T.S.A. is yet another reason I didn't vote for Bush in 2004: he's done nothing to secure the nation's borders, yet we have tens of thousands of overpaid federal employees energetically stealing ladies' pocket knives.

It's a question of prioritiesor the complete lack thereof.

[Art Eatman]

I ran across one appropriate comment, "...the TSA and its gropers-in-training..."

What fries me about the whole deal is the total failure on the part of The Powers That Be (TPTB) to recognize the reality of their own comments that the world did indeed change on 9/11:  Passengers will no longer be as sheep to be herded by would-be hijackers.  Would-be hijackers will die.  That's a rather serious change in the public attitude.

Even though it was prior to the formation of TSA that I saw the handwriting on the wall about federal stupidity:  When the security folks at Phoenix took away the Medal of Honor from an 83-year-old man because "it had sharp points".

A few years back my mother, thinking of electees like Sam Rayburn, wondered at the lack of statesmen in government.  My response was that I had quit worrying about any statesmen; I'd settle for a mature adult.

Ain't found nary.

Art

[grampster]

The Sheeple get what they deserve.

[RevDisk]

The Sheeple get what they deserve.

Not just sheeple.  Some of us are ordered to fly commercial.  When my chain of command orders me to fly commercial, I have to grit my teeth and follow orders.  I wish I could bring my M16 as personal protection against TSA agents.



From another thread on THR about the TSA swiping an inert round from me.

----------------------------

Yea, it was when I last flew to train some soldiers going to Iraq. I pulled a TSA agent aside when they indicated they wanted to look at my laptop bag. Said laptop was an Army issue red sticker with deployment information on it (ie, Iraqi war stuff), and showed my ID, orders, etc. I explained hell would freeze over before it got out of my sight. They didn't like me telling THEM how it was gonna be.

So naturally, they gave me extra serious frisking and went over my bags with a extra fine tooth comb. The .45-70 was in one of the pockets of my bags, so they swiped it along with my lighters and a few other sundry items. A mordida, I suppose. I was in a rush, as you might recall, and didn't properly check my bags as I normally do.

I remember gritting my teeth, and thinking that I could have stabbed the guy in the throat with a pen, and then swiped his handgun in about three seconds. But no, I was a good sheep and just gritted my teeth while they put me in my place.

Just to be rude, they also stole my toiletry bag. Said I had a sealed pack of those cheap disposable razors, but they still swiped my entire bag. Contact solution/case, toothbrush, everything.

[Vodka7]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but while we're on the topic of ridiculus TSA regulations:

Lighters are now banned on airplanes.  I don't know when this happened (last time I flew, in December 04 and January 05, they were OK) but both Bradley and Tampa had big signs everywhere saying lighters, lighter fluid, and the like were banned from carry on luggage.  The signs at Bradley indicated they were banned from *checked* luggage also, but I was so disgusted I didn't bother reading the ones at Tampa closely.

Thankfully I couldn't find my favorite Zippo when I was packing, so all I lost was a cheap Bic (which went in a bin with literally dozens of others.)  If anyone else smokes, make sure and bring your matches.

Edited to add a link to currently prohibited items, updated on 05/16/2005.

[InfidelSerf]

JAlexander.. I know just how you feel.
I got an offer from a friend of mine to take a free trip to Vegas for a couple days.
So I packed quickly and took it.
I got through MCI(Kansas City) just fine and made it to vegas.
That night when I unpacked my back I realized my Gerber paraframe folding pocket knife was still in the pair of jeans I had packed.
Sure enough when going through the TSA's checkpoint in LV they pulled me aside and wanted to inspect my camera bag (where I had put the knife after realizing I had it)
The choice was have it confiscated, check it (short trip no checked bags. That and I used to work for several airlines I NEVER check bags.  I took a 3week trip to Spain with two carry ons. I'll never check a bag)
Or mail it via the post office. Only we were leaving late at night and it wasn't open.

So they stole a $20 Gerber knife.  What really pissed me off is that was my 3rd paraframe. 1 was stolen from work the 2nd I lost and the 3rd stolen by the TSA ..each one I had spend hours flicking it open to break it in, to make it a smooth flick.

It's theft pure and simple.  
I dont' fly if I can help it.

[Typhoon]

Last minute packing is clearly no longer an option.  I, too got into trouble after packing a bag at approx. 3am for a morning flight.  Big mistake.  I've gotten to the point that I keep "special" bags for air travel only, so that I do not have a stray round/pocket knife/Bic lighter in it.  Only way to be safe...Sigh...

On the other hand, I have faked an injury so I did have a cane...

[charby]

Flew out of Bozeman, MT  to home on Monday. Cue Sticks are weopons too, decided to Fed Ex mine home. That was the baggage check.

Going through security, I was wearing zip off pants and all the metal in the zippers set off the metal detector. So just short of a anal probe I was fianlly allowed pass the point. Even had to have my cowboy hat x-rayed because of the metal keepers for my stampede strings. When it was all over with I do appriciate the TSA people being really nice to me, glad to see that they weren't a-holes but had to be by the rules.

When I got home both of my checked baggage had litttle letters from TSA in them.

Charby

[jefnvk]

You know, it is cheaper for me to drive almost anywhere in the country than to fly, and makes a much more enjoyable trip, driving through all the different localities.  I only fly now if going somewhere as a group, or I have to be somewhere ASAP.

Luckily, I've only had to fly once in my life.

[VARifleman]

On friday I fly to vermont with 3 other shooters going to the NRA Advanced JR Rifle Camp.  It's going to be nice getting 8 guns through the TSA...NOT!

[Guest]

What fries me about the whole deal is the total failure on the part of The Powers That Be (TPTB) to recognize the reality of their own comments that the world did indeed change on 9/11:  Passengers will no longer be as sheep to be herded by would-be hijackers.  Would-be hijackers will die.  That's a rather serious change in the public attitude.



  EXACTLY!!  But that would mean people can be RESPONSIBLE! and TRUSTED!