As a frequent business traveler, I have repeatedly been (let’s say) confused by TSA (and FAA and airline) security policies. Lots of them seem like nonsense, overreaction, or comical misunderstandings, and they can lead to some odd results, like the current planeside baggage mess. But now that the TSA has a blog of its own, people can start commenting back. And boy, have they!
As a liberal-minded person, I tend toward the libertarian with regard to social issues, and especially technological ones. But although lots of the TSA policies annoy me, I’m frankly just too scared of missing my flight to “join the resistance” as it were and stand up and question some of the idiocy.
But here are the things I’d like a straight answer from the TSA about:
- Why are some airport x-ray scanners so much more or less sensitive than others? I always wear my wallet and watch through, and usually my belt, but the other day I accidentally left my V-Moda Vibe headphones and a steel business card case in my pockets with nary a beep. I must have had a pound of metal on me!
- Is toothpaste a liquid? I got yelled at in Philly that it didn’t need to be in “the bag”, and yelled at in Denver that it did! And yet, I accidentally left a tube in my backpack for a year without a question…
- They tried to explain the 3-ounce liquid thing. I just don’t buy it. And (not that the TSA has anything to do with this) I have a hard time understanding why no one makes a 3-ounce tube of toothpaste! It’s 1.3 or 4.4, as far as I can tell!
- Why scan uniformed, ID-toting airline personnel and airport employees? They could kind of do whatever they want with us anyway, so let’s just let them through, ok?
- What’s up with this new “dump out all your electronics” rule? The bomb squad was once called on me (BOS, terminal B) due to my proliferation of mouses, external drives, power supplies, retractable cords, etc… I’m what’s known as a road warrior, and I don’t want to have to dump out all of my stuff!
- Why can I put most items in one bin, but my laptop has to be in a separate one alone?
Aah well, maybe we’ll get some answers. Or maybe it’ll just be a new place for flyertalkers to complain!