I was traveling back from a retreat in Washington State last week and dang it TSA took my 14 year old Gerber multiplier. I forgot to take it out of my EDC backpack and put in my checked baggage.

As soon as the lady pulled me aside I knew it had to be an EDC item I'd forgot, I was thinking, "Please, please, please, don't be my Mk1."

I was hoping it'd be a lighter but alas my trusty Gerber got binned.

What prized possession has TSA taken from you?

I was travelling from Toronto to Vancouver, and had a 4 inch cold steel tanto voyager folder tucked into some hidden zippered compartment in my messenger bag. Didn't even know it was in there. I asked the security lady to keep it but she was kind enough to suggest I mail it back to myself, which I did.

Maybe they should open up a small post office in every airport so that people can have the option of mailing their stuff home, or mail it to their destination, instead of having it taken away.

See I thought that to. For a fee they could pretty easily set up a station for someone to box up items, copy info from your boarding pass and then have a runner take it to the counter.

Watch eBay. Assuming no one takes it from the bin, it will end up there.

They sell on ebay.... but in large lots I`ve seen.

My copy of "War of the Worlds". I used my boarding pass as a bookmark and forgot about it. Then when I realized what had happened, I gave the security guys the whole book. The line was so busy and hands were changing so quickly I got the pass back, but not the novel written by Wells.

I was stuck watching a really, really bad in-flight movie on the way to Chicago. Sucked to be me that day!

Keep a padded self-addressed stamped envelope in your travel or EDC bag (yes I know that the postage keeps changing). If you forget to leave something at home, stick it in the envelope and mail it at the airport.

I was boarding a plane to go to a fire and had my work tools with me(knife,light,sharpener and a SAK. both of the knifes have been with me through the Air Force a bunch of years ago. they were found by TSA and went into the bin, If I was not on an assignment I would have missed the flight and recovered my knifes.
but thats not the way it happened. one of the knifes was a german Cat knife that I got when I was over there, not expencive but a lot of memorys.

They've pretty much taken away my will to fly.

+100, unfortunately not flying isn't an option.

-Blast

I'll second Blast and BlueSky... unless its work related I drive whenever possible. I hate that "raped" feeling I get from dealing with TSA...

-Bill Liptak

I lost my SAK swiss card that had been in my wallet for three years, totally forgot about it.

Ain't PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. great??? Stand in line for an hour, then get virtual searched, then have possessions seized without remuneration. Sounds like a good racket to be in.

I've flown everywhere with trauma shears in my IFAK, only to get them taken LEAVING Honduras. Go figure.

So far all I've lost is my dignity.

I don't understand folks forgetting tools and survival related items. If you forget this stuff under the stress of a TSA inspection, what's going to happen in a real survival situation?

That said, I don't fly anything within TSA's reach. Trip coming up, three days each way driving. I get to see the country instead of just looking down on it.

I've lost any sense that the govt is generally at least trying to help. These monkeys aren't helping. These are just good government jobs in the most classic, ironic sense.

When the TSA agent told me that he "couldn't tell if the container is empty" while holding my 3/4 used up 7 oz tube of toothpaste I refrained from going to jail by telling him to throw it away. (I'd had 10 minutes to pack for a sudden trip just after the 3 oz rule was instated)

Latest fun was that the TSA damaged a bunch of Mesa airlines commuter planes when doing night inspections of the planes to ensure they were "secure." They used the air data probes on the sides of the planes for handholds. I suppose incompetent sabotage is preferable to there being a bomb planted on a plane in the middle of the night?

We're doomed by our stupidity.

"...used the air data probes on the sides of the planes for handholds..."

Ya just gotta love it!!!

Check out this excoriating rant about the 'morons' in TSA:

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=340a79d6-839a-470d-b662-944325cea23d


[Oh, and morons was the kindest thing he had to say]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZCp5h1gK2Q

TSA ?

This is what happens when FBW computer controls get incorrect sensor data like the true airspeed as indicated by the stagnation temperature provided by the Total Air Temperature probes

TSA (Spain) took two very fine bottles of wine from me, indirectly - I got to the barrier with them, they told me I couldn't carry them on (I knew this but wasn't operating rationally due to hangover/sleep deprivation). I went back to ticketing but my baggage was already checked. The very nice woman behind the counter promised to consume the wine for me. Nice wine, at least someone enjoyed it.

I had two bottles of Scotch that I purchased at a duty free shop in Spain. Got all the way to Chicago where I was forced out of the "secure" area, just so I could be re-checked out by TSA who told me I couldn't take the Scotch with me. I ended up wrapping the bottles in an extra sweater and checking my carry on with the bottles inside it. The extra time made me miss my flight, but my carry on made it.

Another guy I was travelling with had a snow globe thrown away because TSA couldn't verify there was only 3oz. of water inside.

Lono and Air_Pirate, I had the same thing coming back from the islands of Portugal and had a bottle of wine bought from the duty free shop in a secure area and sealed in the approved bag that was supposed to be good for 24 hours of flying and allowed to be carried as long as the bag was not opened. I flew 3 legs of a SATA flight while carrying it on board but when I hit the states TSA tried to confiscate it. If it wasn't the fact that I had an extra hour to kill, I would have poured it down the drain and thrown it away before giving it to those morons.

They had escorted me out of the secured area where I proceeded to check it as second luggage and to my surprise it made it back when I got home. There were no mail boxes I could find to send it back and I went straight back and logged a complaint against the TSA at that airport. I no the complaints won't do anything but it gave me something to do while I was extremely mad. One TSA employee just laughed at me when I got the complaint card from there supervisor telling me that I could complain all I want but it want do anything, so I added her name on my complaint as well. I know were powerless against the actions and there needs to be some checks and balances but what I do is only fly when I have to. I have virtually stopped flying except to go overseas many years ago because of the TSA and will only drive if I need to go in the states. It's my opinion that the terrorist won 9-11 due to the stupidity of our government to treat there own people that fought for this nation and built this nation and treat them like enemy combatants. Well the end result will be less airlines and revenue of businesses due to cut backs in travel.

Sorry, I'm venting again.........

My condolences on your loss. When I left Rota after my tour there I stopped at the package store for a couple bottles to take in my backpack. A very nice Rioja and an Oloroso. Fortunately, the year was 1989 and they didn't look at it twice.

Rota? As in just off the island of Guam? There is great fishing there in the harbor off Wedding Cake.

got a nasty sunburn on an overcast day but the WW2 museum in the old bat cave was cool.

All of this is really making me look forward to our flight from Miami back to Seattle in Oct...

I'm fortunate that I don't have to travel for work. I've pretty much quit flying for personal reasons due to aggravation with TSA. And the govt thinks we're afraid to fly, I'm not, just tired.

Well said Sodak... well said.

I was coming back from Rota in my story, but it was Rota, Spain. I have been to Guam several times, but never been over to the Rota near there.

I bought the wine coming back from Rota Spain also. I've been to the other Rota but the wine selection sucks

Remember UPS or the USPS could be your friend. Send anything you REALLY want by either of those carriers, rather than trusting unlocked or TSA keyed checked checked baggage, or forgetting something important in your carry on.

I was told TSA does not stand for "Totally Stupid A-H's" but I've seen little proof of that. Sigh

Luckily, I guess, prior to the flight we will be on a cruise ship. They pretty much limit what you can carry anyway, so I don't think that we will have too much to worry about. 'Cept probably my wife's underwire bra again...

A few months after 9/11 when tensions were even higher than they are now, the TSA in Philadelphia confiscated numerous "dangerous" items from me (nail clippers, tweezers, a small corkscrew, mini bic lighter, etc.).

Perhaps the silliest of them all was a 0.5g sample of Blistex that I had in my toiletry kit:



The TSA inspector claimed that he felt the foil package had a very sharp edge that could be used to injure someone. Please...

What was probably one of the more ironic moments was when a couple of national guardsmen attempted to bypass the TSA security line next to me in route to their assigned posts (carrying M4 carbines and sidearms). One of them (a seargent) was carrying a small enclosed file folder, so he was stopped by another TSA inspector and instructed to place the folder on the xray belt for inspection - nevermind the fact that they were carrying semi-automatic weapons!

As the first TSA inspector was somewhat embarassed watching all this moronic activity in the next lane, I commented to him that it made perfect sense to me - for all we knew the seargent might have had lip balm hidden in the file folder.

Jim

Jeez Louise!

We've all given ourselves paper cuts without even trying ... just think of the damage a whole file folder of paper could do!

Scary!

Sue

C'mon, its not all bad. Like the time flying home out of Heathrow, the line through the barrier was at least an hour, until a TSA (UK) inspector came along, spotted my laptop, and motioned me ahead to try out their new full body xray. In return for zapping my laptop and my body with an indeterminate dose of xrays, I saved an hour waiting my turn for a standard inspection.

I understand I can get the same xray treatment at least 3-4 times a year before I start to act funny and lose my sperm count.

One of the great side benefits of TSA is down in Auburn WA, where they sell off the take from unwitting travellers. You don't have to go to eBay, 5-10 minutes pawing through a barrel of sharps you can find a very nice knife for pennies on the dollar.

I'm a natural sheep, I've never had a problem with TSA. I'm almost OCD pre-flight as I'm patting myself down for metal and sharp thingies. The whole process makes me sentimental for my days as a customs broker, when Customs agents would fumble through passports, not even looking at the docs, just waiting for someone to flinch. I see the same training going on with today's TSA. My advice, relax, and just let it wash over you.

When rape is inevitable.....

Way off topic, but don't EVER say that to a rape victim. Trust me on this one...

I know that. It's horribly insulting, and when I put it up here, I was comparing the 2 statements

Lono,

Where in Auburn is this bin? I'm thinking I need to make a trip, it's only about 30 miles.

Hint . If you know where the "SuperMall" is, you can probably find the place. Then tell those of us who don't have a clue...

Do you mean they confiscated a BOOK ??

What's dangerous about a book ..??
How could you assault the pilot with a book ??

and yes I did read Ray Bradbury's "Farenheit 451"
But I guess TSA is not looking for this kind of danger ...

I carry a self addressed envelope with my home as the return address as well.

It has one stamp on it. I'll pay the postage due when it gets home.


I wonder if you put the item in a envelope with stamp, could the TSA take it to sell it our would they have to mail it for you? Wouldn't they be tampering with the US Mail if they didn't?

Ah, the TSA... one of my favorite whipping horses. I just went on a vacation and kept thinking how thankful I am that I travel a great deal less than I once did. I packed all my sharps into a checked bag, which cost me $15 for the pleasure and made me feel nearly naked without my Leatherman. :-)

I made it through Checkpoint Charlie without a beating or being sent to jail without passing go (or getting declared an enemy combatant and stripped of my lifetime citizenship). So, there's that. But WOW on the holier-than-though, indifferent, ignorant, and dismissive attitudes. The "we couldn't care less about you, real safety, and we'd be happy to relieve you of your rights" feeling was palpable. Of course, nobody dared mention it within earshot of anyone in a TSA uniform, but I overheard more than one conversation at the gates on the topic.

On a relevant side-note, I just read where a federal judge ruled that people can now sue to have their names removed from the no-fly list. Probably a good thing after this post. ;-)

Just read this article and thought you might want to know that the TSA can fine you for confiscated items.




You may also be fined for "nonphysical interference" and "attitude," arbitrarily determined by a TSA employee.




http://www.lewrockwell.com/bovard/bovard59.html

"...TSA punished Campbell’s insolence by doubling her fine to $300..."

Ya gotta love it...

If I can speculate, this kind of attitude was inherited from US Customs, which has always had a My Way or the Highway attitude towards travellers. TSA is more of the same. Their jobs is pretty binary, to keep attackers and attacks off of airplanes, which requires a clean perimeter. Judging from a recent pass through the GSA warehouse people are still bringing stupid things through security - chainsaws, knives, pepper spray. We are going on 7 years since 9/11 and the real advent of serious security. This doesn't go away. What are people thinking?

Still, what is the alternative, how would you make a better (friendlier) TSA? I travel often enough, I've never been met with anything but courtesy, even in SeaTac which is reputed to have fairly slow and somewhat difficult TSA. Not always friendly, but courteous. My experience must be the exception to someone else's rule though, to hear people talk about it. I think Americans have something deeply inbred, lets call it a love of freedom, and hate to have that infringed. Bully for that. TSA takes away our freedom to board a flight with lighters, knives, bear spray, chainsaws, all sorts of goodies. We stand in lines and wait for them to do their jobs. We're sometimes met with an infuriating amount of stolid but necessary adherence to regulations. But its the regulations that keep the perimeter clean, and we would be jumping up and down on TSA if something got through and someone was able to take down another flight as a result. Its a binary issue - either you keep the stuff out, or you let it in, and we know what the consequences could be if things make it back onto planes. If someone has a better alternative I'd really like to hear it.

I agree with what you say. I am for sure not a seasoned traveler ('cept when I am driving), but from what I read here, and other places, it is the inconsistency of TSA that drives most people nuts. Think nipple rings, for example...

Don't mind if I do...
Oh yeah!

-Blast

Now think of having to remove them in semi-privacy, with a rusty (I added that part) pair of someone elses pliers...

I don't travel very often by air, on average about once a month. Anyway, I've never encountered a problem if you are reasonable... Know the rules an follow them.

After running my bag through a couple of times it keep kicking out... until I realized the quart baggie of liquids I was supposed to send through separately was in my bag. I told the TSA guy I think I know what was triggering the re-scan, told him it was a external part of the bag that I forgot to place separately that contains liquids, and went through security with no problem. No problem, no hassle.

It does [censored] me off when I know this myself, but see it confirmed by the GSA that the screening done by TSA is crap only finds about 25% of the illegal materials.

Typically, the people I see getting hassled by TSA are people who are one stupid about traveling by air or are obnoxious.

From your home airport: Item one, allow time to get through security... this includes you being dumb an forgetting to take a really good knife out of your pocket. Give yourself at least one hour to get through security. Actually this applies to all airports, with some requiring more lead times.

Simply put, you never argue with a figure of authority in the field...This can be TSA, The local deputy, the park service, or the state police, You say, yes sir, no sir, when asked a question. Being nice to the officer can often get you off with a warning. If you want to argue, consult a lawyer later and sue them.

-Tommy

Its not about friendliness. Its about clear, coherent rules, professionality, consistency in enforcing those rules, and having a reasonable way to contest a fine/violation. IMO, the absolute power wielded by undertrained, semi-educated, entry level employees in a system of infinite bureaucracy should warrant some concern. As for making it better, here's a thought. Boost the pay to about $100,000 a year, raise the application requirements and dramatically increase the level of training.

I had a fun one coming back from vacation this year. I carry a CPAP machine, and well, they get scanned seperately. Evidently some dried up hard water caused an issue - the part of NM I was in is well known for having some radioisotopes in the water/dust, and the humidifier must have tripped something. All sorts of tests, and then the guy goes to his supervisor, who laughed, waved me through, looked at the Jr guy and said "His first day" - kept my cool and all was good. The only reason I know it was something radioactive was overhearing the guys. I gather it was ULTRA low level

"...Boost the pay to about $100,000 a year...raise the application requirements..."

That might work, but the flying public and tax payers would never stand still for the pay boost. And without the pay increase, TSA, like all law enforcement agencies in this country, are being forced to LOWER standards, just to get warm bodies...