Another TSA Gripe :)

[Ill Mitch]

Ok, I admit I goofed up too...but this is kinda funny.
I was at some conference thing in PHX and while there I grabbed as much free stuff as I could. Anyway, one of the items was a little screwdriver in a case.
I put it in my backpack, which I was going to carry on with me.
Also, when I travel and stay in hotels, I carry silicone earplugs with me to keep the noise out. Those were in my suitcase, which I checked.

I completely forgot about the screwdriver (which I intended to transfer to my suitcase).
I go thru the security X-ray thing and the TSA dude goes, "Uh...you mind if I put your backpack thru one more time?" I say, "Sure!" and trying to figure out what would cause this. It goes thru one more time and he says "thank you" and I go on my merry way.
Later, in the aircraft, while going thru my backpack to whip out my book to read, I discover the screwdriver. D'oh!

When I get home and unpack, I notice that my zippers were not how I left them and my earplugs, which were in a little red case marked "earplugs" and sitting on top of everything, were gone.

I'm hoping they just fell out and went unnoticed and that the TSA let a screwdriver thru (the horror) and didn't take my earplugs for the sake of "security".

 

[Flying Illini]

Funny you mention this...
I took a backpack as my carryon when I went on my honeymoon. I completely forgot about the standard issue swiss army knife that was kept in the small pocket on the front.
Not only did I get through AIRPORT security with it, but I ALSO got through the CRUISE TERMINAL xray machines/security! I couldn't believe it. I found it two days into the cruise when I was putting stuff in there for a shore excursion.
Amazing.

 

[The_Russian]

TSA took my lighter at TPA last week. The idiot who was "informing" me of my violation had one in his front pocket. As I walked out of security there was about 5 construction workers with all of their tools laying all over the floor for people to "grab and stab" anyone they wanted. TSA is stupid. Security is pointless except for stopping guns. I can stab my copilot with my ink pen and scream ALLAH!

Rant over.

 

[Metro752]

You forgot the Ahkbar part

 

[EagleRJ]

Ill Mitch-

Your ear plugs weren't confiscated, they were stolen! There's no rule even vaguely resembling a ban on earplugs. Call the airline and report the theft, and file a report with the TSA, too.

Petty theft of checked baggage by the TSA is actually fairly common. All you can do is file a report and petition your congressman to help eliminate this waste of an agency. It's beyond outrageous to accept the TSA's harassment of citizens, while their own ranks are still filled with thieves.

 

[air_chompers]

Yeah RJ is right. One time in march I was comeing home from honolulu (PHNL) And I was traveling with my family so my wife and my parents-in law. So my father in law works with sprint and he has a $h*t load of specialized knick-knacks and cheaking in a LAX a TSA inspection notice was in the bag and 600! dollers of equitment was missing. So, we filed a report and an interal investigation was launched. To this day there is no word.

 

[Ill Mitch]

I just can't imagine what they would want with earplugs, tho....they were used with my ear goo on them, yuck. I imagine they were worth about $0.37

But I think you are right, RJ....I should file a report.

 

[Flying Illini]

I bought those TSA approved locks before this trip. We left out of CMH where I had the bags locked. When I dropped them off for screening they asked, "are the bags locked?" I say "yes, they're TSA locks." He said, OK and that was it.
In MIA, during check-in. THey have signs all over saying that the TSA requests that all bags be unlocked. The ticket agent even checked to make sure I complied with the signs. I asked why? Why did I buy these locks if I'm not allowed to use them. He said, "to save time we request that all bags be unlocked. You can leave them locked but I guarantee you that they will be opened, and the locks may be cut off."
I just shook my head. When I got home one of our bags had been opened and a notice of the inspection was left inside. Nothing stolen though.

Tough break on the $600 of equipment. That's rediculous and no one is held accountable.

 

[Bandit60]

Funny you mention this...

I took a backpack as my carryon when I went on my honeymoon. I completely forgot about the standard issue swiss army knife that was kept in the small pocket on the front.
Not only did I get through AIRPORT security with it, but I ALSO got through the CRUISE TERMINAL xray machines/security! I couldn't believe it. I found it two days into the cruise when I was putting stuff in there for a shore excursion.
Amazing.

WOW SCARY....you got married?
ever hear of aids (aviation induced divorce syndrome)



GOOD LUCK

 

[Princedietrich]

Coming home from a cruise a month ago out of MIA, I had a 1L bottle of DiSaronno in one of our three checked suitcases. It was wrapped in a tan colored towel and stuffed in among a week's worth of dirty laundry. Upon our arrival in CVG we discovered that only one of the three bags had an inspection notice inside, and it was the one with the DiSaronno bottle in it. Inside, we found the tan colored towel but no bottle of DiSaronno. It didn't take a genious to figure out that some ******* in MIA swiped it.


We filed the usual complaint with the TSA and after more than a month we haven't heard a word from them. Freaking legallized government-employed thieves is all they are. I hate the TSA and everything about it, it's got to be the most retarded idea that our retard of a president could ever have come up with. And considering the moron can't even speak proper English, that's saying something. They not only need to be disbanded and removed, they need to be shot.

*and now I'm waiting for someone to flame me for not using proper English in this post, go ahead I'll ignore you anyway*

 

[Metro752]

were your earplugs attached with flimsy plastic strng/wire. maybe they thought you could use it as a garrote

 

[njcapt]

Last week my wife's sister came up to Chicago for a visit with her two grown kids and one grandkid (the fact that my wife's YOUNGER sister has a grandchild is beyond my ability to comprehend).. They bought a bunch of cake decorating supplies at a big tent sale going on up here.

Heading home to ATL from MDW, my sister in law realizes she has in her carry on baggage a whipped cream dispenser with 10 spare CO2 cylinders. The TSA goofballs catch them going through the xray machine and ask to manually check the bag. They do, and when the in law explains what they're for, the supervisor sez 'OK' and lets her continue on into the secure area. Fortunately for airline safety, their flight got cancelled and she decided to leave the CO2 cylinders behind.

I wanna know what the duma$$es were thinking letting 10 compressed gas cylinders go into a secure area. My wife's family is greek, and the sister could borderline pass for arab, excepting the deep Georgia accent. I suppose it would be impossible for someone to stencil CO2 on some cylinders of flammable gas, but I guess the TSA folks would know better than me.

 

[mattpilot]

sorry for the thread drift, but i gotta know this...

Hey Ill Mitch! Is that you in that avatar and on www.illmitch.com ?

 

[YGBSM]

Yeah RJ is right. One time in march I was comeing home from honolulu (PHNL) And I was traveling with my family so my wife and my parents-in law. So my father in law works with sprint and he has a $h*t load of specialized knick-knacks and cheaking in a LAX a TSA inspection notice was in the bag and 600! dollers of equitment was missing. So, we filed a report and an interal investigation was launched. To this day there is no word.

Isn't being married at age 14 kind of a pain in the ass?