Newsstand - $2MM to get rid of confiscated items

Not sure if this had been posted already so if it has please ignore:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/10/09/airport.contraband.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- All those sharp objects taken from passengers at airport security checkpoints will finally find new homes.

Science Applications International Corporation of Reston, Virginia, will be paid $2 million for seven months to get rid of the knives, boxcutters, scissors and fireworks seized at airport security checkpoints, the Transportation Security Administration announced on Wednesday.

Air passengers who can't or won't give prohibited items to someone else or take them back to their cars can voluntarily leave them at the checkpoint, where they become the federal government's property.

Another $2 million wasted by Scumbag Loy's regime.

99+% of these confiscated items are not credible threats against an aircraft but Scumbag Loy still insists they be stolen from passengers.

Up yours, Admiral Loy. (Hmmm that might be a cheaper way of disposing of at least a few of these stolen items... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif )

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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

Only the TSA could spend $2 million on this when places like California are making money selling this stuff on eBay (http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=californiagold2000).

See this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum109/HTML/005563.html) for details.

Why not hold an auction like the police do with lost and found?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by jimc_usa:
Why not hold an auction like the police do with lost and found?</font>

Because they shouldn't be stealing most of this stuff from passengers in the first place! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

Now now Spiff. You know better than to bring a pocket knife or other prohibited item to the airport lest you have to leave it behind. Not everyone is so enlightened. Those who are not must surrender the prohibited item, it is not stolen from them. As much as you might try that argument, it just is not so. Watch that blood pressure there guy, it is a silent killer for sure. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

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Don't take life too seriously, afterall, you won't get out alive.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by The Unknown Screener:
Now now Spiff. You know better than to bring a pocket knife or other prohibited item to the airport lest you have to leave it behind. Not everyone is so enlightened. Those who are not must surrender the prohibited item, it is not stolen from them. As much as you might try that argument, it just is not so. Watch that blood pressure there guy, it is a silent killer for sure. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

</font>

Those items are extorted from them. Want to fly? We steal your pocket knife.

Jimmy Loy is a filthy scumbag for continuing this asinine policy.

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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

Not true Spiff...there are clear guidelines that are public knowledge. The prohibited item list is not some secret that is sprung on anyone. Those who ignore it do so at their own risk. There is no extortion going on. Your disdain for the TSA has you seeing demons where there are none. I don't agree with the policy either, but as long as it is the policy, it has to be followed.

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Don't take life too seriously, afterall, you won't get out alive.

[This message has been edited by The Unknown Screener (edited 10-09-2003).]

Don't you think they could save money by simply throwing this stuff away? That won't cost $2 million a year. Besides, the VAST majority of this stuff is perfectly legal to carry outside of the "secure" area of an airport, so throwing it in the trash isn't a "security" threat.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by The Unknown Screener:
Not true Spiff...there are clear guidelines that are public knowledge. The prohibited item list is not some secret that is sprung on anyone. Those who ignore it do so at their own risk. There is no extortion going on. Your disdain for the TSA has you seeing demons where there are none. I don't agree with the policy either, but as long as it is the policy, it has to be followed.

[/B]</font>

My point is that the guidelines are stupid.

For this and many other reasons, Jimmy Loy the Scumbag should be removed from his position.

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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

SAIC of 'Reston, Va' is of course the same SAIC (San Diego) which is closely connected to the Bush administration, the Pentagon, the NSC and a whole bunch of other things.

No surprise really that they got another boondoggle. Do some research (lots of stuff on the web), and you might come to the conclusion that SAIC are a shadowy bunch (WMD, Anthrax, Iraq contracts, Voting Machines !).

Start with this:
http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EH16Ak02.html

It is an incredibly STUPID policy, but even more stupid is PAYING someone to take the items. As posted above, many if not all of the items are perfectly legal to own and some (torch lighters) are quite expensive in their own right.

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Don't take life too seriously, afterall, you won't get out alive.

The list is extremely stupid and does need to be rethought. I wouldnt say 99% of the items taken are not a threat to a plane but at least 70% or so aren't, at least at my airport.

But like Unknown Screener said, the list is out there for the public to read. Its not a secert what items cant and can go. People still bringing these items is just as stupid, as the people making up the list.



[This message has been edited by screenerx (edited 10-09-2003).]

I recently read in a case-study (for a class i'm taking) that the US Postal Service uses eBay as a way to "get rid of" undeliverable/unclaimed/unreturnable parcels & things.

...that's one i never knew.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Safe Travels,
Chris

Isn't this an incredible waste of money?

I agree with the posters who wanted to know why they can't just dump the stuff, or give it away, or sell them on eBay.

I have seen the screeners confiscate "weapons" such as 1/2" blades...surely those are not "weapons" that someone might steal out of the trash.

What a joke, what a waste.

I don't get it. They are going to pay these folks $2m to get rid of this stuff.

I will do it for FREE!

What is wrong with this and why does Congress allow it to take place.

(putting aside the fact that this stuff probably should not be confiscated at all)

You know, if the TSA employees took the stuff home, they probably would get fired. But, it is alright to spend big $$ for someone else to take it away.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NoStressHere:
You know, if the TSA employees took the stuff home, they probably would get fired. But, it is alright to spend big $$ for someone else to take it away.</font>Yup -- sounds like the government to me!

Indeed that is very true. Stupid AND wasteful policy.

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Don't take life too seriously, afterall, you won't get out alive.