I do not feel any obligation, moral or otherwise, to make it easier for the TSA screeners to do their inspection. Also, I will not do anything to slow them down deliberately. They won't tell me what they are looking for, and do not employ any predictable or consistent procedures, so how can I possibly be of help?

Yesterday at MEM I went through the box, holding my wallet in my hand like I always do. When I offered my wallet to the screener, a different screener took it from me and told me I "should have sent it through x-Ray" and went to put it back on the belt. I then asked if I was supposed to keep any valuables in sight at all times. She didn't answer but gave the wallet back to the first screener.

He then went through and removed every card, every photo, every receipt, every paper and every piece of money one by one and dropped each one into a tray before handing the tray back along with my empty wallet and thanking me. I politely asked, "are you going to put them back?" "Yes, but they won't be in the same order." I waited there until everything was put back.

He told me I can find their procedure on their website.

By the way, www.tsa.gov does say you should keep your valuables "in sight" at all times. I would have been in violation of that instruction if I had let her take it away.