I captured this recording about two and a half weeks ago while passing through a TSA checkpoint. The fun stuff starts at around 4:40 into the recording.

At the time, I was carrying 3 Gatorade bottles (similar to what is seen here). Two were frozen (solid), but one was just chilled (completely liquid).

I declared these as medical liquids to the agent operating the x-ray machine, even though two were solid, just to be on the safe side. Over the past 3 years, I've done this about 15-20 times with some combination of frozen/liquid Gatorade bottles. Every other time, they just stick any bottles with liquid in them in a little black box, shine some light on it, and then I'm on my way.

However, this time the TSO told me that either I open up the bottle or I get a pat down. I've never been asked to open up the bottle before, much less under threat of a pat down if I don't. What a bizarre pair of options.

Then it comes out later that he isn't certified on the little black box, and THAT'S why he was offering me the bizarre choice.

This leads me to several questions:

• Why have him on medical liquid duty if he isn't trained on the little black box they use to screen medical liquids?
• Even if he initially didn't know he was being called over for medical liquid screening, once he saw that's what was going on, why not call over another employee who knew how to use the little black box.
• (most importantly) What on Earth does a pat down have to do with whether or not the bottle is opened? Up to that point, I had been holding the bottle in my hand, so if he wipes the outside of the bottle or wipes his glove after the pat down, wouldn't any residue of explosives be on the wipe either way?

Eventually, a STSO was called over, who then called over a different TSO who WAS certified on the little black box. The person near the end of the recording saying that it's a clear liquid in a clear bottle is the one who put it in the little black box. 15 seconds later I was on my way without further incident.

I'm still puzzled as to how this whole chain of events actually occurred.