Originally Posted by
yandosan
After 6 pleasant months in Thailand some Customs <redacted> at LAX freaked
out over some Thai beach sand at the bottom of my backpack,
insisting it was "organic" until his colleague told him to shut up.
What's the obsession over organic matter, anyway? I don't get it.
I think these guys have watched too many CSI shows...<redacted>
Not that I in any way agree with this TSA ridiculousness, and I would have reacted similarly in your shoes - but as an aside, the sand at some beaches can consist heavily of calcium carbonate from ground up shells. Still, a TSA clerk shouldn't be claiming to know the composition of a given bit of sand, much less hassling you about it.
Originally Posted by
chollie
If they ask about 'organic' matter, I'm going to ask 'what do you mean by organic'?
Seems like a reasonable response to their silly question.