I agree on that. I wasn't so concerned that I got singled out, as I can see how the massive amount of wires and electronics I carry could be tough to distinguish between "innocent" and "bomb". No problem.

What I did have a problem with is the following:

1. Using a wipe over and over and over again. I'm sure the machines are set to go off above a certain threshold, and there are "safe" levels that are detected but don't set off the machine. Primarily, this is done to minimize false positives. By using a wipe over and over again, you can build up what would otherwise be a trace contaminent into a false positive. In some ways, I feel my positive result was manufactured. Swap enough stuff in the luggage enough times, and sooner or later, you'll accumlate enough to set off the bomb detector.

I've never seen an inspector use the same wipe more than once, and despite all the times I've been swabbed, I've never seen anyone do that many tests on my luggage. It was easily three or four times the normal amount.

2. Why did the TSA agent get upset with me when I asked him how to avoid this in the future? I'm asking so that his guys don't have to waste their time on me the next time I fly, which they will if I can't figure out how to clean the "explosive residue" off my personal items. It's also terribly inconvienent to me as well.

3. I'm still upset they took things out of my sight. This is not the first time TSA agents have tried. They were successful this time because when I looked down to untie my shoes (GIVE US YOUR SHOES!!) they scooped up my stuff and took it away.

I noticed because I had been keeping my eye on my external hard drive. If I lose that, I've lost data I can never replace, and some of it is very confidential work data. When I handed the lady my shoes I immediately noticed my hard drive was missing. I asked where it was, and she told me they had taken it to "inspect" it. I asked her to let me go where it was, and I was told I had to stay right where I was, I was a security threat. When I asked her to bring it back and inspect it in front of me, she said it would be back soon enough. I didn't get to push the issue much further, as it did come back fairly quickly -- they were rerunning it through the xray machine.

Still, I don't like my personal items disappearing from my sight. If they have to go, I want written documentation of what was taken and by whom. Too easy for stuff to go missing.