Coins are a sharp instrument
 

I thought I had heard and/or seen it all.......

Just got a call from goalie-parents from PBI telling me that they are at the gate for their trip home to SF.

I asked if there were any issues with security as goalie-dad has a medical condition and cannot remove his shoes and how the patdown went as goalie-parents are both are "sop opt-outs" ;)

The patdowns were fine for both of them but goalie-dad rec'd a bag check because the TSO said "I saw something sharp"* on the x-ray monitor".

Per goalie-dad, as she was going thru the bag, she said "I found it" and pulled out a zippered UA amenity kit bag where she proceeded to dump the contents into a tray. Now (and wait for it.......) the only thing that was in the bag were loose coins from goalie-dad's card games and granted that there might have been $30-40 in loose change but the last time I looked, all U.S. coinage is round and does not contain any sharp edges (ridges yes, but no sharp edges ;))

Needless to say, the TSO was speechless other than saying "have a nice day" :rolleyes:

*her words when goalie-dad asked what she was looking for

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Y'all feel safe now, y'hear ;)

Probably needed change for the vending machine.

Probably just seeing if there was enough to be worth stealing.

And pasta is a liquid. Their incompetence and stupidity knows no bounds.

The x-ray machines often have a problem with imaging of a relatively dense collection of coins packed in a compact holder that can be as thin as a thin, transparent plastic bag or cloth mesh bag. The operators then make up reasons about why such opaque elements must be examined physically rather than just acknowledging the facts about the x-ray machines' and operators capability limitations.

Much the same can go for a dense collection of some printed material too. I used to also find that a bag full of metal minis would drive the screeners crazy too.

The issue of the sort covered by the OP is less a sign of incompetence than a sign of the lying and/or intellectually lazy nature of too many screeners dealing with passengers.

I carried a folding knife several times.

I got crap from the TSA at LAX for having too many coins in the front pocket of my computer/briefcase shoulder bag. It was not so easily resolved - things had to come out of the bag, the bag was ETD checked, and there were questions about the foreign coins in there (Euro, UKP, and maybe some Forints.

Questions about Euros? Sheesh :rolleyes: Now if they had questions about the Canadian Loonie, that would be fitting under the pot calling the kettle black ;)

Bolding mine: I vote for all of the above (including incompetence ;))

Compared to the TSO, the coins probably are sharp.

Well, if you have a really, really new dime, those ridges can be awfully sharp...

Mike

Good Lord!!! Forints and Euros together??? Mixing them in the same container could be devistating.:D

I accidentally carried a 3.5-inch serrated blade folding knife for about 60 flights before I found it in the EXTERIOR mesh pocket of my backpack.

The day after I found it (and removed it) TSA searched my pack because I had liquid in it, which turned out to be Alka-Seltzer tablets. I guess effervescence is a liquid.

"That's none of your business."

Insert appropriate adjectives between "your" and "business" as desired/appropriate.

Resolve the ACTUAL security issue - inability to see through solid metal objects - and move along to the next passenger.

First, a mass of coins in a sock is a dangerous weapon, in the right hands.

Second, I was once in line behind a woman with a huge purse. Of course they stopped the after xray line right on the rollers to resolve her purse while my stuff was still in the machine. It was a pain, but I got a good show. By the time she had emptied her purse of coins that had been dropped in over time and settled to the bottom, she had filled one of those almost white plastic bowls nearly level full with coins. Now what? Of course they run the purse back through without the coins, but everything had already been dumped out and there was nothing there except what one might expect to find in a purse. So empty purse and loose stuff in gray bin was run back through. Sort of makes sense as there could be something in the lining of the purse.

What got me was they ran the bowl of coins through as well. What did they expect to see?????

Coin Gate
 

Any time a TSO goes straight for my change I kindly request an STSO summons the airport police or Sheriff's deputy.

I explain that going straight for the currency is highly suspect and I've had the LEO do a count, and after all bag searches I've requested they turn their gloves inside out.

At one Florida airport even the STSO was pressing the TSO for an answer as to why the TSO insisted on screening the vending machine money. Perhaps next time they'll think twice when they want a chocolate bar or money for bridge tolls.