1) The TSA isn't authorized to "confiscate" anything. They do, however, appear to have a really broad definition of "voluntary surrender" that a large percentage of rational people would classify as "confiscation" or "theft."

2) The problem is that the individual clerk is authorized to call anything they like a "security threat." Got a cupcake? The TSA clerk might just claim their low blood sugar makes that cupcake a "security threat" because they might faint while gazing upon its deliciousness.

So is a detailed written plan on how to build a bomb and sneak it on an aircraft.

That's not the issue.

I don't think the charts would be prohibited per se but I also don't think that the OP was wise in copping attitude with the TSO. Regardless of whether the individual is right or wrong it's never a smart move to pick a fight with an authority figure. What do you have to gain by doing this? AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT the guy with the badge invariably has the upper hand and you will come off second best every time. Once again I have to quote (well, ok, paraphrase) Sun Tzu in The Art of War "Never enter a battle unless you can win it and never start a war unless the benefits of winning the war outweigh the costs of waging the war." In this case the was no chance of winning the battle and the costs of waging the war probably outweighed any sence of moral victory achieved by this thread.

A simple, polite response would have been a better move in my opinion.

If the charts weren't of the route/area the OP was flying it shouldn't have been an issue at all. If they were of the route, a simple "I'm an aviation fan and I was curious as to what was in the area. Not much diffenet than the route map displayed on the IFE, really. Thanks for showing an interest in my safety. Have a nice day" might have saved him/her $15 and a bit of grief.

Not picking on anyone, just stating the facts as I see them....

Edit: Oh, and regards to the TSA "confiscating" things, what they will say (and I suppose they're technically correct although I disagree) is that they don't confiscate the items. You don't have to give them up but if you don't you don't fly. The decision is yours.

Well, an iPad certainly wouldn't have brought scrutiny. I prefer to fly with paper charts though.

Didn't even think about this, I will definitely contact them.

Why?

That would be a lie. I prefer to NOT lie to them, so I can make sure all my interactions have the law on my side if it comes to that. And the truth isn't any of their business.

But, I think that is EXACTLY the issue. Whether you have the NY Times, flight manuals, the Quran, or plans to build a bomb and sneak it onto an aircraft, it's all just paper and far outside the WEI purview of the TSA. The TSA has no business deciding what is allowable for anyone else to read.

For the exact reasons I mentioned.

Regarding your second comment, I was only giving an example. I wasn't suggesting lieing to them. I was only suggesting a way of turing a potential negative interaction into a neutral or positive one.

Well, having my charts stolen is a minor inconvenience. It's not like they arrested me for it, nor took something I couldn't replace in 15 minutes at my destination airport. So I still see no reason to be polite to them (as a rule, I am not).

(Yes, I realized if I asked if acting polite would have changed anything, but that's most academic, as I'm never polite to them anyway)

Just so I'm understanding what you're saying, you're telling me that the TRANSPORT SAFETY Authority has no business in not allowing you to bring detailed plans on how to destroy an aircraft onto said aircraft? :confused::confused::confused:

If so, we are miles apart on this one.

So what? If they don't have the materials (i.e., NOT PAPER) to complete it, then the paper itself represents no threat.

Did you attempt to escalate to anyone at the checkpoint - supervisor, manager? After tossing the charts in the garbage, did the screener walk away - I would have just reached in the garbage and took them back as they had no real basis for tossing them in the first place.

I've got a book that describes how to make a nuclear bomb. Should the TSA take it from me before I get on a plane?

Being impolite is your decision and (if an American) literally your constitutional right. However, you need to realise that it will invariably have negative consequences, particularly when dealing with an authority figure.

I don't like the TSA but I also don't like causing problems for myself. What do I have to gain by being rude or impolite? Grief and heartache, that's all. Personally, I've found that there are plenty of people willing to provide that on their own (many of whom wear a TSA uniform) and I don't see the need to add to it. I'm better than that and smarter than that. (Not intended as an insult toward you, just an opinion about myself)

I also believe that you'll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar...

In any case, don't take anything I've said as a personal affront against you. It wasn't intended that way.

Only if they discover the highly enriched uranium in your carry-on. :D

No, he stood there next to it and I was hungry so I just left. :D

I like to escalate stuff most times, but I had other stuff on my mind that day.

No offense taken.

I went through a few years where I was friendly and polite to them. It ended up making me feel dirty and like a collaborator, so I stopped.

True, but to the TSA the (possibly) associated mens rea might....