Why does TSA hate books?
Mar 4, 2011 | 5:43 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 959
About three years ago I was leaving MSP when I was 'randomly' selected, I remember after every item in my messenger bag was spread out on the table, the TSO picked up my travel journal (the kind found at Border & Barnes & Noble, a 4.5" x6" notebook) thumbed through it and started reading it.
For a good 5 minutes.
Not just skimming the pages- READING word for word, page after page.
That still irks me to this day.
For the record, my travel journal does not have sketches of municipal plans, schematics or any red flag words such as WMD, Bomb, Gun, Allah, etc.
I note the date, city and good restaurants, eateries, hotels, shops, and museums I liked and/or would like to check out as well as notes on the weather, architecture, and cool or weird historical factoids and references to my digital camera for any photos I may have taken.
For a good 5 minutes.
Not just skimming the pages- READING word for word, page after page.
That still irks me to this day.
For the record, my travel journal does not have sketches of municipal plans, schematics or any red flag words such as WMD, Bomb, Gun, Allah, etc.
I note the date, city and good restaurants, eateries, hotels, shops, and museums I liked and/or would like to check out as well as notes on the weather, architecture, and cool or weird historical factoids and references to my digital camera for any photos I may have taken.
Mar 4, 2011 | 5:47 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: in the sky
Posts: 490
About three years ago I was leaving MSP when I was 'randomly' selected, I remember after every item in my messenger bag was spread out on the table, the TSO picked up my travel journal (the kind found at Border & Barnes & Noble, a 4.5" x6" notebook) thumbed through it and started reading it.
For a good 5 minutes.
Not just skimming the pages- READING word for word, page after page.
That still irks me to this day.
For the record, my travel journal does not have sketches of municipal plans, schematics or any red flag words such as WMD, Bomb, Gun, Allah, etc.
I note the date, city and good restaurants, eateries, hotels, shops, and museums I liked and/or would like to check out as well as notes on the weather, architecture, and cool or weird historical factoids and references to my digital camera for any photos I may have taken.
For a good 5 minutes.
Not just skimming the pages- READING word for word, page after page.
That still irks me to this day.
For the record, my travel journal does not have sketches of municipal plans, schematics or any red flag words such as WMD, Bomb, Gun, Allah, etc.
I note the date, city and good restaurants, eateries, hotels, shops, and museums I liked and/or would like to check out as well as notes on the weather, architecture, and cool or weird historical factoids and references to my digital camera for any photos I may have taken.
AFAIK, the law of unintended consequence, like gravity, is always in effect.
Mar 4, 2011 | 5:58 pm
#18
Moderator: Chase Ultimate Rewards
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 2P, MR LT Plat, IHG Plat, BW Dia, HH Au, Avis PC
Posts: 5,664
I was traveling with one particularly large book for a while and kept getting selected for secondary. Finally a helpful TSO explained that the binding was so thick it looked like a big knife on the x-ray. So I turned it 90 degrees and never got selected again.
Mar 4, 2011 | 6:11 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 189
What would the implications have been if instead of a private diary that was examined (as offensive as that is), it had been privileged information that was read? IANAL, but if that had been say... notes regarding a criminal case, could not a mistrial be triggered by breach of client/attorney confidentiality? What other implications are out there?
AFAIK, the law of unintended consequence, like gravity, is always in effect.
AFAIK, the law of unintended consequence, like gravity, is always in effect.
And please don't trot out the dog-and-pony bit about a TSO's uniform and background check automatically grants them absolute discretion, unquestionable trustworthiness, and exception to privileged information.
Mar 4, 2011 | 6:18 pm
#20
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Los Angeles and New York
Programs: AA EXP via status match, COdbaUA 1K
Posts: 147
On todays flight i was running late and my flight was boarding as i was going through security. I am on nuyrisystem and had some meals in my carryon. Apparently my tomato soup in a sealed container looked suspicious so they had to examine my bag and then run it back through security.
I am also a drummer and have had my stickbag searched several times and questioned lengthily about my keychain with a drum key on it.
I am also a drummer and have had my stickbag searched several times and questioned lengthily about my keychain with a drum key on it.
Mar 4, 2011 | 6:32 pm
#21
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 189
Yeaaah, if a plane can be taken down by our key-chain drum key, the fault would lie with the manufacturer building a shoddy plane!
And furthermore, if the pilot and/or FA couldn't defend themselves against a drum key, they have no business being out from under their beds.
Unless the wielder was Chuck Norris, but Chuck Norris wouldn't need a drumkey...okay I've digress, back on topic.
Mar 4, 2011 | 9:14 pm
#23
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: New to Texas
Programs: AA Plat Pro
Posts: 894
When I travel for work I always end up with a load of books, and always got searched. Finally I pm'd one of our friendly FT TSAs, and they said the piles of books are too dense to scan or look suspicious, so apread them out. once I started doing that, bag searches dropped.
See... I didn't even make a crack about my disappearing lingerie!
See... I didn't even make a crack about my disappearing lingerie!
Mar 4, 2011 | 9:15 pm
#24
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 334
Strangely, when I fly in Europe I have never noticed security having this fetish and have never had books damaged. So what is this issue with TSA?
Mar 4, 2011 | 9:19 pm
#25
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,728
Today, a TSO's uniform should automatically gain them derision and suspicion.
Mar 4, 2011 | 9:50 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Australia
Programs: QF Platinum (OWE)
Posts: 380