BTV Security Inanity
 

This Sat am - I witnessed what may have been the craziest thing I have seen yet with our friends at TSA. Now, I fly BTV-NYC very frequently and have had both ends of the spectrum from highly professional to simply incompetent (was once let on with a large Swiss Army knife in my purse) but Sat was just crazy.

I was through security after being scrutinized by no fewer than 4 TSA staff and busy putting all my stuff back together. The fellow behind me was asked if he had a baggie for the small container of aftershave that had been spotted by the crack team at the machines. When the TSA triumphantly pulled it out of his backpack he snapped "This is not in a baggie - Do you have a baggie for it right now sir?" Our fellow traveller said no and with a really enthusiastic dunk the TSA guard threw it in the garbage - with the statement - if you don't have it in a baggie you may not travel with it.

Now, as I understand the baggie requirement it is about putting a maximum on the total liquids etc. that you can carry on - since this was the only "contraband" found this was inappropriate at best.

Anyhow, I am sure there are more stories out there about the absolute lunacy of implementation of guidelines and rules, but this struck me as pretty far out there.

I guess I am posting this with the slim hope that someone in charge in BTV will see it and invest in some staff training.

The inconsistency is definitely alarming. The one that I still don't understand is why the TSA at LaGuardia will confiscate a water bottle that is bone dry.

No liquids or gels I understand. I understand that if the rule is three ounces you can't take something that is 5 ounces and say its half full, I understand that. I'm not completely clear what harm there is in a completely empty container.

I've learned to just go along with everything and smile but I really don't get it sometimes.

Maybe I've been lucky - the BTV TSA staff I encounter regularly are among the friendliest and most professional (i.e. non-power-Nazis) TSA in the US. It's too bad this guy ran into the "rule-follower". I usually choose BTV simply because of how easy it is to get through security there, particularly in the early morning...

You're not supposed to get it... just keep on smiling, comrade! ;)