The score thus far: TSA, 1... Zippo lighter camera, 0

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Greg Brooks <gregb () west-third com>
Date: May 12, 2005 4:53:15 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: The score thus far: TSA, 1... Zippo lighter camera, 0
Reply-To: gregb () west-third com


(Dave, for IP if you wish)

An update on the TSA's no-lighter policy and how it panned out with a
Zippo-form-factor camera...

Although I've had the camera for months and travel at least once a week,
this was the first time it made sense to take it on a trip. Coming  
through
Philadelphia Airport on Thursday afternoon, I made no attempt to hide  
the
camera, but I did show the first screener (before the X-ray machine)  
that it
was, in fact, a camera.

Well. They passed it through the machine and then spent several minutes
playing with it. (Yes, playing with it. This wasn't inspecting the  
thing -
it was gee-whizzing it.) I encouraged them to take it apart (it
disassembles, leaving you with a camera and an empty steel shell in the
shape of a Zippo lighter), which they did.

Then it got silly. I was told by the TSA decisionmaker that the  
camera could
come on board *but the empty steel case couldn't.* This seemed so  
mindless I
politely asked for clarification, but got nothing further than "the  
camera
can go, but the case can't." Asked for a supervisor and was told "you  
got
'em." I got out of line, walked a couple terminals away, and fedexed the
camera to myself.

I know this barely moves the needle on the TSA Mindless Idiocy Scale,
particularly in comparison to other stories you've passed along. But  
it's
still scary (not angering, not frustrating -- scary) to realize our  
airport
security is under the warranty of brittle rules enforced without much  
common
sense.


------------------------------------
West Third Group
Greg Brooks
gregb () west-third com
www.greg-brooks.com
------------------------------------




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