If you see a young looking TSA agent at Logan

Ask him if his name is Patrick. Patrick Mannion, an 18-year-old from Lynn, has just started blogging about what it's like to become a transportation security officer at everybody's favorite East Boston airport:

... The other checkpoints had large bottles of hairspray along with shaving cream and the like and some bottles found were actually under the limit. But there was still booze mixed in... plus a broken mercury thermometer.

We also collected the various confiscated weapons.. most of which are pocket knives which are given to collection agencies and state agencies who sell them on eBay. So don't worry folks, the TSA and the feds aren't making a dime off your confiscated materials (the spray cans and such are recycled)...

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Collection agencies?

By Ron Newman | Thu, 05/15/2008 - 9:43am

Wonder what they do with all of those knives. Walk up to debtors yelling "Pay up or we'll stab you?"

ebay knife sales

By bostnkid | Thu, 05/15/2008 - 9:57am

who sells the knives? that is weird. they should give them to people getting off planes in rough cities.

or...

By Brett | Thu, 05/15/2008 - 10:27am

...since we're supposedly protected from illegal seizure, hold them in storage until we get back to the same airport. So simple, too. Put item in box, mark box with their ID type, number, and name. Store. Retrieve. Not even a computer necessary.

It's one thing if you show up with a bowie knife; quite another if it's clearly accidental (ie,pocketknife.)

It might make the TSA think twice about what bullshit rules they implement, if they had to assure we got back the non-illegal crap they ban.

Remember how in all the westerns, the Sheriff says to the Bad Dude, "Gonna need those shooters while you're in town"?

There should be a contest to see who can successfully convince the TSA what random object is a threat- prizes based on absurdity.

"I'm sorry ma'am, that heel is over 2 inches high and has a tip smaller than half an inch in diameter."

Buying Confiscated Knives

By SwirlyGrrl | Thu, 05/15/2008 - 11:08am

There is a store in southern NH (Salem, I think) that sells some Logan salvage items, including TSA confiscated items.

I have heard of people walking out of there with leatherman tools for $5 to $10!

UPDATE: Boston Globe Article

TSA absurdity

By anon II (not verified) | Thu, 05/15/2008 - 11:32am

The last time I flew, I had a set of stainless steel weapons in my carry-on. Metal gadgets, about 8 inches long, 2mm thick, nickel-plated stainless steel with sharp points. They didn't get a second look, because they had yarn wrapped around them -- knitting needles.

On the other hand, the drafting pencils I use since I imprinted on them in graduate school -- that caused a 20-minute discussion over whether or not I could use them as weapons. Hint: I wouldn't have to! I have the knitting needles you didn't look twice at!

Security theater. Do you feel safer? I don't.

How long till Homeland

By hooks (not verified) | Thu, 05/15/2008 - 10:35am

How long till Homeland Security shutdown his blog? I give it 2 weeks.

Maybe, maybe not

By adamg | Thu, 05/15/2008 - 10:40am

TSA is all about the blogginess these days.

Kinda...

By Eighthman | Thu, 05/15/2008 - 2:22pm

Yeah, but that's an official blog. I think the this guy's blog will either end, or his employment will.

Latest Airport Security Incident

By SwirlyGrrl | Thu, 05/15/2008 - 5:18pm

At New York's Kennedy airport today, an individual later discovered to be a public school teacher was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, a slide rule, and a calculator.

At a morning press conference, the US Attorney General's office spokesperson said he believes the man is a member of the notorious al-gebra movement. He is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

"Al-gebra is a fearsome cult. "They desire
average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like "x" and "y" and refer to themselves as "unknowns", but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country.

"As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, there are 3 sides to every triangle," the USAGO spokesperson declared.

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes.

"I am gratified that our government has given us a sine that it is intent on protracting us from these math-dogs who are willing to disintegrate us with calculus disregard. Murky statisticians love to inflict plane on every sphere of influence," the President said, adding: "Under the circumferences, we must differentiate their root, make our point, and draw the line."

President Bush warned, "These weapons of math instruction have the potential to decimal everything in their math on a scalene never before seen unless we become exponents of a
Higher Power and begin to factor-in random facts of vertex."

The Attorney General added, "As our Great Leader would say, read my ellipse. Here is one principle he is uncertainty of: though they continue to multiply, their days are numbered as the hypotenuse tightens around their necks."

Humorous, but...

By Eighthman | Fri, 05/16/2008 - 3:34pm

You should have added "original author unknown."

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