A favorite TSA moment of mine was last fall when I used my passport as ID going thru the security line. It was brand new and the idiot geezer actually looked at it and said, “its expired”. I looked at him like “wtf?” and said, “no its not, its brand new”. “Yup it is, see here…” “Uh, no thats when it was issued, 3 months ago.” I had to bite back the “jackass” part I was thinking. “Oh, I see, thats right”. Then he gives me some goofball smile. I couldn’t figure out if he was that dumb or trying to be a smartass.

The link stoped working. Either TSA has shitbrain web admins, or they are scrubbing the link.

Why they don’t just delete the comment though…

Tiochfaidh ar la!

I mean, the bottom line here is, the TSA claims they can help weed out potential terrorists on flights NOT just by searching for products on their person or in their bags that would endanger people’s safety and pose threats, but by looking for signs you might be doing anything *illegal*. So why not look for “suspicious debit/credit cards” while you’re checking out that drivers’ license and making that arbitrary decision if they have “too much” cash?

For that matter, I’d also like to ask the TSA screeners why the double-standard with containers? I mean, what if I had just as much cash as this guy did, but I carried it in a tupperware container instead of a metal box? Since the metal detector wouldn’t be set off by that, does that mean the money would suddenly be less “suspicious”? Apparently so!

http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/04/incident-at-st-louis-international.html?showComment=1238789460002#c6968705034868323685

http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/04/incident-at-st-louis-international.html

And search for “yup” on the page.

BTW, I would want an extra question answered. I know that TSA cannot arrest you and I know that the local police have to have more than just “he’s carrying cash” to arrest you, but do the TSA goons have discretionary power to keep you off the plane? In other words, I assume they can ask you questions about whatever you are carrying but, if you don’t answer them, can they basically cost you hundreds of dollars in air fare by not letting you fly (because you aren’t “cooperating”)? Or, do they actually have to show that you are a legitimate safety threat to the flight or let you fly?

(And, yes, I’m sure they get a “reasonable” amount of time to pose questions to me and I know that I might miss a flight if I’m running late. But, it rises to a whole other level if you basically just can’t fly if you don’t make these guys happy, even if they don’t have a legitimate reason claim you are a safety problem.)

“Of no particular relevance but, about five or six years ago, I was able to walk right through TSA security with about $5,000 in silver dollars with the only question asked, “are you buying or selling?””

If that was face value, you’re a better man than I am. 5,000 silver dollars ~290 pounds.

Can they detain me based on their intuition; a funny feeling in their gut about me?

Can they detain me if i change brands of deo and sweat through my shirt? Excess perspiration could indicate a high level of anxiety.

Can they detain me because I claim to have made $4700 selling nude photos of their wives? A-Hole, for sure, but a travel risk?

I agree with Kieffer, these particular agents seem ill-equipped to enforce any kind of “General Rule”.

Apparently they scrubbed that link but I did find out that I can bring screwdrivers or wrenches longer than 7 inches in my carry on-that’s reassuring.

I’m amazed we’ve gotten to a place where the simple possession of a legal object (cash, in this case), can refult in detention.

You are not required to speak, at all, to the TSA or to the police, eevr.