It’s bad enough that they’re taking your stuff, but then they’re not even going to donate it to charity or give the knives to scouts or something.
A man-sized artificial palm tree and a sausage grinder have shared space in a state government warehouse with piles of Swiss Army knives and chain saws — just a few of the things travelers have had to give up at airport security checkpoints.
Pennsylvania turns a small profit by disposing of these castoff items, which it accepts from security contractors at 12 airports in five states, by selling them to the highest bidders at the online auction site eBay.
Is it just me, or is this a bit over the top?
Wouldn’t posession of 500 knives make them a terrorist. More so than a thousand cellphones…
… the warehouse’s current inventory also includes two sombreros, a plaque from a fishing contest in Cayuga Lake, N.Y. …
Sombreros and fishing contest awards are prohibited by the TSA?! Boy, don’t we all feel safer now!
I told you so… wait till the baggage handlers get in on this scam.
I know I used to work at ORD… and watched my fellow employees help themselves. I didn’t, so I was threatened by the union boss. I was also told to “slow down” they were working for some “overtime”. true story.
Of course, that was 1965 I’m sure it’s all different now.
This is the PA ebay store if you are like me and had trouble finding it in that article.
http://tinyurl.com/dxahv
Why don’t you people get it?
Clearly, these items (especially toothpaste, and fishing trophies) pose a great threat to their country (I’m canadian eh), and so do any person carrying one of them. It is assumed that these items are a necessity for these people, lets call them TERRORISTS, and they will buy them again once they get off. So, by confiscating them, then selling them, good old uncle sam gets to spend more on KILLING TERRORISTS, and once they buy more, they are helping the economy, which helps DEFEAT TERRORISTS. So, by saying this is rediculous, and according to the policy of “if you’re not with us, you’re against us”, and of you who object are now safely considered TERRORISTS
(please stand by for procecution under the PATRIOT act)
(laugh, it’s a joke)
I think this is a big pile of crap. These few TERRORISTS had liquid bombs and ruined it for the rest of us. We should be alound to carry liquids if they are bought in the airport and have a recipt, and remain unopened with a special airport symbol or something.
Boo war on terror!
Hooray stuff not going in the trash!
Just seems wrong.
Sounds like they can take whatever they deem “unsafe” (i.e. this would make a huge profit on ebay.)
“over the top”? That sounds like terrorist talk.
Why not make the process even more cost effective. Just have the TSA confiscate “suspicous items” from all departing passengers. Then quickly move the items outside the secure zone to the Arivals section of the airport, where the TSA can sell it back to the communitng public. Who were stripped of their valuables at the previous airport, and are now in desperate need of pocket knives, scissors, toothpaste and sombreros.
While the whole security thing at the airport is over the top, don’t bring your knife on the damn plane, and you won’t have a problem with it.
I personally don’t see anything wrong with this… if it makes the city / state money by doing it, then why not? Giving the money made to charity is a better idea, but who’s to say they don’t?
#9, that brings up an interesting point. Will (or has) “terrorist” become the new universal derogatory term?
(like nazi, communist, or facist before it)
#12, watch any red-neck flavored comic for a collection of updates to the old “commie” euphemism
Security Contractors, what security contractors? Didn’t TSA take over from all the contractors?
“I’m sorry miss, but that 30 carat diamond ring could be used to hijack this plane and fly it into the pentagon. We’ll have to confiscate it.”