The War on Tourism: My TSA Horror Story: Part 2
Posted by Andrew | Filed under War on Tourism
If you are new here, be sure to read Part 1 of my TSA horror story, and please comment if you like the story!
So, I’ve come to that pinnacle point where I have removed my jacket, my belt, and got my laptop out of my bag and into one of their trays. Luckily, I didn’t have any liquids, I’ll gladly pay $10 for a Diet Coke from the Hudson News on the other side of the security perimeter, not to deal with the needless requirements for bringing liquids through.
Now, when I took my laptop (which is a 15″ MacBook Pro), I put the sleeve that I carry it it down in the tray, and put the laptop on top of it. Let’s face it, those trays are dirty and gross, people put there shoes in them for crying out loud. And my laptop is all nice and shiny, I don’t want it to get scratched or dirty. Well, apparently, its against TSA regulation to have anything else in the tray with your laptop.
Which is why the butch lady, who was the size of a small van, approached me and asked if it was my laptop. I responded with an uninterested “yes.” Upon confirmation that I was the horrid offender of the rules which are not clearly defined or posted, she proceeded to yank the sleeve out from under the laptop. I watched in horror as my laptop, which I payed $2300 for, crashed down and rattled about in the bottom of the tray.
Oh, but the total lack of respect of my personal property did not end there. In the course of doing eight different things at the same time, I naturally forgot to remove my cell phone from my pocket, which means the metal detector went off. I handed my cell phone to the TSA guy who was guiding people through the metal detector. He casually dropped the thing into a tray from a height of about a foot and I watched as the back busted open and the battery fell out. Thank goodness it was only a RAZR and not something that I would actually care about.
But the worst part of any airport security process is right after you get through the metal detector. First, you have to gather your bag and other possessions, which have been left out on a conveyer belt thing for anyone to go through (Hey look! An iPod!). This includes putting your belt and your jacket, and your shoes back on. But, of course, they don’t provide a place for you to sit down and gather yourself.
The worst part was, they sent butch lady to yell at me for taking my time in gathering my stuff.
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