Letters to the Editor
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TSA doesn't hire geniuses
The reason airport screenings are so maddening isn't primarily because of the invasion of privacy they entail, but because you're at the complete mercy of people who are generally not too bright -- TSA employees. Let's face it, these people where hired in a rush and only make $20,000-30,000 a year. At the threshold of an airport terminal your personal liberty must pass through the hands of a person whose previous job was at a mall food court. Many TSA employees have probably logged more hours operating an Orange Julius machine than a metal detector.
I've heard countless stories very similar to the rogue hand sanitizer one, the common thread being TSA employees failing to comprehend the absurdity of their own statements. This is completely separate from the absurdity of airport security policies. I'm talking about where TSA employees take polices that are dumb enough on paper, and make them even dumber in their implementation -- anyone remember a few months back when that traveler was told he had no 1st amendment rights during an airport screening?
My last flight was also my first encounter with one of those air-puffing machines that check for traces of explosives. I had no idea what this monstrous-looking gray box I was about to be forced to pass through did; so, being the hypochondriac that I am, I turned to the nearest TSA employee and said "This thing isn't going to involve radiation, is it?"
This woman, who was previously very friendly with me, glared at me with this mixture of horror and confusion and said "Now, why would we ever put radiation on you?!?"
I just gave a weak smile and resisted the urge to point out that she was leaning against an x-ray machine during our entire encounter, and that despite the lead shielding, it was probably "putting" some radiation on her (Let's just call it crypto-eugenics!) She made motion to some brawny guys with crew cuts to keep an eye on me. Clearly, I was trouble.