Six years after Sept. 11, it's easy to get complacent and forget that we asked for (and expected) greater protection. Yes, the connection between a baby's shoes and our personal security can seem obtuse. We forget the day that "normal" suddenly wasn't. Perhaps that's a blessing; we can't and shouldn't live in constant fear and distrust.
But we can be respectful to TSA employees who are doing their duty as it is given them (even if it doesn't make much sense to us) -- and patient with other travelers who have forgotten what led to this. And we should know that there is more going on behind the scenes than most of us will ever know.
After standing near TSA employees for hours and watching the process up-close, it all makes more sense to me. There is a method behind the apparent madness of airport screening. Screening regulations, such as the "3-1-1 rule," reflect extensive research about current threats and aren't just random attempts to make us appear safer (3-1-1 means you can include three 1-ounce liquids in a single quart-size bag in your carry-on). Also, the screener's job is harder than it looks because it requires constant attentiveness balanced by courtesy. (Full story)Wrong! Please step aside ma'am. Homeland Security or not, the TSA would like to have a word with you, and you're going to miss your flight. Here's the TSA's definition:
Make Your Trip Better Using 3-1-1Ooops. And, who is this potential threat to our airways? Well, it's Mary Hanson from theScience and Technology Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security. And, she thought it would be nice to play TSA screener for a day. Unfortunately, either a legitimate TSA screener neglected to teach her this simple, yet painfully ridiculous rule in the War on Moisture, or, most likely, the TSA screener doesn't quite understand the rule his or herself.
3-1-1 for carry-ons = 3 ounce bottle or less (by volume) ; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3 oz. container size is a security measure.
That, umm... doesn't really make me feel any safer.
Hey! Homeland Security? The next time you send out some low-level drone to shill for your abstract and downright silly policies, could you at least make certain that they know what the hell they're talking about? And, for god's sake! Stop blaming the passengers. We asked to be safer, sure. But we didn't ask for a bunch of bumbling nitwits who fear bottles of baby formula and see a potential explosive in a hunk of cheese. And, we sure as hell didn't expect to be held accountable for yours and the TSA's ridiculous flights of fear-laden whimsy.
Think about it. If I follow Homeland Security's description of what is allowed on a flight, the TSA will not allow me on the flight.
Can I have Mary Hanson's phone number, please? After all, if I get held up for violating some arbitrary rule in the war on wetness, I want my TSA screener to call her and have it actually explained by someone in Homeland Security.
Sincerely,
DP
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Posted By Dan to The Wisdom of a Distracted Mind at 1/14/2008 02:50:00 PM
You're reading my newspaper now? (Or, perhaps it was in more than one, or online.) Yeah, I read this, too. Hmmm, quick flip through my county telephone "white pages" book. She could live in my county, or heck, if this one is her, she lives in the town next to mine. Well, presumably she didn't get final say on any of this stuff even that day. Even if she should have learned it more correctly. I know I put a few items of smaller ounce size in a larger plastic bag when we traveled in December. I honestly forgot my water bottle, though. Sigh. That nasty look I got was NOT appreciated. I was thirsty just thinking of its waste....... ah, but we're safer now, right? :)
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