Whereby I point out the idiocy of TSA "policy"

Post date: Feb 28, 2011 2:36:08 PM

My better half and I took a little trip this weekend, the first time I've flown since the latest round of draconian knee-jerk "security" measures have been implemented at the airport. Hartsfield-Jackson airport (ATL) already has the peepshow backscatter x-ray machines and we ended up having to go through. "Stand on the yellow footprints and raise your arms". (Like you're being arrested.)

As I walk out of the machine, I saw the cartoon-y video screen that shows problem areas that the scan found. It showed a yellow square in the general area of my belly-button. Not a good sign. Turned out I forgot to remove my belt, no biggie. The yellow square was where it picked up my belt buckle.

Now, in a rational world, I'd have removed my belt and gone back through the machine, clean scan, thank you sir, move along. This being the TSA, however, I was subjected to a hands-on examination of my waist-line, presumably a lesser version of the much-hated "enhanced pat-down."

I can vouch that the examining agent did his job professionally and seemingly by-the-book. My beef is with the book.

Update: A friend pointed me to a twitter post summarizing his own TSA experience. I LOL'd, then ROFL'd, the LOL'd some more.