SecurityDude, CISSP-ISSAP is an IT consultant, Security & Privacy Advocate and blogger at large with over 20 years IT experience. SecurityDude shares tips, tricks, and info that the average networking professional will find interesting and indispensable.
Ah, the TSA (Transport Slowness Agency). If you travel for business, you know the firendly folks guarding the gates at your local airport.
Since I was heading out to Brussels last week, I opted for carry-on luggage (to avoid the possibility of lost luggage). Per the law, I packed my 1quart bag with liquids and gels. Per the law, I removed it from my bag and put it in a separate tray for scanning. Once I cleared the body scanner and my luggage came out of the x-ray machine, a TSA agent asked me about one of the small plastic containers in my bag of liquids.
About six months ago I was in Raleigh and found myself out of toothpaste. I went to a local supermarket and hunted for a replacement tube 3 ounces or smaller. Unfortunately, toothpaste manufacturers haven’t caught on that there is a market for small travel tubes. The smallest container I could find was a 4.5 ounce plastic bottle of Crest Kids. Since I assumed TSA agents could read, I peeled off the thin plastic label that identified the contents and the slightly over the limit container size. That actually worked. Until last Saturday, that toothpaste has been to seven countries.
This last Saturday was different. The agent flatly refused to let me have the toothpaste even after I offered to brush my teeth for him in the drinking fountain (he actually didn’t think that was funny).
The reason I am writing this is not to lampoon the TSA agent. He did exactly what the 14-16 other security agents in seven countries failed to do: He recognized a potential threat and removed it. The purpose of this article is rather to point out that a security policy that is enforced inconsistently is poor policy. Why is it that screeners in other terminals of my home airport did not enforce TSA policy?
The TSA needs to better coordinate the training of their personnel and enforce consistent rules to protect the flying public.
Tags: airport security, government security, security, security policy, TSA
