Evil Snow Globe Update

Way back in September of 2006 I posted a piece from Mark Steyn who had encountered TSA rules banning snow globes from airliners. Poor James Lileks didn't read that piece and had an encounter of his own:

But I waited patiently while my garments were palpated, then moved along. All well and good. Then I ran up against the Unexpectedly Forbidden Item.

A snow globe.

I took a side jaunt to California for business (can’t mention the exact details for obvious reasons, but there is an Obligatory Local Angle: I went to see all-around brilliant good guy and comedic genius Michael J. Nelson, late of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and former Minnesotan) and promised my daughter I’d bring back a snow globe. We’re not talking the old cheap plastic ones with the hole on the bottom; the new ones are sealed tight. It made no difference. Verboten. It would have to be thrown away.

This was the point where I finally tired of Security Theater. I didn’t argue, but I wasn’t exactly Mr. Sunshine about it. The agent waved over a supervisor, held up the snowglobe, and said “He wants to throw it away. Where do I put it?” I corrected her: “I don’t want to throw it away. It’s a gift for my daughter. I have to throw it away.” That’s as peevish as I’ll get in the face of Authority, I guess. I could have been more understanding about it. They don’t make the rules; they just enforce them with a necessary excess of indifference. But seven years of irritation over taking off my shoes AS IF THAT WILL STOP THE EVILDOERS had built up, and this was where it was vented.

They threw it away. I collected my items, went up an escalator, turned left, entered a gift shop, and purchased the exact same item.

Well done, James. I checked the wires and didn't find any mention of an airliner going down between Phoenix and Minneapolis due to spontaneous snow globe combustion so Iassume he got home safely with his prize.

The airlines are in trouble, thanks only in part to TSA silliness. This report says that passenger complaints are skyrocketing along with fuel and other costs. Add to that canceled flights thanks to safety inspections plus the usual weather-related problems and flying just isn't much fun anymore.

At least we can be sure that no snow globes will make it past the TSA inspectors.