November 14, 2006
TSA: Sunblock is More Dangerous than a Knife
TSA officials in San Francisco seized a dangerous 3oz. tube of Coppertone Sport from the bag of traveler Rourke McNamara as he brazenly attempted to carry it onto an airplane. The sunblock was clearly visible in the in the mesh outside pocket of McNamara’s backpack. Had he properly placed the sunblock in a one quart sized zip-top bag there wouldn’t have been a problem, but without the safety-insuring plastic enclosure the Coppertone was just too dangerous to be allowed onto an aircraft.
McNamara’s wife, Jennifer, accidentally carried a three inch pocketknife onto the plane in her backpack. The backpack was searched and her dangerous-looking camera duly inspected, but the knife was not seen as a threat.
True story. The tube of sunblock was an accident and the only liquid or gel in the backpack. I didn’t give it up without asking the supervisor, either. Remember your one quart sized zip-top bags, folks. TSA isn’t flexible on that rule.
You just can’t make this stuff up.
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