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Comment by Anechoic | Hacker News Reader

Heh. A couple of years ago I tried to carry on a microphone stand (something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Stands-7701B-Tripod-Microphone/d... ). TSA freaked, ran it through the x-ray a couple of times, escorted me out of the security area and stood buy while I checked it, watch as it went through the baggage scanner, and then finally allowed me back through the security checkpoint.

This story shocks me not at all.

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And yet I've taken a Volcano [1] through TSA's "security" at least 5 times. The first time the TSA agent asked a bit about it and, basically, he said: "oh, it is like a fog machine?" to which I answered "Yes"....

From then on, it has been a "fog machine" as far as TSA was concerned... ;-)

Admittedly, and sadly, I haven't tried to fly with it within the last two years [and, at that time, I didn't worry about it a bit nor did I clean it obsessively, etc. - these days, though, I'm hesitant to even attempt flying with it]... =\

[1] = http://www.storz-bickel.com/vaporizer/volcano-vaporisation-s...

I think we need a stufftheTSAconfiscated.tumblr.com.

I went through for a job interview and I had a cast on and a blow dryer and flat iron in my luggage. They swabbed my cast, and took the items and made me wait while they checked them out. I bet someone walked away that day with perfectly styled hair.

Confiscated? Hell, they put shit in my bag (a knife, actually): http://blog.ninthyard.com/2009/04/fun-with-government-part-2...

That's insane. I concede my post, your story is on a whole nother incompetence level.

Well, that kinda exists...in auction format: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ntsa

I don't see any 8 inch hunting knives, so clearly they haven't learned their lesson ... they let me through security in Denver, Chicago, New York, Newark and Houston with a HUGE blade in the bottom of my computer bag.

Noticed it when I was unpacking my bag because I bought a new one... yep, TSA at its finest.

The manager buys everyone in my sister's department seized leathermen for Christmas.

It is surprisingly difficult to figure out what a volcano IS from browsing the website.

Tons of pages of how to use it, and how nice it is, and not one single word about what in the world it's for!

Drugs[1] (vaporize, inhale)

1. Commenters may, of course, be using it for other purposes. But that is the general application.

Yeah, you have more balls than I do. I wouldn't be caught dead with a Volcano in any of my luggage let alone a carry-on. I'd ship it. Far too paranoid. Mix a little bit of authority with the drug-paranoia culture and there's no way.

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