Crypticalley ...of Twisted Neural Pathways

I'm sitting at Chicago's O'Hare airport as I write this entry. It is 10:25pm on a Thursday evening, my flight is delayed, and all I can think about is getting home. I also feel like punching someone in the TSA.

I'm seething because the TSA considers my moderately sized hair gel to be a security threat this evening. Oddly enough, it hasn't been a security threat for the last five weeks when I've flown in and out of the same airport. Ok. I will grant them the fact that the container was 5oz (I was mistaken, the limit is 3oz), but the lady inspecting my belongings was willing to let it go if I had a ziplock bag. Pray what good would a ziplock bag be against a real threat?? Perhaps it would prevent leaks and keep the contraption in working order? The ziplock bag limit is to ensure that the total quantity of liquids per person is less than a quart, but clearly a 5oz container is not larger; even an elementary school kid will tell you that. Maybe I should have opened it to show that it was half empty from my previous 5 weeks... I suspect that lady was just unhappy to be working the graveyard shift.

Seriously, the TSA needs to concentrate on protecting travelers, not hassling them simply for the sake of appearing to protect America's skies.