Heh. Yeah, I need to bring a life-sized brass apple paperweight to Burbank with me in December. I had already decided to mail it to the hotel instead of trying to put it in my carry-on.

A life disrupted
thats the headline
should I say more

He could have been waiting four days in the wind and rain for a play station

On one hand, it sounds like security was paranoid, over-reaching, etc.

On the other hand, finding a softball sized bundle of what looks like rubber bands in a carry-on would strike me as pretty bizarre and suspicious.

If the guy gave me a lot of attitude, "thou doth protest too much" bluster, escape urgency ("keep the ball, just let me go"), I'd think I may have discovered a wacko with a device too.

As an occasional airline passenger, I'm glad to know about this false positive example of appropriate scrutiny.

I fly a lot, and the security precautions are ridiculous. It's not worth it. I don't feel safer. I feel annoyed.

Life is a risk. And for my money, I'd rather be able to get in and out of an airport quickly and easily, than have to sit in a long security line while the TSA watches me undress. I'd prefer to just take my chances with the terrorists.

This is just another example of abuse of authority. Passenger's privacy is violated. He objects. He pays dearly for speaking up. Your tax dollars at work!

"finding a softball sized bundle of what looks like rubber bands in a carry-on would strike me as pretty bizarre and suspicious."

Yeah, he could hijack the plane by threatening to shoot people with the rubber bands. Very suspicious.

"If the guy gave me a lot of attitude, "thou doth protest too much" bluster, escape urgency ("keep the ball, just let me go"), I'd think I may have discovered a wacko with a device too."

"Escape urgency"? It sounded more like "I'm going to miss my flight" urgency to me. A ball of rubber bands and an attitude does not justify arresting and detaining for 12 hours, and does not support the conclusion that someone is a "wacko with a device." Irrational paranoia is not probable cause.

As long as George Bush is President, it doesn't matter. Every abuse in the name of the war on "ter" just helps the White House Perpetual Campaign effort. "We are at security threat level orange." Yeah, well your party is in toilet level brown, Chimpy McFlightsuit...

Its ridiculous that as compliant as this guy was he actually got arrested.

Just reading the story ticked me off and reminded me of experiences with cops outside of the realm of common sense.