Bubbles in the Bathtub

No problem getting up there, but on my way back through the airport in Manchester, NH they confiscated my shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste. This despite the fact that I was able to carry it on the plane without incident on my way to the meeting. Not a big deal. There wasn't much in the bottles (and tube), maybe a couple of ounces each. The signs at the airport actually say you are allowed to carry on 3 oz of each, but apparently this is based on the size of the bottle and not the actual amount of the substance. Apparently we were under an "orange alert" for domestic and international flights, but I have no idea why. This means we are at "high risk of terrorist attacks". Right.

The real kicker came when I got home and started to unpack. I realized that I had a Swiss Army knife in my backpack that I had put in a few months before and forgotten about. This went unnoticed by the same TSA agent that confiscated my toiletries (and she was not particularly nice about it either).

So, way to go Department of Homeland Security. A job well done.

And what is my point? I guess it's that I don't mind the extra security and hoops, or I wouldn't, if I felt that they were actually effective. Current travel restrictions in the US seem arbitrary both by definition and enforcement and smack more of an agency trying to make it look like they are doing something as opposed to actually doing their jobs. What is the point of all the added inconvenience if it is so obviously ineffective?