Ryan Bird is a soft-spoken 31-year-old senior executive for a manufacturing company in Milwaukee who flies about 100,000 miles per year. On Tuesday, Bird took a magic marker to his plastic bag of toiletries -- the newest security regulation issued by the government -- and wrote "Kip Hawley is an idiot."
Hawley heads up the Transportation Security Administration, and for insulting him, Bird says he ended up being detained for 15 minutes by Milwaukee sherriff's department and told by a TSA official that he had no First Amendment rights in the screening area.
Bird's stunt gained him quick e-fame, but refused to talk to reporters until he talked with Wired News today.
He wasn't after publicity outside the world of the FlyerTalk frequent flyer community, Bird said, and he just wanted to express his opinion that the ban on liquids was "kabuki security theater" and that the TSA should be focussing on looking for bombs in cargo, instead. He'd tried writing the TSA, his Senator and Congressperson to no aviail.
I really thought of it as culmination of my frustration at the idiotic policies of the TSA and if I had the chance to write a complete dissertation to show the guys at the checkpoint, I probably would have, But it was pretty succint: "Kip Hawley is an idiot" and he is.
I think what struck a chord with people was not that the TSA overreacted but it was the blatant comment from the TSA supervisor, when he said, "Out there you have rights. In here, you don't." I think it rung a bell with a lot of people who realize that TSA is little more than window dressing.
Now that you have some publicity what do you want?
In addition to a response to my complaint, I'd like to see a more common sense approach when it comes to security. Let's admit that the whole water-and-gel-and-liquid ban was a stupid knee jerk reaction to a non-credible threat.
If we are going to spend billions of taxpayer dollars in money and fees attached to tickes, let's proactively address some real threats: How about that you can sneak a bomb into the cargo hold or you can check a bag and misconnect?
I definitely want to see the end of random patdowns of people like common criminals. And let's end the shoe carnival -- shoes can be swabbed for explosives just like anything else. It's a foolish time waster that seems to be done for public opinion.
Bird says he still has his baggie and this morning said he planned to fly home with it today.
Update: TSA's reponse is here and is funnier than you think it might be.
