The Security Saga of the Handmade iPod Charger

A good true story. Techie J.W. Simpson Damon Burke enters airport checkpoint with a bag full of gear, ranging from cell phone sync cable to handmade video iPod battery booster pack made from a mint can. Screener notices the latter and gets a little freaked out, Transportation Security Administration screener-style. Which means bring on the explosive residue swabs, butt checks and metal-detecting wands.

I was about to make a joke about him giving me more attention than my wife when Donna [ed. TSA Supervisor]comes over and sits down next to me. She asks what the thing is, I tell her it's a battery charger. She asks why I have it, and I begin to explain that the iPod only has about 2 hours of video time, but with the MintyBoost! I can get about 20 hours of video time. I explain that the airport commute and the airplane flight take a few hours...

She interrupts me and says she doesn't like the look of it. She starts in with the typical, "In these times..." excuse for the concern. I explain to her that I have flown with it 4-6 times a month for a year now and nobody has questioned it.

She said I could leave it with her and get on my plane, or she can call PAPD. I asked if I could just go back home and take it with me. Both Donna and the African American Man, in turn, tell me that it was going nowhere from there. At this point Donna mumbles something indicating she was fed up and got up from the chair.

I knew that meant the police were being called in.

Oh, but like all good stories this one has got a plot twist. Hell, this story may even have nuance. You might have to think about your reaction to the TSA and police reaction. I'm not going to ruin that by revealing the ending here so go take a look at the whole thing here and I'll join you for discussion in the comments.

Via Make through Boing Boing