Airport Security. Public and Private Spaces. Wine. (23. August 2006, 12:23 by Derek Young) ~ Dumpster Diving For TSA Treasure!
This morning I found myself at the SeaTac airport dropping off my 12 year old cousin, Brandy, for her flight back home to Minnesota. This was the first time I’d been to the airport since the new security restrictions on liquids went into effect.
As we stood in the security line, we watched as most folks passed right through without much issue. Shoes in a bin. Wallets, phones, and pocket change in a plastic bag. Jackets off. People understand the process. There wasn’t a cup of coffee in sight. Then I noticed the bottle of wine on the table. It was a good wine. It wasn’t a great wine, but it was definitely decent. It was a single bottle surrounded by bubble wrap and tape. It looked as though somebody had taken their souvenir from Washington’s wine country and wrapped it for the trip. I wondered what the TSA was going to do with that bottle. I had seen photos on the news with large trash bins at security filled with a liquid concoction reminiscent of several bad ideas at college parties… uhh, nevermind. But here was a bottle of wine and it was segregated from other ‘contraband’ in the area. After a few moments, I watched as one of the TSA screeners picked up the bottle, walked passed the security line toward ticketing, and dropped the bottle into a general purpose trash can.
The first thought that came to my mind was this – Could I walk to the trash can, pick out the bottle, and take it to my car? Now, of course, my first priority was getting Brandy to her gate so I wasn’t actively pursuing this idea. This also meant that I couldn’t walk up to the wine carrying screener and simply ask, “Since you threw that away, can I have it?†without being late to the gate. However, I also had some time to think about it. I was in the unique position of probably being the one person in line that saw the entire event – bottle being ‘collected’, moved, and put in the trash. Everybody else in line would be heading to flights. Since I was simply an escort, I could pass by the trash can again. I wasn’t necessarily looking to be a TSA test case for our new security precautions, but Northwest has suggested dumpster diving to its soon-to-be laid off employees.
Several questions are left unanswered in my head: Can I, Joe Citizen, pick something out of a trash bin at an airport without getting arrested? If the bottle was a potential threat, why is it being dumped in an unsecured trash bin?
As I left the terminal and passed the trash can I kept walking and didn’t look down. I didn’t want the temptation.
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One summer during college I worked as a securtity guard at the Gorge Ampitheater. My job was to check bags at the top, and then I got to watch the show after. (One word: Awesome).
What wasn’t so cool was watching some of my creepy co-workers rifling through the trash cans for alcohol and the like.
Don’t be that creepazoid, simply based on karma. :)
2 | Posted by Natasha | Aug 23, 02:08 PM
Hmmmm…What gate, which garbage can?
3 | Posted by Reed | Aug 23, 02:13 PM
“As I left the terminal and passed the trash can I kept walking and didn’t look down. I didn’t want the temptation.”
...you are a stronger man than I…
4 | Posted by morgan | Aug 23, 02:30 PM
According to the Pittsburgh, PA Post Gazette, contraban confiscated from passengers is being turned into cold hard cash by the state of Pennsylvania.
This from back in April:
“Together, they have yielded the state more than $247,000 in revenue in less than two years.”
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06114/684650-85.stm
6 | Posted by sparkrobot | Aug 23, 03:19 PM
Going off past experience…
The LaCrosse, WI health department forced Dominoes Pizza to lock their dumpster to keep us from picking up the fresh surplus pizzas laid on top of the container when they closed at 2am. They were safe to eat if they walked out the front door but walking them out the back made them unsafe.
37 American students under the age of 21 tossed their VAST collection of duty free booze in the trash at customs in Copenhagen to avoid being tagged for underage possession (yeah I know it wouldn’t apply but they didn’t) only to have the custodial staff take it all home.
Pissed off borker in NY screams at his cell phone than tosses it in the trash only to be fished out by a passing kid who promptly dialed up his posse and was still talking 30 minutes later when my path diverged from his.
I’d say don’t think, just take. Worst case you call them on the improper disposal of a dangerous item if they bug you about it.
I think the most important question is, was it a red or a white?
7 | Posted by Davest | Aug 23, 09:56 PM
Maybe the rules are different for TSA or the airport in general, but once something is curbside in the residential garbage, it’s fair game for anyone. There have been instances of crimes being solved by the discarded cigarette butts or coffee cups being recovered. Not to mention crimes being committed (identity theft being the big one) by removing garbage from its proper receptacle.
Regardless it certainly is a waste. Especially if it was a sweet white….
8 | Posted by Monica | Aug 24, 07:20 AM
Over the years I have pulled off the curb working stereo equipment (including a rather sweet vintage high-end Pioneer cassette deck), new electronic parts, and a usable PIII computer as well as vintage magazines and books. Why these people don’t just have a garage sale, sell their stuff on Ebay or donate it to Goodwill (and get a tax write-off) instead of pitching it, I don’t know. I just hate to see things like this go to waste.
As for what the state of PA is doing, I consider what they’re selling to be stolen property, so I won’t be buying any of it.
9 | Posted by Studer | Sep 3, 10:44 AM
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