Image by Getty Images via @daylife
About a week ago, the TSA confiscated a cupcake, due to its gel-like frosting. Now, we’re not sure what the reasoning was behind this at the time. Perhaps it was being overzealous, perhaps the Security Officer had low blood sugar…maybe it was the name. We initially didn’t say anything, because it just seemed too silly.
“Apparently we’re a tasty, terrorist threat. I guess we were also amazed at what can pass through security in one airport, but not in another,†said Brian Vilagie of Wicked Good Cupcakes.
The TSA doesn’t want us to focus on cupcakes though, instead of addressing this on their blog, they want us to focus on legitimate weapons they actually discovered…shotguns, grenades, throwing knives, tree saws, stun guns, brass knuckles, a cane sword, etc. In just the past week, they found firearms in Pensacola, Little Rock, Atlanta, South Bend, Denver, Spokane, Dallas, Kansas City, Indianapolis and Houston.
This is a common tactic of the TSA. Like many organizations, they turn to the defensive when questioned or embarrassed. The narrative is…”What cupcake? We’re off finding guns and knives and sword-canes…”
Back on December 22nd, we celebrated the ten year anniversary of the shoe bomber,. As Steven Frischling pointed out, this led to the TSA requiring every passenger to remove their shoes, which amounts to a high cost for very little benefit. Elsewhere, Vanity Fair sat down with security expert Bruce Schneier.
“We’re spending billions upon billions of dollars doing this—and it is almost entirely pointless. Not only is it not done right, but even if it was done right it would be the wrong thing to do.†– Schneier commented.
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