This is from a friend who recently traveled to the island of Rota, which is part of the Northern Mariana Islands, and therefore travel is considered intra-state.
He had spent the evening and was preparing to return to Saipan, and was in line to pass through security at "Rota International Airport." RIA security is handled, believe it or not, by our illustrious Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration, which has stationed one or two "experienced" mainland supervisors there, in charge of a locally hired staff.
So, my buddy gets up to the X-ray machine and puts his bag in, after answering "no" to the laptop question. His bag goes through, and then stops, and goes backward and forward a few times. The X-ray tech motions over to the other TSA guy to come take a look. They both have very concerned looks on their faces. Finally, the second TSA guy keys his mike and my buddy hears him say "possible IED".
The Mainlander TSA supervisor then rushes out, along with several other TSA staff and airport security, which surround the X-ray station. The boss man takes a look at the screen and then orders the airport cleared. Security then proceeds to usher everyone (but my buddy) out of the small airport, while the announcements are made over the intercom.
Meanwhile, my friend is asking the TSA guys what the problem is, and if he could see the screen. The TSA guys are getting more and more worked up, nervous, sweaty, etcetera, and have evacuated all but two guys on the X-ray machine and two guys to closely guard my friend, who is insisting that there is nothing dangerous in his bag.
Finally, the lead TSA guy lets my friend see the screen and points to the "IED". My friend immediately identifies it as a watermelon that he bought from a roadside vendor on the way to the airport. The TSA supervisor passes the bag through and asks everyone else to leave, and then goes about carefully unzipping the bag, sweat dripping from his brow....
... And pulls out a watermelon. "I told you guys it was a watermelon!" My friend keeps insisting. The TSA guys confiscate the watermelon, call "all clear", and then re-open the airport. No apologies, no explanation, just a bunch of overreactive jackasses. (and no, my friend does not fit the terrorist profile, he is a middle-aged, gray-haired, white engineer).
He had spent the evening and was preparing to return to Saipan, and was in line to pass through security at "Rota International Airport." RIA security is handled, believe it or not, by our illustrious Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration, which has stationed one or two "experienced" mainland supervisors there, in charge of a locally hired staff.
So, my buddy gets up to the X-ray machine and puts his bag in, after answering "no" to the laptop question. His bag goes through, and then stops, and goes backward and forward a few times. The X-ray tech motions over to the other TSA guy to come take a look. They both have very concerned looks on their faces. Finally, the second TSA guy keys his mike and my buddy hears him say "possible IED".
The Mainlander TSA supervisor then rushes out, along with several other TSA staff and airport security, which surround the X-ray station. The boss man takes a look at the screen and then orders the airport cleared. Security then proceeds to usher everyone (but my buddy) out of the small airport, while the announcements are made over the intercom.
Meanwhile, my friend is asking the TSA guys what the problem is, and if he could see the screen. The TSA guys are getting more and more worked up, nervous, sweaty, etcetera, and have evacuated all but two guys on the X-ray machine and two guys to closely guard my friend, who is insisting that there is nothing dangerous in his bag.
Finally, the lead TSA guy lets my friend see the screen and points to the "IED". My friend immediately identifies it as a watermelon that he bought from a roadside vendor on the way to the airport. The TSA supervisor passes the bag through and asks everyone else to leave, and then goes about carefully unzipping the bag, sweat dripping from his brow....
... And pulls out a watermelon. "I told you guys it was a watermelon!" My friend keeps insisting. The TSA guys confiscate the watermelon, call "all clear", and then re-open the airport. No apologies, no explanation, just a bunch of overreactive jackasses. (and no, my friend does not fit the terrorist profile, he is a middle-aged, gray-haired, white engineer).