Dominic F. Manno writes: 'Apparently pumpkin pies are too dangerous to allow to fly. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:
"Overall, operations at Hopkins [Airport in Cleveland] were smooth, [TSA functionary Rick] DeChant said, but there was at least one unexpected hiccup this week.
"'In the last two days, we have taken a dozen baked pies,' he said.
"Pie filling apparently is banned from carry-on luggage, too. But the pies didn't go to waste. They were taken to the airport's United Service Organizations lounge, where soldiers passing through can relax and eat."
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ss f?/base/cuyahoga/1164277064116100.xml&coll=2>
I can see the situation at the gate: "Ma'am, this item looks delici..., er, dangerous. We'll have to confiscate it so we can taste, uh, test it."
Wow! Thanks Dominic! Either we can test the pies for danger or we can't. If we can't, what business do we have giving them to soldiers? If we can: why care we confiscating them? Of course, the alternative theory, that the administration knows the pies are vanishingly unlikely to be poisonous, and that this activity is "security theater" explains this conduct.
By the way, servicefolks: please don't blame me if they stop giving you the pies! I suspect the people in the military suffer more stupid security pain than anyone else except regular air travellers, and so I am actually kind of happy you're getting the pies -- that for once, this fake paranoia is acting in your favor!
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