security theater
Americans have found their limit with the TSA, and it's pulling Post-It Notes out of their bags at security
They can take our privacy, but they'll never take our Post-Its. Since the creation of the Transportation Security Administration in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Americans have endured much in the name of security. We've been through the nude scanners, the aggressive pat-downs even for children and people with disabilities, the endemic incompetence at detecting actual security threats, and so much more.
But being asked to remove all our paper products from our bags at the checkpoint — an actual new rule the TSA tested in Kansas City, Missouri, this week — is a bridge too far.
After initially defending the policy, the TSA backtracked on Wednesday, announcing it shut down the extra paper screenings the day before. As you rejoice in this small victory for common sense, check out The Week's "Confessions of a former TSA officer" for the appalling inside scoop on all the stuff the TSA hasn't rescinded.