Recent visit to Toronto, part 1: the TSA
This is what happens when you try to bring 3 cannisters of grits into Canada*:
That official-looking document is a note from the TSA, saying they opened my suitcase. The cannister at the top is the cannister of grits they cut open. They didn't even put it in a plastic bag when they were done - just shoved it back in.
There were grits ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE. We had to wash all my clothes, plus sweep and vacuum the floor, plus mop.
And I still have grits in my suitcase, weeks later.
I'd had dealings with the TSA in the past, when they confiscated a jar of mustard I'd bought in Canada. But that was in person, and they were so apologetic and regretful about it that I'd left the encounter with a very positive impression of the TSA. That's mostly gone now.
I get that they have to do their jobs, and that cannisters of anything packaged in checked baggage are something that have to be inspected, but I don't see why they couldn't have either found a plastic bag for it, emptied the cannister and put it back in the suitcase, or just have thrown away the cannister they'd opened. They had to know what was going to happen once the suitcase was tossed back on the luggage cart.
I guess there are nice TSA people and not-nice ones. This was so callous that I've asked myself since whether I broke some rule or guideline that would have resulted in people being pissed off at the owner of this particular suitcase. I can't think of one.
*Apparently grits are just not something they eat in Canada. They are hard to get hold of. My host said she'd asked people to bring grits before, and they had, but this was the first time this had happened.
That official-looking document is a note from the TSA, saying they opened my suitcase. The cannister at the top is the cannister of grits they cut open. They didn't even put it in a plastic bag when they were done - just shoved it back in.
There were grits ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE. We had to wash all my clothes, plus sweep and vacuum the floor, plus mop.
And I still have grits in my suitcase, weeks later.
I'd had dealings with the TSA in the past, when they confiscated a jar of mustard I'd bought in Canada. But that was in person, and they were so apologetic and regretful about it that I'd left the encounter with a very positive impression of the TSA. That's mostly gone now.
I get that they have to do their jobs, and that cannisters of anything packaged in checked baggage are something that have to be inspected, but I don't see why they couldn't have either found a plastic bag for it, emptied the cannister and put it back in the suitcase, or just have thrown away the cannister they'd opened. They had to know what was going to happen once the suitcase was tossed back on the luggage cart.
I guess there are nice TSA people and not-nice ones. This was so callous that I've asked myself since whether I broke some rule or guideline that would have resulted in people being pissed off at the owner of this particular suitcase. I can't think of one.
*Apparently grits are just not something they eat in Canada. They are hard to get hold of. My host said she'd asked people to bring grits before, and they had, but this was the first time this had happened.