It's time to abolish the TSA

After last weekend's relative freak out by one man about body scanners and molestation-level "pat-downs" by TSA agents, it's become clear -- if it wasn't already -- that the TSA has overstepped their bounds and has accomplished little to nothing in the process.

It all began simply enough at the initial wave of post-9/11 paranoia. People had to stand in long lines and remove everything from their pockets, start up electronic devices to prove that they were, in fact, electronic devices and pass through metal detectors.

Then came the "shoe bomber". This lead to airline passengers kicking off their shoes and walking through the checkpoints barefoot. It was at this level of pure terrorism paranoia that, while in a TSA line in Aruba, I commented to the older gentleman in front of me that their next step of bullshit would be having passengers walk through security checkpoints fully naked. Of course the TSA's installation of thousands of "body scanners" is essentially that but the police wanna-bes at the TSA will insist that everything they're doing is "for the safety of the traveling public". If that's true, why in the hell are we now limited to three ounces of liquids or gels in our carry-ons? Why can't we bring a fucking bottle of water past the security checkpoint? Why are grandmas and seven year old gils being subjected to molestation-level patdowns and "body scans"? Why is anyone being subjected to this? Isn't it bad enough that we initially had to arrive a couple hours early to make our flights? How much earlier do the TSA brain wizards recommend now that they are x-raying every last person (in certain airports) who board a flight? How much longer does this latest bullshit security safeguard add to the hassle that is flying?

In short, the TSA has done nothing than force would-be terrorists to come up with new, more undetectable ways of attempting to blow things up. The terrorists haven't been successful and the TSA is far too focused on humans being the carrier of the explosives -- the whole toner cartridge issue in the cargo area shows that the TSA is nothing but a bunch of perverts who want to see everyone, regardless of their body shape, buck naked in the name of security.

It all boils down to the TSA being yet another colossal waste of our tax money in the name of keeping fear alive. In the process they've decimated the airline industry and made Americans fearful of a nameless, faceless form of terror that could be lurking beneath the clothes of the guy behind you or in the toothpaste tube of the lady in front of you. They want you to be afraid of everything. Fear is their greatest strength and they keep getting more money for accomplishing nothing. They've never thwarted a would-be terrorist and always seem to discover the newest way of blowing up a plane after that newest way has made it aboard a flight. Eliminate the TSA entirely and we're one step closer to balancing the budget.

Who used the restroom before me?

"Wow it smells in here. I must be in the wrong restroom."

As I opened the door, I peeked around it expecting to see a graphical depiction of an elephant with the phrase "ELEPHANT" below it. Nope, it says "MEN". I'm apparently in the correct place.

"This just isn't right. There are two cans of Oust air sanitizer here, there's no reason for it to smell this terrible. It's a hate crime for any place inhabited by civilized humans to smell this bad. Did someone tape a dead fish under the counter?"

I decided to crouch down and verify the potential rotting seafood scenario. It didn't pan out.

"My skin is beginning to itch. This has to be some sort of insidious chemical attack. What kind of bastard would carry out a chemical attack on a restroom in a suburban office building?"

I investigated as much as one can investigate a 7 foot square room and found nothing out of the ordinary that would even lead one to believe that a chemical attack was underway.

"Someone must have upper-deckered in here."

Afraid to pop the cover off of the toilet tank, I hurriedly went about my business and wondered to myself, "who used the restroom before me?"

MinnPics is back after a warm Minnesota weekend with another week of stunning photos from all corners of the state.