TSA Makes $400K Annually In Loose Change 289
Hugh Pickens writes "NBC reports that airport travelers left behind $409,085.56 in loose change at security checkpoints in 2010, providing an additional source of funding for the Transportation Security Administration. 'TSA puts (the leftover money) in a jar at the security checkpoint, at the end of each shift they take it, count it, put it in an envelope and send it to the finance office,' says TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez. 'It is amazing. All that change, it all adds up.' Melendez adds that the money goes into the general operating budget for TSA that is typically used for technology, light bulbs or just overall general expenses. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) has introduced legislation that would direct the TSA to transfer unclaimed money recovered at airport security checkpoints to the United Service Organizations (USO), a private nonprofit that operates centers for the military at 41 U.S. airports. The recovered change is not to be confused with the theft that occurs when TSA agents augment their salary by helping themselves to the contents of passengers' luggage as it passes through security checkpoints. For example in 2009, a half dozen TSA agents at Miami International Airport were charged with grand theft after boosting an iPod, bottles of perfume, cameras, a GPS system, a Coach purse, and a Hewlett Packard Mini Notebook from passengers' luggage as travelers at just this one airport reported as many as 1,500 items stolen, the majority of which were never recovered."
I believe it (Score:4, Informative)
I pick up every coin I find and put it in a large jar. Once it's full I take it to the bank and, though it really upsets the teller to have to deal with it, I end up netting around $300. Granted it takes a few years, but every little bit helps. :\
What about "confiscated" items? (Score:5, Informative)
All the stuff they take from you is auctioned off, as well. [eyeflare.com]
The TSA is just taking the DEA's lead. They've been funding themselves by taking property from "drug dealers" for decades. For instance, in many states, if you get busted in your car with drugs, the state can take your car, even if it's personal use amounts. Unless, of course, you still owe money on it, than they'll let you keep it so that you are obligated to make those payments, of course.
This is nothing more than thievery masquerading as a public service, but then again, one could say the same about a lot of facets of our government as of late...
Re:TSA Makes $400K Annually In Loose Change (Score:5, Informative)
We should decrease their budget by n, where n is their 2011 budget.
n+$400k surely
Re:I suspect there is an additional handling charg (Score:5, Informative)
You DO know how the TSA recruits people, right...? They put adverts on pizza delivery boxes [bonnint.net]
You couldn't make this shit up it you if you hired a whole team of comedy writers...
Re:Never put cash or valuables in your suitcase. (Score:4, Informative)
I might add that a number of people have written about another strategy for preventing "loss" of luggage or contents: Sending important/valuable luggage to your destination (typically a hotel) via any of the package delivery services (postal, FedEx, etc). This has become especially common since airlines started charging extra for more than one small piece of luggage. All the package delivery services have faster and more reliable service than the airlines, and it often costs less. They'll deliver it to any address, and it's likely to arrive before you do (so you may want to tell the hotel to be on the lookout for it ;-).
I know a number of musicians who have sent their instruments this way, after reading all the horror stories of what airlines do to fragile instruments.
Re:I suspect there is an additional handling charg (Score:5, Informative)
As someone who's administered TSA testing in the past, thus having seen the "tests" first hand, I assure you, they're not looking for people that think for themselves. They want idiot drones that do what they're told, no matter what.
In a given day I'd have maybe 2 applicants out of 10 that didn't look like straight up gang members (and half of them looked like crystal meth tweakers, I shit you not), and based on what I'm hearing from family members in the service, the military is starting to have it's share of gang-bangers, too. Which makes sense, if you think about it: who's more likely to argue with an order or take a stand based on their principles, someone with an education and respect for human rights, or someone that was raised on the streets in a dog-eat-dog world?
Plus, now that the TSA is expanding to domestic rail service, highways, and sporting events, it won't be long before these state sponsored criminals are shaking us down at checkpoints all over the place, just like in Mexico or any other third world country.
So, sing with me, boys and girls: AMERICA! FUCK YEAH!!
Re:I suspect there is an additional handling charg (Score:5, Informative)
The TSA guy making a low annual salary doesn't pocket half of the money that he finds, or splits it up with the rest of the low level employees?
Well, let's run some numbers.
$409,056.56 divided by about 450 airports is $909 per airport. We're talking about a year, so divide that by 365 and we're talking about an average of $2.49 per day per airport. Figure that an entry level security screen makes a little over $10 per hour [payscale.com] and he's basically getting the equivalent of 15 minutes.
Yup. These guys are makin' bank, I'll tell you.