Get Rich Quick!

[Maeve_Mari]

Adding up the nickels and dimes forgotten at airport security gates

WASHINGTON - It’s a familiar drill to anyone that flies. Step up to a security check point and remove everything from your pockets; keys, coins, cell phones, PDAs, whatever, they all go into little plastic trays to be screened.

But everything that goes into the trays doesn’t always come out, particularly spare change. Harried and hassled travelers, intent on picking up major items, such as laptop computers, are increasingly leaving behind their pocket change, according security officials from the Transportation Security Administration, the office that oversees passenger screeners.

In fact passengers left behind a total of $321,329.48, down to the penny, during a one-year period going back to October of last year, according to Amy von Walter, a TSA spokeswoman. Airports have collected $244,024.50 since January 1st of this year alone, von Walter said.

The nation’s 429 commercial airports collect any money left behind at a screening checkpoint and deposits it into the general fund of the U.S. Treasury Department. The general fund pays for everything from light bulbs in the White House to Medicare to payments on the public debt.

Ha! Forget street corner begging. Get a job with TSA!

[Inquartata]

As if the TSA needs to trouble itself over such paltry sums!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/10/14/tsa.party/

[Maeve_Mari]

GADS. Perhaps TSA, if they want to continue to pat themselves on the back like that, put out a donations bucket to collect spare change and resaleable items (re: knives, mp3 players, small explosives) to self-pay for their parties.

I go to and sponsor enough conferences to know that $65 for each pot of coffee is, while outrageous, is not unheard of, but I know when I am signing off on my events, I scrutinize each item for value and effect! The real money is in hotel business meetings, without a doubt! Ah, the Washington life!

[Capt. Slo-mo]

In fact passengers left behind a total of $321,329.48, down to the penny, during a one-year period going back to October of last year, according to Amy von Walter, a TSA spokeswoman. Airports have collected $244,024.50 since January 1st of this year alone.

Of course, the TSA and GAO (General Accounting Office) spent $201,897.03 processing the paperwork and accounting for the 18,457 reports filed with the small bags of change forwarded by the TSA.

[mollusk]

I was wondering where all my loose change was going. Where do I go to claim it?

[mrbiggs]

Maybe the TSA is taking those socks as well...