Never Enough Security Hassles Department

It seems that overzealous security guards are still harrassing travellers for dumb reasons. This story reminds me too much of what happened to me back in 2002, when I was returning from X-Day 5. At the Columbus airport security gate I was stopped by guards because of a wall plaque.

This wall plaque, with its simulation cherry wood carved into bat wings, its dumb-looking brass demon head, and its Barbie-doll sized medieval weapons, was considered a potential weapon because I might somehow hurt someone with the tiny mace.

That's what they said. My take? They decided to harrass me because I had something freaky and spooky, plus, being transsexual and dressed in a leather coat in Summertime (hey, it gets COLD when camping!) left me looking like some sort of Trenchcoat Mafia wanna-be. Never mind that the Trenchcoat Mafia weren't involved in the Columbine shootings anyhow. Never mind that the vast majority of metalheads, goths, and similarly morbid-minded folks never commit a crime more serious than smoking pot. Never mind that the vast majority of terrorists and dangerous crazies don't look like a metalhead or goth.

FEH, I say. FEH!