Bureaucrats get EBay fever

SFgate ^ | 2-28-03 | Suzanne Herel

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

That pocketknife you surrendered to airport security screeners might now be tucked away in someone else's pocket -- someone who bought it on EBay.

Under the handle CaliforniaGold2000, the state is using the Internet auction house to convert scores of confiscated items to cash... Read the rest

[dd5339]

Check out the stuff for sale!

Semper Fi

[Neanderthal]

"Also sold: 5,364 pocketknives, 350 pounds of scissors, 594 corkscrews and 309 leatherman tools."

When they confiscated my Leatherman tool at Oakland back in October the guy just put it in his pocket. I said, "I guess it's your lucky day."

[Husker24]

Why cant these things be mailed back to the owner?

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

Why cant these things be mailed back to the owner?

And deprive the state of their blatant profits? Surely you jest.

But seriously, I've been reading accounts of airports in other states that allow a person to mail such things back to themselves. There is a little desk near the Gestapo type checkpoints that is stocked with envelopes (etc) just for this purpose. Driving instead of flying (when possible) sounds like a better idea however.

[lizm_77]

sorry Inspector, have a cold had to take a nap...

I'm just waiting for the female security to start taking my mascara and nice shoes claiming them as weapons, watch out, I may poke somebody in the eye with my Revlon!

[lizm_77]

"Driving instead of flying (when possible) sounds like a better idea however. "

it's too bad driving exponentially increases the time it takes, I fly between Seattle and Los Angeles often and am waiting for a high speed train (yeah right), I loath going to the airport.

[sheltonmac]

*ping*