Tom:

That is how i USED to take chips home from the convention. That was until last years convention...

I did my usual job of stuffing the chips in the toilet paper rolls (I flushed about 2 rolls of perfectly good paper to get the rolls :-). Then I stuffed them into my backpack along with something that I took for the first time to Las Vegas, my ipod and it's detachable speakers.

So, going through the security check, just as I was handing over my bag I thought... "I wonder what 5 rolls of toilet paper stuffed with chips and a whole bunch of wires from my speakers will look to them." I was about to say something to the screener, then I thought.. well, that will look even more suspicious. “ah sir, I have a bunch of toilet paper rolls stuffed with chips and some speaker wire in there, but it’s really nothing.”

Sure enough, the screener asks me to step aside and he gets out the rubber gloves. I thought, “oh crap, this is worse than I thought!”

He actually was very nice and explained that he thought what he was looking at was speaker wire, but couldn’t explain the rest of the contents. He opened one toilet paper roll (I stuff each end with a few sheets of TP to keep the chips from rolling out), but didn’t say anything at all when he saw what was in the rolls. He shifted around a few other things and then let me go. It was more embarrassing than anything, but when those rubber gloves came out, I got a little week in the knees!

So, good idea, just keep them away from your wires or alarm clocks as you pass through airport security! :-)

Todd Barrett
Elgin, IL
#5068-91