Have that T-shirt guy fix you up one that says “I am not an American” in Arabic script (to go with your Korean one). It just might save your life someday.

TSA: Sir, you have a computer in your bag?
Me: Indeed.
TSA: Why didn’t you take it out of your bag?
Me: Because I wasn’t told to, and there’s no sign that says I have to…
TSA: But it is obvious! Everybody knows that!
Me: Explain the “remove shoes” sign then.
TSA: …

For international travelers with Atlanta as their last stop, it’s more of a pain that it needs to be:

1) immigration
2) baggage claim
3) customs
4) re-check your bags
5) security check (shoes off, etc.,.)
6) take the train
7) baggage claim (2nd time)

Steps 4 through 7 are totally unnecessary in nearly every other international airport. They are only necessary in Atlanta simply because the international concourse does not have a direct exit to the curb. Rather, you have to go through all of the rest of the public part of the airport to get to an exit. They also don’t want you to have your bags with you when you do, probably because it would make the security check that much more difficult.

Horrible design. However, I believe that will be remedied very soon. Atlanta is either building or will soon build a real international concourse with an exit by the curb.

Uh…wouldn’t this be because of that standard practice known as a “US customs” inspection? I’ve heard these were standard procedure for international arrivals at US airports even before 9-11.

You guys resident in Korea, with occasion to travel back to US territory — tell me, aren’t customs searches of one’s bags standard for all arriving travelers who originated in ROK? At least I hope it is, given this type of bizarre idiocy.

Also, those who haven’t been there should know that even arriving travlers from elsewhere in the US when reclaiming their baggage at Hartsfield will have to queue up to show the security folks (prb airport police, not TSA) their claim checks when leaving the baggage claim area. But they won’t have their bags x-rayed and/or searched again (that would have been done at the departure location).

Because ot the activity of thieves who grab other people’s bags and take off with them. At least, that’s the way it was around 1998 when I last went through there.

US Customs is now part of the Homeland Security Department along with the TSA. I reckon that’s why the linked story said nothing about it being a customs inspection that must have caught the bottled snakes, though until reading the link I would have thought that even a minimally competent AP reporter and/or editor would have mentioned this fact.

If it had, the caramelized sugar would make it as dangerous as napalm.