Savvy shoppers finding good bargains in goods seized by airport security

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

See recent posts by Josh Roberts

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As if having your eye drops and bottled water seized by airport security weren’t reason enough to be angry, yesterday’s Boston Globe points out another one: Many of your seized items are making their way into discount bins where savvy shoppers can buy jackknives, baseball bats, even surgical tools for just a dollar or two.

In this case, the article reports on goods recovered from Boston-area airports like Logan, Manchester, and Providence, which are collected by a federal agency—the General Services Administration—and shipped for resale to a farm in New Hampshire. The Globe story says discount resellers like this have “become a solution to a vexing side effect of post-9/11 crackdowns on potentially dangerous items in carry-on bags.”

It makes sense, after all. The seized items have to go somewhere. Also, one might ask why people are trying to bring jackknives, baseball bats, and surgical tools onboard in the first place.

Still, it’s hard not to get a little frustrated at the whole thing, given the current crackdown on everything from hand lotion to contact lens solution.

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