Pennsylvania is auctioning off confiscated airport items on eBay. I realize it may be better than throwing all the stuff away and it's probably turning a nice little profit for the state, but it feels a little wrong. A bit like profiting from stolen goods."...The Pennsylvania Department of General Services is turning a small profit by selling off items discarded at airport security checkpoints.
The program has brought in more than $300,000 since it began in June 2004.
The state accepts discarded and confiscated items from security contractors at a dozen airports, then sorts the items and sells them on eBay.
Overhead is low. Students from a truck-driving school pick up the merchandise, and it's sorted by state workers who can't do their normal duties because of injury or other reasons.
Ninety-eight percent of it will sell on e-Bay.
The program has handled pocket knives, chainsaws, icing-encrusted wedding cake servers, a fishing contest plaque, handcuffs -- some fur-lined -- a sausage grinder, a man-sized artificial palm tree, auto parts, and even a single deer antler, according to state officials...." (source)
Maybe I'm just feeling bad for the people caught unaware by the new restrictions... people that had to ditch $200 bottles of perfume and expensive MAC makeup.
(H/T: Liz)
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