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Travelers left $376,480.39 in loose change in the bottoms of plastic bins at airport security checkpoints in the 2010 fiscal year, according to the Transportation Secuirty Administration.
Hate hidden travel fees? Then pay attention when collecting your belongings at the airport security checkpoint.
In fiscal year 2010, travelers left $376,480.39 in loose change in the bottoms of plastic bins at the checkpoints, according to the Transportation Security Administration. In 2009, the abandoned coins totaled more than $399,000.
“Passengers say their six pennies don’t matter,” said TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez. “But it adds up.”
Live Poll
Where should unclaimed change from airport security checkpoints go?
Melendez said all the unclaimed pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters are turned over to the TSA finance office. After being documented and counted, the money ends up in the coffers of the TSA, which is authorized by law to spend that money as it sees fit.
But Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) wants to change what happens to that big chunk of change.
Miller has introduced legislation that would direct the TSA to transfer unclaimed money recovered at airport security checkpoints to the United Service Organizations (USO), a private nonprofit that operates centers for the military at 41 U.S. airports.
Miller first introduced the bill in 2009, but it didn’t get much traction. Now that he’s the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, he’s trying to move the bill forward again.
“The money left behind at the airport checkpoints belongs to taxpayers,” said Miller spokesperson Dan McFaul. “The congressman feels giving it to the USO to help with onsite airport service for active members of the military would be a good use for it.”
McFaul said the bill is currently being considered by two committees – Homeland Security and Transportation – and that “the immediate focus is to get a hearing and get support.”
The USO, which did not initiate the campaign to redirect unclaimed checkpoint change, is nonetheless honored by Miller’s idea.
“Absolutely,” said Frank Thorp, USO's senior vice president for marketing and communications. “Any dollar amount we get from the American people goes toward the troops and families who need us most. Our centers provide a warm and comforting place where troops can connect with family via Internet or telephone, play a video game, catch a movie, have a snack or just put their feet up and relax.”
As a federal agency, the TSA has no official position on the pending legislation, but Melendez says: “If people don’t want the TSA to get that money, they can do what I do. If I have spare change in my pocket, I put it in my briefcase so I don’t leave it behind.”
More on Overhead Bin
- Jinx! Items you can't leave behind when traveling
- Traveler reunites lost photos with owner
- Playing musical chairs on an airplane
Find more by Harriet Baskas on Stuck at The Airport.com and follow her on Twitter.
Leave a Comment:
What a joke - maybe he can pass a bill to check under seat cushions to find pennies for homeless vets. Typical congressman, make a big splash over mindless dribble but won't take on the massive problems facing vets or the country.
I happen to think it is a good idea. Yeah, sure, some congressman wants to hang his hat on this issue, but let me count the congressmen who have ever pushed through an idea without ego involved...wait for it....none! Not one. So, the question is should the TSA keep the money left behind or should it go to vets?
I say vets. Don't see a big problem with that.
Its the USO services for active duty personel at airports that he wants the money to be used for. They are active duty not veterans till they come off active duty. But anyway I feel the uso should get it. not the tsa
Active duty military are absolutely veterans. My husband is active duty and is a veteran of foreign war with paperwork stating such.
This is a great idea. The USO is a fantastic organization for US Servicemembers. Anyone who opposes this idea is UNPATRIOTIC...10 yr US Army , 1/41 Inf 2AD(fwd).
I get your point john, but all that money that is left behind should not go in the pocket of the TSA, it should do something good - it's a start at the very least
$376,000 averages to 7,520 per state per year. That breaks down to 20.60 per day per state, less than $1 per hour per state (on average). Many states have multiple airports. Yes, this is just pennies left at the bottom of a basket by a few people here and there. If the TSA wants to donate it to a cause, so be it. It certainly is not worth creating legislature over, especially while there are more important things for our congress to be focusing on.
Derek...
I agree. First things that hit my mind was either the 'Fisher House' where I donate, or the "Wounded Warrior Project"....another place offering great services to our vets. The 'USO' will do just fine, especially since they are set up at airports already.
Every single dollar helps !
This should be done via stroke of a pen.
Even active duty personnel are considered to be veterans.
USO works for me, better than disappearing into the pockets of TSA with no accountability for Pizza Parties and Retirment Presents.
The point is, no department should be able to claim spoils as it leads to direct corruption. As soon as the law was passed that property and proceeds from drug arrests (not merely convictions) could be used by law enforcement, we saw random legal theft of property that had questionable association to drug related stops or seizures. Many were left defenseless just because they could not afford legal fees and costs to pursue return of their property through due process, which led to state law enforcement departments and prosecution offices purposely abusing the law. If proceeds are netted through means such as lost and found or from violations such as non-transportable goods, those proceeds should be turned over to common sources that can put them to good use. Let it be donated to educational programs or the likes. Its the only way to avoid corruption or abuse of the standards.
Too many articles already pertain to what happens to the spoils of TSA's gleaning process, and we are not ignorant enough to be fooled that employees and staff are not culling the goods, or that TSA is not directly responsible for hording the profits, whether legal or not.
$775,000 dollars over a two year period is not "mindless dribble" as you put it!
What a friggin' moron!!!
So when the "God Loves America Spare Change Act" passes and is signed into law, it will create the Department of Spare Change. The department will employ 43,000 people, and an annual budget of $6.8 billion dollars, costing $6.5 billion dollars more than we spend now. Naturally, this will be Obamas fault.
Wouldn't the country be better off if congress just cashed their checks and stayed home?
"...coffers of the TSA, which is authorized by law to spend that money as it sees fit."
No. Return it to Treasury. It's not finders-keepers and it's not for pet projects.
And their definition of 'fit' is?
This article failed to tell the whole story behind traveller's leaving behind spare change.
Intimidated and humiliated by TSA's groping, fondling, and probing of their body in public and in view of strangers, most travellers just want to get the whole indignity over as so as possible, even if it requires leaving behind the spare change emptied from their pockets.
In the vernacular of gangsterism, it's a 'shake-down.'
American people have become stupid lambs. They let any stranger stick fingers up their body orifice and squeeze their body parts under a false pretense of 'anti-terrorism.' Instead of being the Master of the Federal government, Americans let the government treat them like whores. And like wise they let strangers fondle their children. What perverts. It's just a matter of time when husbands offer their wives to TSA agents for indepth orifice probing and insemination for a faster boarding pass.
Stupid-passive-obedient American people don't deserve the US Constitution as they just lay down and bend over for all of Big Government's perversions.
Did the Congressman suddenly forget about the federal debt?
No.....which is why he should push the bill forward. Enough starving and maybe the TSA will wither and be gone. Fat chance, though, since the congress gave them millions more than they asked for this year.
How about passing a law to do that? Personally, if I fly, I don't mind a few checks to make sure the other crazies on my flight aren't armed.
It's not going to do a damn thing for the debt. Give it where it will do good. The USO will be just fine. And I'm not a vet.
As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those willing to give up a little liberty for security, will soon find that they have neither."
Benji probably said many things that have become anachronisms. Oh no...did I just say that something an early American said is no longer relevant?
use it to reduce the cost of operating the tsa don't give it away for goodness sakes. near where we live the closest town population 2000. they are saddled with debt for a hugely expensive water treatment plant. they got a huge boon in the form of $2 million dollars from the government. instead of using to pay off debt or fix broken down infrastructure they decided to spend it on, an overhead walking bridge, one that crosses over the main road. the main road that until recently had so little traffic on it there wasn't even a stoplight or stop sign. so instead of making use of existing cross walks, the town is only blocks wide there aren't that many, they want to spend all that money on something totally frivolous. elected officials be they in d.c. or small town usa are just dumber than a box of rocks and that is a compliment.
I'd rather see that money go towards a positive outcome, rather than just go towards funding the further destruction of our Constitutional rights.
I would sooner support the troops by bringing them home from wars that seem to make little difference in the scheme of things when dealing with religious zealots ready to die for their brand of faith, regardless of how many innocents they take with them.
This is just an example of scraping the bottom of the barrel for revenues..and claiming to give it "cause".
But just out of curiosity, how was the TSA spending the money? Uniforms? Cones, signs?
Doughnuts and coffee while watching reruns of Barney Fife
I think the best bet would be to get rid of the TSA and give all of that money to the USO and to our wounded warriors ...
The administrative costs of passing and implementing this bill would probably eclipse many years of collections. This is a non-issue. I think Mr. Miller should forget about the loose change in the bins and start worrying about that rattling sound inside his head.
His next plan is to claim the change left at registers in the 'take a penny, leave a penny' cups....
i would say you are wrong..the TSA already spends the time and effort to count and keep track of the "loose change" so the money that would be spent implementing this bill is already being spent....so now that we know that, where is the money actually going?
WE DONT KNOW, thats the point
Do people not understand that there are people out there that want to kill us. TSA is doing the job of making sure we are protected getting on planes. We have young men and women who are overseas protecting us, putting their lives on the line everyday to try and make this world safer.
I watched a Nat. Geo program on drones that said since 2010 900 terroist leaders and bomb makers have been blown up. That is 900 less planning and building bombs to blow up people, not just Americans. So if giving the change to the USO, I have no problem with it.
The problem is the TSA isn't doing their job. We are no safer with them in place than we were before 9/11. The "controls" they put in place do not protect anyone, they just slowly eat away at our rights little by little. There are things they could do, but they aren't seen as politically correct, so they do window dressing that looks pretty, but does nothing. From the bottom up they hire corrupt, incompetent idiots who don't have a single brain among them (going all the way up the chain, including Reno, Holder, and "Dear Leader" Obama.)
"Those who would give up liberty for safety deserve neither."
well no doubt in my mind Jeremiah77you are a tea party backer. You only forgot to put in a prayer in the post. Oh and by the way your man, as in Bush, created the TSA and the hire and training guide lines for them. But don't let a little fact like that change your mind.
I know who created the TSA and the patriot act. They are some of the decisions I don't agree with from President Bush. But unlike the the throngs of Obama supporters I can admit that I don't agree with every decision the man I voted for made. But, you are correct I am a Tea Pary supporter. I believe in personal responsibility, oppose a welfare state, and staunchly support the constitution. I would strongly support a no-confidence vote in the current executive, and legislative branches of the government, and throw the whole lot out for treason. Oh, and just to make sure there's no ambiguity, I put myself through college, work hard, take care of my family, and pay my taxes. I don't expect or want a handout from the government. Unlike the OWS crowd, I don't think its unfair that some people have more money than me, and don't expect them to give me any to make it fair.
You must never have flown much have you? They just slow people up getting to their gates. Patting 80 something's down get real man. Going through a baby in a stroller's thing's? Who does that make safe? You?
Stephen you really need to get a grip on reality, you just aren't where the rest of us are.
The TSA has not caught a single terrorist with their privacy invasive procedures. The ones caught have already gotten on the plane
but failed at setting off their explosives. But everytime it happens, Americans lose more of their civil rights with "more airport security" imposed on them. The terrorists have won. We have given up our freedom and live like fearful, sniveling cowards.
Talk about not being in touch with reality. WOW, what a bunch deadbeats posting here. All I hear is the high pitched whining of deadbeat liberals crying... 'Waaah... nobody does nothing but me.... waaaahhhh". Wake up scrotum breathers, deal with reality. Idiots are only anti TSA because you get tired of not being able to stuff your babies (or grannies) diapers with cocaine or heroin or ganja anymore to transport it to your friends through the friendly skies. I bet it really dampens your 'business'. Like the Supreme Court has ruled... TSA doesn't violate anyones rights because.YOU HAVE A CHOICE. You don't HAVE to fly. You have other means of transportation available. If you didn't like your job, you'd go find another one. You don't like going to the airport, go to the damn bus stop or Amtrak and quit trying to claim that everyone working for TSA is a moron. All of the TSA employees I know are very highly educated, honorable men and women and most have served in the country's military. And if you for one second think terrorists and fanatics of all sorts aren't trying to harm you and your families, do some travelling around the world. Maybe you'll get kidnapped, thrown in a local jail in some God forsaken third world country and not be heard from for years. Or maybe they will do us all a favor and just cut your damn head off.
Andy, drink the kool aid much? I'm about as far away from liberal as possible. I have been to many foreign countries and am in the military and have even been in combat, how about you? I do know that many people would like nothing more than to kill Americans, but more than that they would like to take away our freedoms and liberty. When we impose on ourselve's these rules which do nothing to further our safety, and only take away those liberties, they win. I will call the people who work for the TSA morons, because even if only one of them is committing the offense, there are others around allowing the offense to occur. And if you haven't heard the TSA is expanding into AMTRAK and even the highways, and sporting events. So little by little our rights are slowly being taken away. Hope you feel warm and cuddly in your guilded cage, don't worry about the frying pan your about to be thrown into.
I still wonder, exactly how many "terrorists" have the TSA caught? Terrrorists are not so stupid to go through a security checkpoint. The TSA is a total sham..
Bill, you're right; terrorists are not so stupid to go through a security checkpoint, but then you contradict yourself and say the TSA is a total sham. So, which is it, is the TSA doing there job and terrorists aren't getting on the planes or not?
This is for everyone who likes to say that the only terrorists that have been caught were already on the planes. Here is the deal folks, TSA is a U.S. organization. The screen passengers ONLY at U.S. airports. They have no authority in any other country. The shoe bomber and the underwear bomber got on planes headed to the U.S. at airports outside the U.S., Paris and Amsterdam respectively. They had not been through TSA screening.
What a freaking waste of time. Why don't you solve a real problem.
Here we go again... put the damn money back into the general fund..... the military doesn't get it.... and take it away from TSA.... it sure as hell isn't there money either.....
the "military" doesn't get it the USO does.
um the USO is a not for profit organization, they rule I think this is a wonderful idea! Though I really like your idea too Greg Vick post #15
Aw, c'mon people! We all know the
T ypical
S orry
A ssholes
needs all the money they can get to continue hiring sexual predators to feel up eighty year old grannies and pre-school boys and girls.
Awww, what's the matter? Didn't they hire you and you were so wanting to feel up 80 year olds?
I am pretty sure none of those coins came from my pocket. How do I know? I pick up every coin I see, even if it is in the middle of a four-lane highway (LOL). Why would I do that? As the old saying goes: "see a penny let it lie; you're sure to want before you die."
or how about "see a penny pick it up all day long you'll have good luck" I like that one better ;)
1SGFirsWife4ID: Casper fan huh? I like that one too.
By the way Zach, I am just like you. I pick up every penny I see (found a few $20s as well lying on the side of the road) and put them into a jar. Once the jar is full, usually around $250, I enjoy a night in the casinos in Nevada.
TSA found it, collected it, and accounted for it - let it be used to help fund their operations.
How about we stop their operations? We'd be just as safe and have a lot more money to show for it.
Right, we'd be just as safe when people knew that they would be able to sneak weapons on planes because no-one was searching for them. Really? I don't think so.
"Only thing we have to fear is fear itself." FDR
We've become a society of "chicken littles". Our enemies have won and are just laughing their a$$es off. Whatever happened to the strength shown by those who left their homes to establish a new country, The USA?
lol michigan voter you do realize there was airport security before the TSA was around. The TSA has only been around since 2002. We don't need this bloated Federal agency for security wasting taxpayers dollars.
Gordon, what in the world are you talking about? If you are suggesting that having security screenings at airports makes us chickens, I say you have no clue. Does having speed limits on our highways and police to enforce them make us chickens? Does requiring pilots to be licensed for the aircraft they fly make us chickens. If you think not having security makes us brave, I would suggest you might want to prove your own bravery by walking through any big city slum alone at 2 AM.
Doing away with security screening is just plain stupid and in today's world, stupid, often, equates to dead!
Why not just tell passengers to put their pocket change in the basket along with any other metal that can trigger the alarms. Then they can retrieve it after going through the metal detectors. Why should the government benefit from this situation?
This is the change they put in the basket. People just don't worry about grabbing every penny when they get their stuff.
$376,480.39 = what republicans spent on their Iraq war for oil in 5 minutes.
Let's not forget the real reason Bush/Cheney invaded Iraq at the cost of $1 Trillion tax dollars and over 4,400 American lives.
Fox News -- Greenspan: Oil the Prime Motive for Iraq War
America's elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil.
http://tinyurl.com/2726hs
Bush gives new reason for Iraq war
Says US must prevent oil fields from falling into hands of terrorists
http://tinyurl.com/9l3ru
Is this guy Miller an idiot or what. He's worried about an minuscule chunk of change that should remain with the TSA to fund much larger problems. Miller, GET A LIFE! Go out there and look to improve some of the much larger problems that are plaguing our nation. High taxes, unemployment, and overpaid worthless politicians for example.
.......I can name several countries that don't exist anymore because they worried about unemployment to the point of turning a blind eye to the freedoms that were being taken away by their increasingly aggressive governments.
Such as himself for instance.
New Egypt, NJ?
Hey! He's a GOP and he's actually trying to do something besides shut down the economy, start a war or push Christian Sharia laws on the rest of us. Give him a break, he's risking his political life going against the GOP/TP machine.
Yes! Give it to the USO!!! Look it up and see all of the services the USO provides to military members and their families. What a wonderful organization. NOT a waste of time as some of the people have posted here. That's a lot of money, not just chump change.
Julie, It's not that it's a waste of money but that it so LITTLE. Do you have any idea how many USO's there are? $300 + truly isn't very much money. Yes everyone knows the services that are provided, your not the only one that knows this. Yes it's chump change as you referred to it as.
For the amount of money we're talking on a national scale, this is hundreds of individual air ports that would have to account for and keep track of the amount of money.
I like the spirit of the idea, but in practical terms we'll use up more money tracking the change than we will be giving to the USO.
But on the other hand, if we put up signs at the security stations that any loose change left in the bins would be donated to the USO, I'll bet the take would be quite a bit higher.
Allison, you are off by a factor of 1000. The number was $376,480.39, not $300.
Give it to the USO. So what it's not a fortune. If it buys one of our service people ONE cup of coffee or a donut, it just one way to say thank you for all their service. For those who think it's an empty gesture, make sure you scrape every penny out of that change tray. As for me, if I know the USO gets it, I may leave a little extra behind.
Rep. Miller, R-Florida, needs to turn what little attention span he has on the REAL work he was voted in to attend to. This idiot was probably one of the many repubs who stood behind the Speaker while he tried to argue against the 2 month extension. Then a few days later left the Speaker alone to try and explain why the bill would go to the floor for a vote after all. And This is all he can find to do while still on xmas vacation? How many unemployed are in Rep. Miller's state? How many have used up all of their unemployment in Miller's state? And this is all he can find to do with his time? $300,000.00 to be used by the MANY USO's? Wonder how far Miller thinks that money will go?
In fairness, congress created the problem of the TSA in the first place, and like every other bad bill ever passed, it has to be cleaned up in about a hundred political steps.
The last year I can quickly find data for is 2008. The operating budget for the entire USO operation for 2008 was $250 million. So this is about 1.5% of the operating budget. Why don't you ask your husband if he would take a 1.5% raise before shooting down this kind of money.
Snot, I'm off by a factor of 10. It is 0.15% of the budget. So much for showing off?
The government bureaucracy it would probably take to transfer the funds from the TSA to the USO would almost certainly eat up about 375K of that. Why bother? It's not a bad idea, admirable in fact. But not likely worthwhile. Just put it into the TSA's budget for the coming year and save the taxpayers an millionth of a percent.
You're probably right about the bureaucracy. I didn't think of that.
put the change in a jar, and take it weekly to the USO office...now, that wasn't so hard!
LOL RC.
Since when does simplicity, efficiency, effectiveness.... and government go hand in hand? ;o)
JRM-2912907 #22.3,
Isn't that a definition of an oxymoron, as is our federal government?
If the USO gets rights to this change, I believe most large-scale airports have a USO or other armed services office on site. Why not just drop off the daily "take" into their contribution jar? It's not rocket science to make a donation. If the USO isn't an acceptable recipient, there are several other community organizations that are quite legitimate--Lion's Club, Shriners, Doctors Without Borders, etc. My pick is the USO, and any valid organization appreciates even the smallest donation.