This past weekend, I was flying back to Virginia. A TSA agent took my carry-on suitcase aside and opened it up. She then pulled out a container of talcum powder. She spent around 5 minutes intensely examining it and then testing it. Up to that point, it was simply a matter relating to the talcum powder. No agent was hassling me ,and I was just waiting for the testing of the talcum powder to be completed.

I nonchalantly and innocently said to her, "So, I'm curious as to whether it's bad to bring talcum powder with me." Well, that was obviously a wrong thing to say. I think you're expected to keep your mouth shut and not question anything they do.

In what appeared to me to be an effort to teach me a lesson, another TSA agent approached me and informed me that I was now going to be subjected to a complete pat-down search. Even worse, he advised me that it was going to be conducted by a trainee, who was about 70 years old. The trainee was obviously nervous, given that his boss was right there watching him. The trainee patted down almost every square inch of my body. For example, I was wearing a button-down dress shirt. He had me turn around and he curled my shirt collar backwards, presumably to see if I had a gun hidden there. (I didn't.)

In the meantime, the talcum-powder lady decided that she needed to needed to go through my entire suitcase. She even removed my wallet and my cellphone and set them down on the counter in front of me. When I asked if I could retrieve them, a third agent declared, "Not yet! Leave them there!"

I got the distinct impression that they might be hoping that I would express some sort of objection or protest. I'm not stupid. I didn't say anything else. That's because the TSA has a catchall offense that is comparable to "disorderly conduct." It enables the TSA to levy a fine of up to $14,000 for anyone who "interferes" with inspectors. Like with "disorderly conduct," it's an entirely subjective offense, meaning that they can pretty much fine anyone who objects or protests with "interference."