House of Hybrids featuring the Zenesis PV

[Zen~]

Edited to add: If I ever meet you in person, remeind me to tell you my story about the TSA and the piercings...

I have a few myself... didn't come into play this time.

 

[vicsan]

Well... here we go...

First things first... Bash fest rocked.

It rocked a lot... I was truly disappointed by the rift in the vaping community that caused there to be two essentially competing events, but both were very good, and VERY different feeling events.

It was awesome to meet so many of the zenfidels in person... Ripple and I could have hung out another six months and not been bored... Vicsan... every bit a beautiful has been reported... and fun too... Cigar Babe I knew already, and love her from the bottom of my heart. What can I say about Bumpi... he's AWESOME and he makes me smile... he has personality plus... and such a good heart... and the fetish cougar he landed... errr... that landed him... she was pretty easy on the eyes for a woman her age. She's no Vicsan or CB, but the kid done good, and I'm glad his decision to add a few life experiences to his belt instead of putting a deposit on a TI was able to deliver in the "experiences" department.

A bunch of patiently waiting Marchies got their PVs... some from this thread and some from other forums. I was surprised to see vendors that have long waiting lists selling product to the public and not delivering to their lists instead. I could have sold at least 50, possibly more PVs if I was willing to toss the Marchies under the buss. The closest I came to that was letting a Marchie that was going to drop from the list due to bad financial timing have the PV to resll to his friend... it was his choice to make... but even that feels a little creepy to me.

Before I get to the story about TSA, I was constantly in a state of being flattered by wonderful comments from present Zenesis owners, and future ones as well. For the first 36 hours I was in Chicago I had people patiently waiting to get to talk to me... Some were Zenfidels or future Zenfidels... others were just admirers. and I have to admit it is so incredibly awkward for me to have admirers. I hope to eventually be able to grow into the role... for now I reluctantly work with it... Vicsan waited patiently for hours to hang out and talk. We finally went to my room with ripple as a chaperone, of course to get some business attended to.

A lot of people have wondered about the Mergyphon outcome... She was so frustrated by the PV... I think I helped her to see eye to eye with the device. It is CLEAR to me that she REALLY wants to like it. She mentioned that she wants to review it, but didn't feel she could give it a fair shake until she better understood it. I find that to be admirable... I requested that win lose or draw, I want her to review the PV exactly as she has experienced it... pulling no punches. I feel that since she had problems from the start, she should make sure she mentions that. I only ask that she reviews the ENTIRE ownership experience, the good bad and the ugly. Fair is fair! And I really think that letting people know they MAY have a steep learning curve, as she and a few others have experienced, is really a good thing to report... why? Because it's the truth!

OK... so much for the news... now you get to hear the REST of the story. Names of the people in this story are intentionally withheld to protect the stupid.

Kcos, Bumi and myself darted out of the fest to catch the shuttle to Ohare... we were cutting things tight.

Upon arrival at the TSA checkpoint, my Briefcase and suitcase were pulled aside for further examination. It seems there were a lot of devices they had never seen in an xray screening before... I guess they didn't see Kcos and Bumpis when they went ahead of me... lol.

Anyway... things started out ok... standard checkpoint stuff...

Until they swabbed my breif case and it tested positive for explosive materials.

This happens a lot... people often have items that false test positive for explosives... and they see no explosives so people get pushed on through.

The only problem is... in my case it wasn't a false positive... it was a real life, honest to god, REAL positive.

The test showed a HIGH level of explosive contact... not some blip on the test... measurable content.

I suppose most people would completely freak out if that happened to them. But i did not. I calmly told them that there machine was not in error, and my briefcase had indeed come in direct contact with explosive materials.

I informed them that I was federally licensed to handle and transport explosives, and that there were none in my satchel. But there had been in the past.

This triggered a series of events that once started, could not be stopped. I was asked to show them my papers to that effect and I then instructed them that there was no requirement for me to have those papers in my possession unless I was actively transporting said substances. They informed me that I wasn't going anywhere until the papers or a facsimile thereof were produced.

I called Stacie and had her retrieve the paperwork from my safe, and text me a photo of them for transfer to the TSA. I figured once that had happened I would be free to go.

This is a good time to mention my plane was long gone, and there were no other flights out to Buffalo that night. I was not leaving Chicago on Sunday night.

So... back to our story...

SOP is an acronym for "Standard Operating Procedure"... and when the TSA detects a high level of explosive residue they have absolutely no choice but to follow the SOP to the letter. This is the law. And once the SOP has been started, there's no stopping it.

So... what does this mean?

As soon as the detection happens above a certain level, notifications go out to the TSA supervisors, Department of Homeland Security, the Local police AND their Bomb Squad... even if I am licensed.

There's reason for all this, and anybody that has watched a crime show involving a whack-job bomber can testify... when an explosion takes place the FIRST people they suspect are people that have access to bomb making supplies.... The mad bomber is ALWAYS a disgruntled blasting expert with access... I fit the profile, except for the disgruntled part... I have access. That makes me suspicious.

I hate to admit it... the TSA was doing their job, and for all the criticism you hear about them... they were doing it well... even following correct protocol.

I'm OK with this... i wished it wasn't happening... but it had to be done.

What I did not enjoy, nor do I feel it was appropriate to treat me this way... I was denied the option of sitting down. I was standing in the pat down area, and no chair was offered. When I asked for one, the request was ignored. People were being nice to me... to my face... but not letting me be seated... for many hours. Some of you know that I broke my back 15 years ago... and after all this time... standing in one place... the pain was becoming excruciating. I had gone hours without nicotine... My good mood and polite responses were becoming more and more agitated.

Chapter two: being pushed to a limit...

Many hours had passed and nicotine withdrawal is unpleasant. Standing in a small area without the ability to sit and take the pressure off is REALLY unpleasant...

The Bomb Squad determined there was no clear and present danger. In the opinion of the Bomb Technician. The Chicago police determined I was not a dangerous person, and I had been EXTREMELY cooperative. It was becoming clear to both the police and myself that TSA was no longer following procedure... this was going freestyle now. By all rights, I should have been free to go... and there was a lot of talk about the fact that theye were not sure who needed to sign off on this... the supervisor seemed afraid to sound the all clear, as though there would be dire circumstances if she was wrong.

It became clear that we needed the supervisors supervisor. Of course he would be available at 7AM.

While they wasted some time deciding what to do... the pain in my back was growing... it became unbearable and I had no chair... and no chair was coming...

I asked if I could have my PV... not a chance... I asked if I could have my pain killer meds which I ONLY take when the pain is unbearable... no dice... I don't wish to be over dramatic, but I was being tortured. A subtle torture... but still torture.

I very calmly suggested that I was suffering from nicotine withdrawal and they told me my PVs were not going to be released because they contained liquid that THEY could not determine the nature of. I was becoming more and more testy with them... but I had to memain cool... arguing with a TSA agent is a federal crime... then it hit me... that's what they were doing... if they could push me to the point of arguing with them, They would have me arrested and the decision was forced by me... I could not let them win...

they finally agreed to let me be escorted outside the building with a police officer, but I ONLY be allowed to smoke... NO PV was going to be released to me.

I took the nicotine any way I could get it. I'm OK with that, by the way.

But when I was outside, I shared with the police officer that I feel I was being tortured... and to my amazement, he agreed. He also agreed that they were just waiting until I argued with them, so they could be rid of me the easiest possible way.

When we returned to the terminal, the police officer got me a chair...

once I was seated and the nicotine was once again coursing through me... the TSA lost that battle. I was not going to snap.

Shortly after that, they offered me a proposal... If i would agree to letting them seize my stuff, they would get it to the TSA Bomb Verification supervisor and if he deemed it safe, I could heve the stuff back... bit only IF I agreed to ship the briefcase and its contents home via Fedex or UPS.

I agreed and that portion of the story is over.

I returned to the hotel where people were waiting to assist me... PVs and juice and batteries were made available by the other vapers... I shared the story, checked back in to the hotel, and got a little restless rest.

This morning the TSA bomb guy gave me the all clear to gt my stuff back. I packed everything and shipped it home.

I was on the next flight home.

Some words for the wise, and a few thoughts....

When something like this happens, it is important to keep a level head... The BIGGEST tool they have to beat you with is YOURSELF! If I had lost sight of that, I would have been arrested for a FEDERAL crime. This is serious stuff.

The other thought is less selfish... When we get stopped by the TSA... we have to remember that WE become something bigger than ourselves... we need to ALWAYS be good ambassadors of the vaping community. Everything we do will effect the experiences of the next vaper to go through that line.

And these experiences can be really unpleasant... the hardest part of the ordeal was that they remained as calm as I did, and they they were careful not to be obvious in the ways they were trying to effect my mood and willingness to cooperate.

By the way... when you tell the TSA that you have some DoD privileges, they remind you that they are NOT the DoD.

I'm home, safe and sound. A little shaken, but I'm OK.

Good grief! I'm so glad you made it through that horrendous ordeal AND with all your stuff. Try to get some rest! You need it and deserve it.

 

[Cardslinger]

Well... here we go...

First things first... Bash fest rocked.

It rocked a lot... I was truly disappointed by the rift in the vaping community that caused there to be two essentially competing events, but both were very good, and VERY different feeling events.

It was awesome to meet so many of the zenfidels in person... Ripple and I could have hung out another six months and not been bored... Vicsan... every bit a beautiful has been reported... and fun too... Cigar Babe I knew already, and love her from the bottom of my heart. What can I say about Bumpi... he's AWESOME and he makes me smile... he has personality plus... and such a good heart... and the fetish cougar he landed... errr... that landed him... she was pretty easy on the eyes for a woman her age. She's no Vicsan or CB, but the kid done good, and I'm glad his decision to add a few life experiences to his belt instead of putting a deposit on a TI was able to deliver in the "experiences" department.

A bunch of patiently waiting Marchies got their PVs... some from this thread and some from other forums. I was surprised to see vendors that have long waiting lists selling product to the public and not delivering to their lists instead. I could have sold at least 50, possibly more PVs if I was willing to toss the Marchies under the buss. The closest I came to that was letting a Marchie that was going to drop from the list due to bad financial timing have the PV to resll to his friend... it was his choice to make... but even that feels a little creepy to me.

Before I get to the story about TSA, I was constantly in a state of being flattered by wonderful comments from present Zenesis owners, and future ones as well. For the first 36 hours I was in Chicago I had people patiently waiting to get to talk to me... Some were Zenfidels or future Zenfidels... others were just admirers. and I have to admit it is so incredibly awkward for me to have admirers. I hope to eventually be able to grow into the role... for now I reluctantly work with it... Vicsan waited patiently for hours to hang out and talk. We finally went to my room with ripple as a chaperone, of course to get some business attended to.

A lot of people have wondered about the Mergyphon outcome... She was so frustrated by the PV... I think I helped her to see eye to eye with the device. It is CLEAR to me that she REALLY wants to like it. She mentioned that she wants to review it, but didn't feel she could give it a fair shake until she better understood it. I find that to be admirable... I requested that win lose or draw, I want her to review the PV exactly as she has experienced it... pulling no punches. I feel that since she had problems from the start, she should make sure she mentions that. I only ask that she reviews the ENTIRE ownership experience, the good bad and the ugly. Fair is fair! And I really think that letting people know they MAY have a steep learning curve, as she and a few others have experienced, is really a good thing to report... why? Because it's the truth!

OK... so much for the news... now you get to hear the REST of the story. Names of the people in this story are intentionally withheld to protect the stupid.

Kcos, Bumi and myself darted out of the fest to catch the shuttle to Ohare... we were cutting things tight.

Upon arrival at the TSA checkpoint, my Briefcase and suitcase were pulled aside for further examination. It seems there were a lot of devices they had never seen in an xray screening before... I guess they didn't see Kcos and Bumpis when they went ahead of me... lol.

Anyway... things started out ok... standard checkpoint stuff...

Until they swabbed my breif case and it tested positive for explosive materials.

This happens a lot... people often have items that false test positive for explosives... and they see no explosives so people get pushed on through.

The only problem is... in my case it wasn't a false positive... it was a real life, honest to god, REAL positive.

The test showed a HIGH level of explosive contact... not some blip on the test... measurable content.

I suppose most people would completely freak out if that happened to them. But i did not. I calmly told them that there machine was not in error, and my briefcase had indeed come in direct contact with explosive materials.

I informed them that I was federally licensed to handle and transport explosives, and that there were none in my satchel. But there had been in the past.

This triggered a series of events that once started, could not be stopped. I was asked to show them my papers to that effect and I then instructed them that there was no requirement for me to have those papers in my possession unless I was actively transporting said substances. They informed me that I wasn't going anywhere until the papers or a facsimile thereof were produced.

I called Stacie and had her retrieve the paperwork from my safe, and text me a photo of them for transfer to the TSA. I figured once that had happened I would be free to go.

This is a good time to mention my plane was long gone, and there were no other flights out to Buffalo that night. I was not leaving Chicago on Sunday night.

So... back to our story...

SOP is an acronym for "Standard Operating Procedure"... and when the TSA detects a high level of explosive residue they have absolutely no choice but to follow the SOP to the letter. This is the law. And once the SOP has been started, there's no stopping it.

So... what does this mean?

As soon as the detection happens above a certain level, notifications go out to the TSA supervisors, Department of Homeland Security, the Local police AND their Bomb Squad... even if I am licensed.

There's reason for all this, and anybody that has watched a crime show involving a whack-job bomber can testify... when an explosion takes place the FIRST people they suspect are people that have access to bomb making supplies.... The mad bomber is ALWAYS a disgruntled blasting expert with access... I fit the profile, except for the disgruntled part... I have access. That makes me suspicious.

I hate to admit it... the TSA was doing their job, and for all the criticism you hear about them... they were doing it well... even following correct protocol.

I'm OK with this... i wished it wasn't happening... but it had to be done.

What I did not enjoy, nor do I feel it was appropriate to treat me this way... I was denied the option of sitting down. I was standing in the pat down area, and no chair was offered. When I asked for one, the request was ignored. People were being nice to me... to my face... but not letting me be seated... for many hours. Some of you know that I broke my back 15 years ago... and after all this time... standing in one place... the pain was becoming excruciating. I had gone hours without nicotine... My good mood and polite responses were becoming more and more agitated.

Chapter two: being pushed to a limit...

Many hours had passed and nicotine withdrawal is unpleasant. Standing in a small area without the ability to sit and take the pressure off is REALLY unpleasant...

The Bomb Squad determined there was no clear and present danger. In the opinion of the Bomb Technician. The Chicago police determined I was not a dangerous person, and I had been EXTREMELY cooperative. It was becoming clear to both the police and myself that TSA was no longer following procedure... this was going freestyle now. By all rights, I should have been free to go... and there was a lot of talk about the fact that theye were not sure who needed to sign off on this... the supervisor seemed afraid to sound the all clear, as though there would be dire circumstances if she was wrong.

It became clear that we needed the supervisors supervisor. Of course he would be available at 7AM.

While they wasted some time deciding what to do... the pain in my back was growing... it became unbearable and I had no chair... and no chair was coming...

I asked if I could have my PV... not a chance... I asked if I could have my pain killer meds which I ONLY take when the pain is unbearable... no dice... I don't wish to be over dramatic, but I was being tortured. A subtle torture... but still torture.

I very calmly suggested that I was suffering from nicotine withdrawal and they told me my PVs were not going to be released because they contained liquid that THEY could not determine the nature of. I was becoming more and more testy with them... but I had to memain cool... arguing with a TSA agent is a federal crime... then it hit me... that's what they were doing... if they could push me to the point of arguing with them, They would have me arrested and the decision was forced by me... I could not let them win...

they finally agreed to let me be escorted outside the building with a police officer, but I ONLY be allowed to smoke... NO PV was going to be released to me.

I took the nicotine any way I could get it. I'm OK with that, by the way.

But when I was outside, I shared with the police officer that I feel I was being tortured... and to my amazement, he agreed. He also agreed that they were just waiting until I argued with them, so they could be rid of me the easiest possible way.

When we returned to the terminal, the police officer got me a chair...

once I was seated and the nicotine was once again coursing through me... the TSA lost that battle. I was not going to snap.

Shortly after that, they offered me a proposal... If i would agree to letting them seize my stuff, they would get it to the TSA Bomb Verification supervisor and if he deemed it safe, I could heve the stuff back... bit only IF I agreed to ship the briefcase and its contents home via Fedex or UPS.

I agreed and that portion of the story is over.

I returned to the hotel where people were waiting to assist me... PVs and juice and batteries were made available by the other vapers... I shared the story, checked back in to the hotel, and got a little restless rest.

This morning the TSA bomb guy gave me the all clear to gt my stuff back. I packed everything and shipped it home.

I was on the next flight home.

Some words for the wise, and a few thoughts....

When something like this happens, it is important to keep a level head... The BIGGEST tool they have to beat you with is YOURSELF! If I had lost sight of that, I would have been arrested for a FEDERAL crime. This is serious stuff.

The other thought is less selfish... When we get stopped by the TSA... we have to remember that WE become something bigger than ourselves... we need to ALWAYS be good ambassadors of the vaping community. Everything we do will effect the experiences of the next vaper to go through that line.

And these experiences can be really unpleasant... the hardest part of the ordeal was that they remained as calm as I did, and they they were careful not to be obvious in the ways they were trying to effect my mood and willingness to cooperate.

By the way... when you tell the TSA that you have some DoD privileges, they remind you that they are NOT the DoD.

I'm home, safe and sound. A little shaken, but I'm OK.

Wow, thats some story, I'm happy it all turned out well in the end.

I can see that the TSA did their job & did it correctly. I'll commend them for that.

The part that I take issue with is that they tried to get you to incriminate yourself & have you face federal charges by denying you some simple curtisies after it was determined that you were no threat to the world. Now thats just plain wrong JMO.

 

[sl_rat]

glad to hear that you are home safe, Michael. you've included a very thoughtful perspective of those events. i agree that in most cases we all become our own worst enemies. kudos to you for recognizing this hurdle and leaping over it with style. sleep the sleep of angels.... you've earned a good nights rest. i'm sure that by the time i see you, you'll have come up with many more pointed ways to describe said events. we'll have a laugh for sure.
by the way... i warned you about traveling with Karen. you got nailed by TSA's "guilt by association" rule. cheers!

 

[bumpi]

Way to keep your cool.... Not easy to do when they take nic away...That's what makes you the Zen master....alls well that ends ok, I guess....I think I went through a diff check point and I was the last one on line for that machine, they went from 2 lines to one.....the X-ray lady looked at it tilted head, looked at me, back at it, then with a "my shift is over" look said "go ahead"

Looks like we both managed to stay out of handcuffs over the weekend! Its always better to have the key than the cuffs

 

[kcos]

Hey what about me, I was stranded in Buffalo . LOL

 

[st0nedpenguin]

Well my TSA experience was nowhere near as brutal as that.

After being quizzed for 3 hours about my stay in the US because I was here for a 3 month stay they finally let me go once I showed them that I had a return ticket.

The last laugh went to me though because that was in 2008 and I'm still here.

 

[the ob]

quite a story.

glad your home safe and sound. You sound like you need some rest

 

[vicsan]

Hey what about me, I was stranded in Buffalo . LOL

Poor kcos!

How did you get home, Karen?

 

[bumpi]

Hey what about me, I was stranded in Buffalo . LOL

I forgot he was your ride.....that must've been awful, not knowing if your friend is getting sent to Guantanamo and also having to find a middle of the night ride home

 

[sl_rat]

Hey what about me, I was stranded in Buffalo . LOL

which is why you have to keep my number with you whenever passing through town. of course, i would have offered you my home and my hospitality.

 

[bumpi]

quite a story.

glad your home safe and sound. You sound like you need some rest

A beer or two prob wouldn't hurt either.....I know I'd need a few after that! But seriously try and get some rest, the inbox is not as important...it will fill again anyway take some "me" time for yourself people will understand

 

[Paradisevap]

in my case it wasn't a false positive... it was a real life, honest to god, REAL positive.

I was asked to show them my papers to that effect and I then instructed them that there was no requirement for me to have those papers in my possession unless I was actively transporting said substances.


SOP is an acronym for "Standard Operating Procedure"... and when the TSA detects a high level of explosive residue they have absolutely no choice but to follow the SOP to the letter. This is the law. And once the SOP has been started, there's no stopping it.

PVs were not going to be released because they contained liquid that THEY could not determine the nature of.

Granted They where pushing you (been there)
But as you said they followed procedure, and you knew this briefcase could or would come up with A positive test. Ad on top of that questionable devices with questionable liquid .... I'm glad you kept a level head even thru the pain ( I fully understand your back all to well)



Im glad you made it outta of there and back home Sir

 

[paulowafu]

MAN!!!!! if it happened to me i would have shouted and argued with the officer in the first 3 mins!

you really are something zen! you remained calm despite the circumstances. BIG PROPS for you!

btw i got the items! will shoot you a pm in a few days. you need your rest.

 

[Murdock Ruml]

Got my eye surgery in the morning. Wish me luck!

Guess who's gonna be wearing his new zenshirt?

 

[Scottinboca]

Holy cow!!!! That sucks big time Zen. I really admire your efforts to not go apepoop on the TSA during your torture session. Do you think they only did this b/c of the residue on your satchel? I'm sure glad that I don't have to deal with explosives in my work. I hope you don't ever have this issue again. Lots of people are getting their luggage and what not UPS or FedEx over to their hotels to avoid paying baggage fees and to move through security quicker.

What a mess you had to deal with. I'm just glad your okay and your a free man. I never heard a nightmare story like this before. It just boggles my mind. Were they scared if you sat down you would go "boom." I guess they don't need a reason, which seems like an imbalance in power. No arguing with TSA, it sounds like the Nazi Gestapo. I think security is very important, but how do you ensure the prevention of abusing power in the case of the TSA. Then again what happened to you isn't ordinary with the whole measurable amount of residue thing.

I'm tired and I don't want to ramble on anymore, but it's good to hear you made it back home safely and enjoyed meeting your fans. I'm sending you my baby tomorrow, it's all packed and ready to be taken to the post office. Good night everyone.

 

[krnxguhj33]

Ah... Zen's story is a good example of what it means to be zen, even in the most irking conditions.

Glad to know that you're back safely Zen!! :]

Vapebashers: I wish I could have gone and met you all!! Even though I don't have much presence here..

 

[pounder]

Poor guy see how much trouble TSA gave him and he's a white imagine if he's name was abdul aziz and he was a bid darker

In that case he could have boarded with an AK47 and told TSA it was a toy for his son.

 

[cigarbabe]

Got my zen shirt today. It will be featured in my next video.

Bumpi!
Don't forget me stud!
I'm gonna wear your shirt on my show coming soon with part 2 of
"Zen the Man, the Mods, the Zenfidels"!
I've been thinking about having some of you possibly skyping in to talk to the audience about why you love your zen mods. Whaddya' think? Would any of you be interested in getting more info out to my audience and having Zen take your questions?
I'm thinking about doing it in the next few weeks depending of course on Zen's availability on a Friday night.
Post here and send me a pm if you'd like to be on the show.
Did I mention the "Zenfidels" are awesome!?
C.B.

 

[cigarbabe]

Zen did an awesome job of keeping his cool and putting up with all the needless nastiness from the TSA. I felt so bad for him but when they finally did let him go and he chose to come back to the hotel I waited up to give him a "glad you're back hug"! It is inconceivable that he was held for all those hours and forced to stand even when he requested they return some meds, bring him a chair and give him his personal PV.
I was shocked and dismayed when he called me to hear he was still in Chicago at 5:00 am though I was relieved they were letting him go.....after the hug I went and stole a beer for him lol it was the least I could do!
Man!
That was a hell of way to end "Bashfest"!
So very happy you made it home Zen.......chill have a dozen beers and take a vacation day!
Big hugz from me!
C.B.