Security toys

If you want to know what Americans feel about airport security, you can do three things. First, you can listen to their grips while waiting in security queues on Monday morning at a big airport like Chicago or Atlanta. Option number two is to read the TSA blog and examine the comments. But if you really want the pulse of the people, just read the reviews that Amazon.com shoppers have placed on Playmobil's Security Check Point toy kit. Some of them are simply anti-security, but some have a lot of fun developing humorous scenarios that mix the toy with the a little bit of real-world type of situations.

Here's my favorite "review" of this Playmobil Security Check Point toy play set, as posted by Amazon.com user "roxybeast" from Oklahoma:

My family was planning a vacation to Europe, so I purchased this item to teach my twins about what to expect at the airport and hopefully, alleviate some of their anxiety. We also downloaded the actual TSA security checklist from the American Airlines website and then proceeded with our demonstration.

Well, first we had to round up a Barbie and a few Bratz dolls to play the other family members, so that cost us a few extra bucks at the Dollar General and it is aggravating that the manufacturer did not make this product "family-friendly." Of course, since the playmobil Dad could not remove his shoes or other clothing items, unlike the Barbie, the playmobil security agent became suspicious and after waving her wand wildy a few dozen times, called her supervisor to wisk the Dad into a special body-cavity search room, (which incidentally led to quite an embarasing and interesting discussion with my twin daughters about personal hygiene and a slight adjustment to the rules we had them memorize about touching by strangers).

But worst of all, since the suitcase did not actually open, the baggage inspector made a call to the FBI and ATF bomb squads which then segregated the family's suitcase (which btw was the only suitcase they provided for our educational family experience) and according to the advanced TSA regulations, had to blow it up, (since they could not otherwise mutilate the luggage, break off the locks and put one of those nice little advisory stickers on it), which we had to simulate out in the backyard with a few M-80s and other fireworks.

The girls started crying. They became so hysterical by the whole experience that we could not even get them in the car when the time came to actually take our trip, and so we had to cancel the whole thing at the last minute, losing over $7,000 in airfare and hotel charges that we could not recoup do to the last minute cancellations.

From one of the reviews of the security check play set, I found Playmobil's Safe Crackers play set for children that even featured a little toy acetelene cutting torches accessory for one of the thieves could use to break into the safe. I'm not sure what message parents are sending to your kids when they buy that toy, but it can't be good.

-Geoff