Hilarious TSA story - You WILL apologize

Did I miss something reading the article? It appeared to me that the writer was ready, willing, and not just waiting for the confrontation but instigating it.
 
murphey said:
Did I miss something reading the article? It appeared to me that the writer was ready, willing, and not just waiting for the confrontation but instigating it.
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No, I don't think you missed anything.

But I don't think he was instigating anything. I'm sure he knew that he could have gotten through more quickly by just nodding and agreeing, but I guess he wasn't in the mood for that. He stood by his principles and he won. He didn't say anything that wasn't factual.

But I find that half as interesting as the humor in that article :goofy:
 
seems to me to be a story of a douche acting a like douche and getting a bunch of TSA people to respond in a douchy matter. I don't like the TSA much at all but I do not go out of my way to provoke them. That won't solve any issue with them at all.
 
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sba55 said:
But I don't think he was instigating anything.
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I disagree. He was certainly looking for trouble when he said "t really didn't matter if my ID is real -- that what matters is whether I'm carrying any weapons, explosives or incendiaries"
 
Yeah, jerk playing a game with jerks. Then again, I haven't found a candidate recently that I can vote for (especially one political affiliation) that doesn't support these mongrel tactics. Oh, they rag on the TSA when politically acceptable. Push comes to shove though, and defunding them is "soft on terror" or "being a terrorist sympathizer", et al.

I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees. Unfortunately 20-40% (depends on the election cycle, presidential year or not) of the public that vote regular are willing to be cowed by fear.
 
The single point I took away from the thread is "how easily TSA can be distracted" ...
 
What we need to push back on is physical pat downs and backscatter xrays, not document verification (which IS important) and bag x-rays and searches.

While resisting the TSA's tendency to overstep it's bounds is important, this guy was being a jackass and did not help anything.
 
JesseD said:
Yeah, jerk playing a game with jerks. Then again, I haven't found a candidate recently that I can vote for (especially one political affiliation) that doesn't support these mongrel tactics. Oh, they rag on the TSA when politically acceptable. Push comes to shove though, and defunding them is "soft on terror" or "being a terrorist sympathizer", et al.

I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees. Unfortunately 20-40% (depends on the election cycle, presidential year or not) of the public that vote regular are willing to be cowed by fear.
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http://www.libertarianparty.com/new...ians-oppose-abusive-tsa-strip-search-machines

http://www.lp.org/news/press-releas...cipate-in-stripping-of-freedom-tsa-conference
 
That guy was definitely acting like a jerk. I almost wish TSA bugged him enough to make him miss his flight....
 
Steve Foley said:
I disagree. He was certainly looking for trouble when he said "t really didn't matter if my ID is real -- that what matters is whether I'm carrying any weapons, explosives or incendiaries"
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How is that looking for trouble? He was merely stating a fact. The TSA stated mission is to look for those 3 things and those 3 things only.

I don't see how he was being unreasonable. But even if he had been - still well written and hilarious :)
 
He stood out, and really did not need to at all. I do not particularly care for TSA, but gumming smartarse remarks to the people performing possibly one of the most boring jobs at the airport (not to mention controversial) will only make the experiance worse, no matter how much whining kicking and screaming you do. He would have gotten what he deserved if he missed his flight; it would have been fairly painless (or at least likely less painful) if he had shut his trap and endured it like the other thousands of travelers.
 
airbornejohnny said:
He stood out, and really did not need to at all. I do not particularly care for TSA, but gumming smartarse remarks to the people performing possibly one of the most boring jobs at the airport (not to mention controversial) will only make the experiance worse, no matter how much whining kicking and screaming you do. He would have gotten what he deserved if he missed his flight; it would have been fairly painless (or at least likely less painful) if he had shut his trap and endured it like the other thousands of travelers.
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+1. If you wear a chip on your shoulder you can expect to have it knocked off. It looks like that is what he wanted and what he got.
 
Wait wait....he did one thing wrong, which was the joke in the beginning about the weapons, but after that, he was totally in the right, the way it reads. TSA has no right whatsoever to read documents that are carried in baggage. With some of the stuff that I may carry with me during business trips, I would have physically stopped him (non-violently), and done battle in court over it.

Beyond that, TSAs want to be LEOs, they need to learn to act like it: Follow the law, take the abuse, and stay professional. I think demanding an apology before releasing someone is a bit over the line.
 
SkyHog said:
Wait wait....he did one thing wrong, which was the joke in the beginning about the weapons, but after that, he was totally in the right, the way it reads. TSA has no right whatsoever to read documents that are carried in baggage. With some of the stuff that I may carry with me during business trips, I would have physically stopped him (non-violently), and done battle in court over it.

Beyond that, TSAs want to be LEOs, they need to learn to act like it: Follow the law, take the abuse, and stay professional. I think demanding an apology before releasing someone is a bit over the line.
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"Freedom of speech does not allow someone to yell FIRE in a crowded theater..."
The guy seems like he might be smart, he should have considered he was traveling through one the worlds busiest airports where such "humor" likely would not be taken so lightly.
On top of that, would you being the professional that you are, appreciate some smartalec nobody telling you the responsibilities of your profession? Granted, some of those folks very well might be bottom of the totem pole types, but if they are wearing the uniform, they have recieved some sort of formal training, and at the very least have a slightly more intimate knowledge of the expectations which come with their job. I do not condone their apparent attitude as this person describes it (power trip), but on the same token, I treat everybody I meet with a certain degree of dignity and respect until they give me reason otherwise, and even then I usually am still polite when explaining why I would like to place my size 10 in their fourth point of contact in a rapid, swinging motion.
Bottom line, the jerk got away with being a jerk. IMHO he should have missed his flight and recieved no refund.
He could have waited to be cleared through the checkpoint, found a supervisor himself, and expressed his discontent with the TSO's performance of duty and treatment of personal belongings. Would that really be so hard to live with?
 
airbornejohnny said:
"Freedom of speech does not allow someone to yell FIRE in a crowded theater..."
The guy seems like he might be smart, he should have considered he was traveling through one the worlds busiest airports where such "humor" likely would not be taken so lightly.
On top of that, would you being the professional that you are, appreciate some smartalec nobody telling you the responsibilities of your profession? Granted, some of those folks very well might be bottom of the totem pole types, but if they are wearing the uniform, they have recieved some sort of formal training, and at the very least have a slightly more intimate knowledge of the expectations which come with their job. I do not condone their apparent attitude as this person describes it (power trip), but on the same token, I treat everybody I meet with a certain degree of dignity and respect until they give me reason otherwise, and even then I usually am still polite when explaining why I would like to place my size 10 in their fourth point of contact in a rapid, swinging motion.
Bottom line, the jerk got away with being a jerk. IMHO he should have missed his flight and recieved no refund.
He could have waited to be cleared through the checkpoint, found a supervisor himself, and expressed his discontent with the TSO's performance of duty and treatment of personal belongings. Would that really be so hard to live with?
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Are you saying its acceptable for TSA to read documents without permission?
 
SkyHog said:
Are you saying its acceptable for TSA to read documents without permission?
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Read, no. Scan, sure. When an individual stands out in a disrespectful manner, such as this fellow was, said individual invites further scrutiny.
More detailed attention warranted? I think so.
If he's got a point to prove, he went about it in a poor fashion in my opinion. Now theres a few TSO's who may recognize him next time he passes through. EWR is so busy I doubt the same people would be there, but IF they were...they may feel compelled to check him again. He made his own bed...
 
airbornejohnny said:
Read, no. Scan, sure. When an individual stands out in a disrespectful manner, such as this fellow was, said individual invites further scrutiny.
More detailed attention warranted? I think so.
If he's got a point to prove, he went about it in a poor fashion in my opinion. Now theres a few TSO's who may recognize him next time he passes through. EWR is so busy I doubt the same people would be there, but IF they were...they may feel compelled to check him again. He made his own bed...
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I agree on all above, except the "scanning" of documents. That is the point where it moves from security to collection of evidence, and only a LEO has that right.

As a jerk, he should have expected additional crap from the TSA. But not a waiver of his right to privacy.
 
SkyHog said:
I agree on all above, except the "scanning" of documents. That is the point where it moves from security to collection of evidence, and only a LEO has that right.

As a jerk, he should have expected additional crap from the TSA. But not a waiver of his right to privacy.
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True, and believe me I absolutely cherish my right to privacy as well. However, I also expect a level of professionalism from ANY security/LEO/etc that if in the course of their duty it would be warranted to be walking on such thin ice, that my private documents (that apparently must be "scanned":rolleyes2:) would remain private...so long as their contents don't incriminate me as some sort of security risk. I feel like I should also re-emphasise that if the guy didn't act like such a jerk, he probably would not have been treated the way he was; more likely he woould have been told to collect his bags and proceed on.
Nobody has to like it, but at least for now, we gotta deal with it until we the people compel our leaders to make appropriate changes...
 
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