Watch your bags! (TSA planting "evidence" and accusing pax)

Everskyward said:
+1. When we hear a story about some random police officer abusing their power we don't blame all of them... well at least most of us don't.
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Yeah but the rest of those police officers provide a useful service.
 
dmccormack said:
Isn't law enforcement there to enforce the law -- not "take care of " everyone?
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There are some segments of society who think the same thing about police as a lot of people do about the TSA. Let me clarify my position to say that I think that most of the things the TSA does amount "security theater" and totally ineffective and I don't agree with many of their policies. However I am not going so far as to say that I think the front line employees are all thugs.
 
Everskyward said:
There are some segments of society who think the same thing about police as a lot of people do about the TSA. Let me clarify my position to say that I think that most of the things the TSA does amount "security theater" and totally ineffective and I don't agree with many of their policies. However I am not going so far as to say that I think the front line employees are all thugs.
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Agreed. Most of the TSA front line folks are "just doing a job." They don't make policy -- they apply it.
 
Everskyward said:
Not according to the, "I can take care of myself and my family on my own" crowd.
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If the police are able to help me, wonderful. I just recognize the possibility that they may not be able to. Redundancy. :)
 
Everskyward said:
I've never really had a problem either, even when chosen for the "extra screening". They have never been rude, sometimes they are just businesslike, other times even apologetic.
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Nor have I. My experiences have actually been nothing but good. Granted, I don't travel as much as many, but I do travel more than most.
 
Whatever corporate or organizational culture exists in any organization, it is usually traceable to the very top of that organization. It is the leaders who set the pace and the politics. If employees, lie, cheat, or steal, it is because their bosses are doing the same.

John
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
Nor have I. My experiences have actually been nothing but good. Granted, I don't travel as much as many, but I do travel more than most.
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Then travel some more.

I've got about 175,000 miles last year. You'll notice that you don't have any problems with the TSA - never got anything extra even once - but lots of other people do. You'll also notice that all of that is silly and completely unnecessary.

So you might not have a problem. Lots of other people have different experiences, however.
 
sba55 said:
Then travel some more.

I've got about 175,000 miles last year. You'll notice that you don't have any problems with the TSA - never got anything extra even once - but lots of other people do. You'll also notice that all of that is silly and completely unnecessary.

So you might not have a problem. Lots of other people have different experiences, however.
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A lot of people get wrongfully arrested, too. It doesn't, however, make it a problem. If 20,000 people get hassled each day, out of 2,000,000 people traveling - 1% of people get hassled. Is that acceptable? No, but let's not make a bigger deal of it than it is.

It's also worth keeping in mind that "hassle because of hypersensitivity thereto" doesn't really count as getting hassled.

I've neither been hassled, nor have I seen anyone being hassled. I haven't even seen anyone working for the TSA be anything less than professional. Perhaps not quite polite, but definitely not unprofessional.

Not saying anyone's lying, exaggerating, or anything else, nor am I saying that unacceptable incidents don't happen - I just haven't seen it personally.
 
Welcome to the new Mother Russia Comrades, protect the homeland.... with idiots with GEDs and badges... that cant read or write.... and qualify for no useful employment... as is the way of the empire! hahaha,... no but seriously folks, I had these TSA a@$wipes swarm and tackle me at the airport one day, right after I walked onto the ramp. I had recently switched companies, and hadnt changed badges yet because I didnt want to fork over the fifty bucks to do so... so I used my old badge, I had a student and his friend with me, neither of which had badges, and legally I didnt even need a badge, because I have a pilots license, but since this was an "international airport" the TSA thought they were hot sh@t. So they tackle me and haul me off to some dark lair in the bowls of the International terminal to grill me for an hour on "what I was doing there". Meanwhile they left my student and his friend wandering around on the ramp, it was the students first flight and his friend had no experience at all, and they are left meandering around for an hour unsupervised while I try to explain in simple english that "I R FLIGHT INSTRUCTER" so that they would understand me. HAHA TSA is a joke...
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
A lot of people get wrongfully arrested, too. It doesn't, however, make it a problem. If 20,000 people get hassled each day, out of 2,000,000 people traveling - 1% of people get hassled. Is that acceptable? No, but let's not make a bigger deal of it than it is.

It's also worth keeping in mind that "hassle because of hypersensitivity thereto" doesn't really count as getting hassled.

I've neither been hassled, nor have I seen anyone being hassled. I haven't even seen anyone working for the TSA be anything less than professional. Perhaps not quite polite, but definitely not unprofessional.

Not saying anyone's lying, exaggerating, or anything else, nor am I saying that unacceptable incidents don't happen - I just haven't seen it personally.
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I'm on a minimum of 2 flights a week, every week. For the most part TSA is as pleasant as possible considering the situation and task.

However, on over half my flights, I witness TSA being rude and/or unprofessional. I myself have been hassled on several occasions. The worst thing about it is that there is no recourse. You either comply with asinine directives (some in direct contradiction to their written policy) or not fly. Not flying isn't an option for me so I capitulate.

If you'd like specifics to the above stated assertions, I'll be happy to provide.
 
kevin47881 said:
I'm on a minimum of 2 flights a week, every week. For the most part TSA is as pleasant as possible considering the situation and task.

However, on over half my flights, I witness TSA being rude and/or unprofessional. I myself have been hassled on several occasions. The worst thing about it is that there is no recourse. You either comply with asinine directives (some in direct contradiction to their written policy) or not fly. Not flying isn't an option for me so I capitulate.

If you'd like specifics to the above stated assertions, I'll be happy to provide.
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I flew in death tubes a lot, and up until last year was doing the Florida commute similar to what you are doing now. I have the same experiences and observation as you do.
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
A lot of people get wrongfully arrested, too. It doesn't, however, make it a problem. If 20,000 people get hassled each day, out of 2,000,000 people traveling - 1% of people get hassled. Is that acceptable? No, but let's not make a bigger deal of it than it is.

It's also worth keeping in mind that "hassle because of hypersensitivity thereto" doesn't really count as getting hassled.

I've neither been hassled, nor have I seen anyone being hassled. I haven't even seen anyone working for the TSA be anything less than professional. Perhaps not quite polite, but definitely not unprofessional.

Not saying anyone's lying, exaggerating, or anything else, nor am I saying that unacceptable incidents don't happen - I just haven't seen it personally.
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I find that Denver (despite the fact that a screener brought his gun to work at the checkpoint and was never fired) and many of the airports out west tend to be better than the ones back east. EWR, BWI, IAD, and JFK are near the top of my "worst" list. ORD ain't much better. Boston tends to be better than many of the others back east.

smigaldi said:
I flew in death tubes a lot, and up until last year was doing the Florida commute similar to what you are doing now. I have the same experiences and observation as you do.
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Likewise here.
 
JoePilot said:
while I try to explain in simple English that "I R FLIGHT INSTRUCTER" so that they would understand me. HAHA TSA is a joke...
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I surprised they understood simple English at all. The last time I had cause to go to the Federal Building in San Diego, I did not encounter one person who spoke English, or even simple English at all.

The guard who buzzed me in...Mexican, spoke only Spanish. The person who scanned my belongings....Mexican, spoke only Spanish. The guard at the walk through metal detector...Mexican, spoke only Spanish. These people used hand and arm signals to communicate with us foreign speaking peoples.

Getting directions was fruitless. When I finally got to the office I needed to visit, guess what, staffed entirely by Spanish speaking Mexicans. Since I only know enough Spanish to order lunch, I left without accomplishing my mission. I was amazed they had the American Flag pinned to the wall, I was expecting the Mexican flag.

This was in an old established U.S. institution. With T.S.A. being brand new and all....well... I wouldn't think you could expect very much from them, like hiring people who could pronounce much of anything in English.

John
 
JoePilot said:
Welcome to the new Mother Russia Comrades, protect the homeland.... with idiots with GEDs and badges... that cant read or write.... and qualify for no useful employment... as is the way of the empire! hahaha,... no but seriously folks, I had these TSA a@$wipes swarm and tackle me at the airport one day, right after I walked onto the ramp. I had recently switched companies, and hadnt changed badges yet because I didnt want to fork over the fifty bucks to do so... so I used my old badge, I had a student and his friend with me, neither of which had badges, and legally I didnt even need a badge, because I have a pilots license, but since this was an "international airport" the TSA thought they were hot sh@t. So they tackle me and haul me off to some dark lair in the bowls of the International terminal to grill me for an hour on "what I was doing there". Meanwhile they left my student and his friend wandering around on the ramp, it was the students first flight and his friend had no experience at all, and they are left meandering around for an hour unsupervised while I try to explain in simple english that "I R FLIGHT INSTRUCTER" so that they would understand me. HAHA TSA is a joke...
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Ah, the irony!
:D
 
kevin47881 said:
I'm on a minimum of 2 flights a week, every week. For the most part TSA is as pleasant as possible considering the situation and task.

However, on over half my flights, I witness TSA being rude and/or unprofessional. I myself have been hassled on several occasions. The worst thing about it is that there is no recourse. You either comply with asinine directives (some in direct contradiction to their written policy) or not fly. Not flying isn't an option for me so I capitulate.

If you'd like specifics to the above stated assertions, I'll be happy to provide.
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smigaldi said:
I flew in death tubes a lot, and up until last year was doing the Florida commute similar to what you are doing now. I have the same experiences and observation as you do.
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wsuffa said:
I find that Denver (despite the fact that a screener brought his gun to work at the checkpoint and was never fired) and many of the airports out west tend to be better than the ones back east. EWR, BWI, IAD, and JFK are near the top of my "worst" list. ORD ain't much better. Boston tends to be better than many of the others back east.



Likewise here.
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Don't get me wrong - I'm not accusing anyone here of being dishonest, incredible, of exaggerating, or of anything else.

I'm just saying that my experiences have been good to excellent.
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
Don't get me wrong - I'm not accusing anyone here of being dishonest, incredible, of exaggerating, or of anything else.

I'm just saying that my experiences have been good to excellent.
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Wasn't suggesting that you were. Some of us have had experiences that aren't so good - and I am unfortunate enough to have both BWI and IAD as airports that I fly from.

BTW, the hits just keep on coming: Link to today's TSA tomfoolery story
 
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