TSA - was this really necessary? UPDATED!

[Kim&Chris]

But they have been known to go through luggage without leaving a note which was my point.

You're right. There was no note in my luggage, so I guess the notes can be a random 'courtesy', so to speak.

 

[CPT Tripss]

They are very lax about the quart bags now (scary in my opinion). In both PHL and MCO, they failed to even glance at the items in the baggie.

Also, in MCO, the TSA agent looked at my passport, yet did not even glance up at me to see if I was the person in the photo.

ID does not lead to greater safety, so no biggie.

Downsouth did not say all, but usually, which means most. I used to fly a lot in my profession and I never saw a more motley crew of petty, rude, and sometimes just down right mean, dictators like the ones I saw at most TSA checkpoints. Now you may be the exception, but in my experience, you would be a rare exception. I am sorry if that hurts your feelings, but it is the truth.

There are enough petty, rude, and sometimes just down right mean TSAers too make flying more of a chore all the time. I understand the turnover is high and job satisfaction low.

well said, if more peeps would just follow the drill; things would run much more efficiently and TSA wouldn't be in the position of babysitting vs doing their job looking for true problems. imo, it's a thankless job; akin to most professions trusted to safeguard us.

I might agree if the TSAers at the checkpoints followed their own procedures for people with medical issues requiring/allowing special screening. But more often than not, I have to request a supervisor to get appropriate treatment. Also, if they don't know their own drill and are so easily distracted from their main job, then

 

[disneylove69]

For the person whose luggage was ruined TSA will do nothing. I had the same issue where clothes were damaged. TSA said it was part of business and thanks for being so patriotic (or something irritating). For the person asking about the seperate lines. I heard from TSA that they are getting a rid of the seperate lines. Now you get to stand behinid the family with all the strollers, bags, etc. I do find irritating is the fact that each airport has it's own rules. Some let you bring in chips and dips and some don't. Some want stuff in bins and others out. Consistency would make life easier. I like the way London Heathrow works. It was so easy and simple.

 

[mgilmer]

I used to fly a lot and found many TSA to be nice and professional. It is the nasty ones that give the rest of them a bad name. There are some agents that the power has gone to their head, but I have seen many freq. flyers that think they own the airport because they do it all the time.

I was in Hartford once and the TSA was very nice and greeting people with a smile. The person in front of me laid into him for no reason. That was uncalled for.

I found in my travels that if I followed the rules and kept my mouth shut I had few problems. I pack plenty of patience when I travel, that is something more people need to do.

I do that too, but because I have a disability that does not fit their peculiar routine, I have been yelled at and threatened with not flying and even arrest by TSA hooligans on many occasions. I have never been anything more than cordial to them and have been met many times with an attitude of hostility and arrogance. I have had them lie to LEOs to try to have me arrested (without success) for requesting a complaint form.

Whenever I read that someone finds all/most TSA agents to be mean/awful/dumb/dictatorial, I have to wonder what kind of traveler they are.

While I have run across a few bad agents (and I travel a fair amount), the vast majority of agents that I have encountered are not bad agents.

If someone is always running into bad agents, I have to wonder what they are doing to encourage this (or, if they are just going to assume that all agents are bad, no matter what).

I guess that being disabled must encourage this. I have tried many times being nice and it seems it is most often perceived as weakness by the TSA inspectors and I have many times had to escalate to supervisors and LEOS and even FSDs to get the TSA to follow their own regulations. I have lost count of the number of times I have been told by TSA inspectors to do things both contrary to their own regulations as posted on their websites and contrary to my health requirements. I have been threatened by TSA inspectors at several different airports with arrest for requesting a supervisor and/or a complaint form. I have had TSA inspectors lie outright to LEOs at two different airports about alleged actions by me, with both times the LEOs siding with me after interviewing other passengers who saw the incidents and told the LEO that the TSAers were outright lying. I have had LEOs at four different airports tell me that they are embarrassed and disgusted by the actions of the TSA on a daily basis. There may be honorable TSA inspectors out there, but in my experience, they are few and far in between the bad ones.

 

[bavaria]

I've travelled with people in wheelchairs countless times and haven't encountered much difference in service or attitude. I myself did file a claim once as I said above, at MCO, and I do feel that the attitude was different there. But generally if it is a day when I am having issues, TSA (as well as CATSA and security in Europe and Asia) are extremely kind and helpful.

Even the (here) much maligned security at CDG has been so sweet to me in past, so I cannot say that in my experience it is due to certain needs.

I'm sorry that your experience has been different.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

You're probably violating one or more protocols of the Geneva Convention by mentioning 'sweet' and 'CDG' in the same sentence... you should lay low for a few weeks and gather chocolate for me.

I've travelled with people in wheelchairs countless times and haven't encountered much difference in service or attitude. I myself did file a claim once as I said above, at MCO, and I do feel that the attitude was different there. But generally if it is a day when I am having issues, TSA (as well as CATSA and security in Europe and Asia) are extremely kind and helpful.

Even the (here) much maligned security at CDG has been so sweet to me in past, so I cannot say that in my experience it is due to certain needs.

I'm sorry that your experience has been different.

 

[DizzyStitch]

They are very lax about the quart bags now (scary in my opinion). In both PHL and MCO, they failed to even glance at the items in the baggie.

Also, in MCO, the TSA agent looked at my passport, yet did not even glance up at me to see if I was the person in the photo.

My stuff doesn't even go in the quart bags and it never gets pulled or questioned. I ahve flown international like this too. Now in September I forgot to pack my facial wash in the checked bag. I squeezed about 1/2 of it in a ziplock and left the rest in the tube. Got right thru MCO without an issue. Course my kids are all asking on the other side of security if my stuff made it thru. I worried more about TSA wondering what was making it thru after that

 

[kaytieeldr]

File a simultaneous claim with the airline.

Why? The airline has no responsibility for the TSA agent's action/inaction/inconsiderate behavior.

TSA can be wildly inconsistent with the application of rules. We flew out of Pitts with our liquids secured per the rules - sailed right through. Coming back, they took away at least three of my wife's cosmetics because the tubes were bigger than 3 oz (like, 5 or 6 oz) - but the tubes were less than half full (which is how they were when we left). Why did they pass in Pitts?

No idea. The items should NOT have been passed in Pittsburgh. It doesn't matter how much product is in the container - the TSA isn't required to guesstimate. The container size needs to be 3.4 ounces or less.

The second incident was triggered by the three of us each having the one quart bag of liquids - but in only one carryon. They said we could have only one in the carryon. So, I gave my wife and son their baggie to hold and check through security, then we put them all back in the carryon after we passed through. I thought that was absurd.

Those are the rules. Each passenger is entitled to one one-quart bag. They should have all been removed from the carry-on before being placed on the belt anyway.

Folks look who the TSA hires, it's usually not the best and brightest in town. I don't think we really should be surprised! :confused2:

Disagree. Is it really necessary to disparage an entire workforce based on some bad experiences? Severaly DISers, or their relatives, are employed by the TSA - and you know we ARE the best and the brightest

 

[keishashadow]

My stuff doesn't even go in the quart bags and it never gets pulled or questioned. I ahve flown international like this too. Now in September I forgot to pack my facial wash in the checked bag. I squeezed about 1/2 of it in a ziplock and left the rest in the tube. Got right thru MCO without an issue. Course my kids are all asking on the other side of security if my stuff made it thru. I worried more about TSA wondering what was making it thru after that

I'm trying to follow your rationale for not obeying a federal regulation. Why not just comply so that things move along in the security line? I sure don't want to be the person waiting behind you if you need to start offloading the offending articles.

You further state that you don't pack your liquids in a quart bag, but it appears that you carry one jik you might need it afterall

btw, a non-flammable liquid, gel, or aerosol paint over 3 oz is considered a Prohibited Item. As taken from the TSA website:

If you bring a prohibited item to the checkpoint you may be criminally and/or civilly prosecuted. A security or law enforcement officer will decide how to handle the situation depending on the item and the circumstances.

 

[Kim&Chris]

I'm trying to follow your rationale for not obeying a federal regulation. Why not just comply so that things move along in the security line? I sure don't want to be the person waiting behind you if you need to start offloading the offending articles.

You further state that you don't pack your liquids in a quart bag, but it appears that you carry one jik you might need it afterall

btw, a non-flammable liquid, gel, or aerosol paint over 3 oz is considered a Prohibited Item. As taken from the TSA website:

If you bring a prohibited item to the checkpoint you may be criminally and/or civilly prosecuted. A security or law enforcement officer will decide how to handle the situation depending on the item and the circumstances.

But the really scary point is that the TSA agent questioned none of this.

It's interesting to see how many of us have had issues with the TSA failing to examine things we bring through (whether we follow regulations or not). If they're not examining OUR stuff, they very likely are not examing things brought through by the 'bad guys' either. WTH is going on?? Makes me furious.

 

[keishashadow]

But the really scary point is that the TSA agent questioned none of this.

It's interesting to see how many of us have had issues with the TSA failing to examine things we bring through (whether we follow regulations or not). If they're not examining OUR stuff, they very likely are not examing things brought through by the 'bad guys' either. WTH is going on?? Makes me furious.

or, they are finding the items then doing a quick physical evaluation of the offending person (ie, dragging kids along, etc., whatever to not fit the profile) and letting them pass Go, just to keep things moving along.

my DS has gotten the works since he was 10, evidently; his name matches a bad guy's. Sometimes DH does too, although with a different middle name not sure why that is happening, perhaps since we're in a group. No amount of passport waiving or redress attempts have worked 100% of the time. We're resigned to allocating an extra hour @ the airport jik it does happen. Southwest suggested we ask that they 'age verify' him next time he travels @ airport, we're told this should help...we shall see.

TSA has certain tools to work with; we may not agree with all of them; but they have a job to do and Im glad some system is place; warts & all. I'd like to think it's a work in progress! They are operating understaffed, im thinking the last thing they need to deal with is those who are either deliberately disregarding the law or playing games trying to 'test them' re bringing thru contraband.

 

[DebbieB]

>>>Originally Posted by seashoreCM
File a simultaneous claim with the airline.<<<<

Why? The airline has no responsibility for the TSA agent's action/inaction/inconsiderate behavior.

It's possible a baggage handler went through the bag. It doesn't hurt to report it to both.

 

[WillCAD]

My experience with TSA is limited to only two airports - BWI and MCO - since I only fly when I go to WDW, but I've never encountered any of the crap that I read about on the net.

TSA agents don't always smile and act like they're happy to see me, but some do, and I've had some nice conversations with the people at the beginning of the security line at BWI (ONLY when there is no line, early in the morning - I refuse to back up a line of any kind with idle chit-chat).

I've never had any difficulty with the agents at the metal detectors or x-ray belts.

I once forgot to take my cell phone off my belt and set off the metal detector, so I got pulled aside for wanding, and the agent seemed almost angry about having to do it, but he wasn't rude, did his job, and everybody parted happy.

Before I went digital, I traveled with a bag of film, which I asked to be hand-inspected on every flight. I never had an agent bat an eyelash at the request, let alone refuse to do it or give me any grief over it. An agent once asked me why I asked for hand inspection to prevent x-ray exposure, yet handed my bag to him through the metal detector; I cheerfully explained to him that the metal detector has no effect whatsoever on photographic film, but x-rays do. He was a pleasant fellow who did his job quickly and was appreciative that I took the 30 seconds or so to explain it to him.

The "traveling public", on the other hand, gives me more grief than the TSA. I've been jostled and bumped, had my rolling carry-on tripped over (while it's sitting still next to me), I've been stuck behind people who don't understand the regs and won't make any effort to obey them, and of course, there are the folks who complain incessantly about the length of the security lines, but take 5 minutes to get their junk into the bins and bring the lines to a screeching halt.

My last flight, coming home from WDW last week, had a funny one. Two people ahead of me in the line was an average-looking business woman with a laptop case. She put her shoes and jacket into one bin, then tried to get her shoes into the same bin, but they kept falling out; finally, after replacing them about 4 times, she reached across 3 people to grab another bin for the shoes. Meanwhile, she had put her whole laptop bag into a bin, without taking the PC out of it; naturally, I assumed there was no PC in it, and that it was just a briefcase. But when she got to the metal detector, the agent asked her, and sure enough, there was a PC in there, so she pulled it out and put it in a bin - but she didn't zip the bag shut. On the far side of the metal detector, she picked the bag up by its handle, and its contents spilled out all over the floor - at least a half a ream of loose paperwork. It took her about two minutes to pick it all up and shove it into the bag, then she preceded to put herself back together right there at the end of the belt, blocking the belt and the line behind her. Finally, the agent asked her to move down, and those behind her were able to get their bags off the belt and proceed. All of this was probably due to her being an inexperienced flier - but she was in the lines that were for travel experts.

So I don't blame the TSA automatically when I see someone complaining about how "dictatorial" they are; I figure those complaints usually come from someone who is unfamiliar with the rules or is outright breaking them.

 

[bavaria]

So I don't blame the TSA automatically when I see someone complaining about how "dictatorial" they are; I figure those complaints usually come from someone who is unfamiliar with the rules or is outright breaking them.

There was a poster this weekend complaining about TSA on another part of this website. From their post it is clear that they do not know the basic rules, yet they are complaining about TSA's enforcement of the rules. I don't understand that - if I don't know something myself, how can I critique others and their knowledge level of the subject?

 

[2Tiggies]

I haven't read the entire thread, but I agree with the PP that in some (not all) cases, people's problems stem from not being completely familiar with the regulations and thus unable to fully comply.

Like the OP, I also pack my liquids and gels in a ziplock bag with a little label on the outside, saying: Please reseal if required to open. Many thanks. The bag was sealed, although the things had been repacked. I think a bit of understanding goes a long way. I am sure there are those who have a bad day, but you get people on an off day everywhere you go. To be fair, they have a huge responsibility and I hardly think their job is fun. If it means my case is not packed my way when I arrive on the other side, but I get there alive and able to unpack it myself, that is absolutely okay by me. I'm not saying I wont be annoyed slightly, but at the end of the day, without these people,I wouldn't want to travel.

Anything lost or damaged, you can claim through the airline or your travel/other insurance.

 

[mickaholic4077]

Downsouth did not say all, but usually, which means most. I used to fly a lot in my profession and I never saw a more motley crew of petty, rude, and sometimes just down right mean, dictators like the ones I saw at most TSA checkpoints. Now you may be the exception, but in my experience, you would be a rare exception. I am sorry if that hurts your feelings, but it is the truth.

I agree.

 

[WillCAD]

I haven't read the entire thread, but I agree with the PP that in some (not all) cases, people's problems stem from not being completely familiar with the regulations and thus unable to fully comply.

Like the OP, I also pack my liquids and gels in a ziplock bag with a little label on the outside, saying: Please reseal if required to open. Many thanks. The bag was sealed, although the things had been repacked. I think a bit of understanding goes a long way. I am sure there are those who have a bad day, but you get people on an off day everywhere you go. To be fair, they have a huge responsibility and I hardly think their job is fun. If it means my case is not packed my way when I arrive on the other side, but I get there alive and able to unpack it myself, that is absolutely okay by me. I'm not saying I wont be annoyed slightly, but at the end of the day, without these people,I wouldn't want to travel.

Anything lost or damaged, you can claim through the airline or your travel/other insurance.

I'm not one of those who spout venom at TSA (my experiences have been quite good over the years) but if you need a not on the outside of a plastic bag telling you to close bottles of shampoo after inspection, I fail to see how you'd have sufficient IQ to even fill out the job application.

 

[Kim&Chris]

I'm not one of those who spout venom at TSA (my experiences have been quite good over the years) but if you need a not on the outside of a plastic bag telling you to close bottles of shampoo after inspection, I fail to see how you'd have sufficient IQ to even fill out the job application.

Agreed.

 

[mgilmer]

http://blogs.keloland.com/blog/index.cfm?commentID=1485

This is exactly the type of crap I have had to put up with from the TSA on many occasions. Pray tell what did these guys do to bring this upon themselves (other than being ordinary run of the mill heroes)?

 

[bavaria]

My TSA experience for the day:

'You look lovely today'

Perhaps at least one TSA agent reads this thread (and/or the First Class thread)

So my experience today falls in line with my general TSA experiences. Sorry that some of the rest of you don't have the same encounters.

(And for the readers of the First Class thread I was wearing a black dress, patterned tights, coat, and lavendar pashmina )