http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blog...ause-attitude-130613985--abc-news-travel.html Makes me feel really nice when ya got a bunch of folks reminsicent of goose stepping morons with nothing better to. I don't know about you folks, but I do not feel any safer....and it's not a few angry Arabs I am referring to, I'm not afraid of overrated, overemphasized boogey men, which is what so-called 'terrorists' are....it's like the Communists of the 20th century, just a Boogeyman to keep folks scared. It's the folks running things I'm concerned about, not the Boogeymen....as well as these flunkies in the TSA, who's in there because they can't get a job anywhere else. And this shows how great it is, having these failures at life either groaping or fondeling your friends and family, or the cancer cubicles, with all this: Send any hateful or cheesy PM's you wanna send to me. If you'll excuse me, I gotta practise my goose step.
At that rate, they should make it part of a free health care screening. Get something useful out of it, at any rate.
I have a brother-in-law in the TSA. He says there's a lot of favoritism, nepotism, and other problems with personnel. He can't get a promotion because he's not "in" with the boss. Typical problems of many jobs, I suppose, but these people have some sayso over our actions.
My problem with the TSA is not the security screaning, it's the fact they have zero law enforcement background and are essentially glorified rent-a-cops. I've realized after the fact I carried on a pocket knife or razor, but got stopped and searched a few weeks back because I had nail clippers in my backpack. Got stopped on the way back going through the fancy new x-ray scanner because my shorts were kinda baggy and they couldn't tell if I was clear or not. Isn't that why you invented the new machines? I mean anyone can grab my ass, I just prefer it's not a 50 year old man I've never met at a random airport who supposedly just scanned me. I also once forgot to empty my water bottle before passing security. They seemed dismayed at what to do about it. While they were having a high level emergency meeting about it, I poured it out into a nearby potted plant. Problem solved. If anyone is wondering, the plant didn't explode.
I travel >100k miles each year for business and have virtually zero difficulty with TSA. Is it a nuisance, yes, compared to before 9/11, but their overal professionalism and job focus is comparable to any other business I experience. You do realize that the list the OP posted is pure satire, right? Know the rules, be prepared (shoes, laptop, empty bottle, etc.) and go through with a sense of humor and WHOOSH, you're on the other side and on to the airplane. All this anti-government, anti-TSA screeching is in the same league as birtherism. Most of it comes from people who don't even fly.
^ This. The TSA has never given me any shit. When I travel with my parents, they need separate screening (my dad's hip replacement, my stepmom's pacemaker) and the TSA are always total professionals with that. As for the groping? People should just go through the damn scanners. You get less radiation from those than simply BEING ON THE PLANE IN FLIGHT!
I've flown more in the last year than in the 30 years before--3 cross-country trips. Not a lot compared to some (Hiya, the Sho-Rin!), but enough for me to get prepared, including having Hubby empty his pockets and put everything into my purse.
We flew for the first time as a family (two adults, three kids) this summer. I was a paranoid wreck. On the trip out, my 10 year old's ticket was randomly chosen, but since they don't second-level-check kids, they just swabbed my hands. Easy peasy. They were sweet and nice and professional. I had expected so much more hassle, but it was very smooth.
Side note: Has anyone here run into difficulty with the TSA regarding those online check-in apps? I mean, when you go through with your paper boarding pass, they look at it, scribble a few things, then wave you on your way. What do they do if you have an airline app, or a boarding pass that they have emailed to you, on your smartphone? Are most TSA checkpoints equipped to deal with them?
^ I haven't personally done it, but I have seen others using those e-tickets, and there didn't seem to be any problems.
Where human beings are concerned, there will always be problems. Somebody somewhere manages to get into a position where they will abuse their authority. When you consider the millions of people who pass through TSA screenings, the number of reported incidents is significantly low. Another factor is airports. Some TSA departments may have weaker management at some locations, resulting in some personnel who may be less efficient and proper than others. But again, it has to be a minority of locations due to the number of people who travel. If a majority of TSA departments harassed passengers, there would be a far greater outcry.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ No assumption at all. I'm also keenly aware of what is going on around me and in my hundreds of TSA passages, I've only encountered one over-zealous agent who made me give up a can of shaving cream that was a fraction over the 3.4 limit. While I'm going through, I see everything from fellow travel pros to first-time flyers and the TSA staff is 99.9% patient and understanding. Unless you are reeking hostility, I doubt if you'll ever have a problem.
As the fairly-soon-to-be-husband of a TSA middle-manager I am officially obligated to protest this thread in the name of my government. Here goes. Sorry if any children had to witness that.