TSA wants to test your drink -- at the gate
Feb 25, 2011, 12:54 pm
#17
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A couple of weeks back I arrive STL on WN to change flights, had plenty of time before next flight so I get an over-priced coffee and return to my departure gate. Along comes a pair of TSO's approaching waiting passengers in the gate area and demanding (not asking) to swab the edge of beverage containers.
Female TSO asks for my coffee cup so that she can "test it". I asked her "test it for what", no answer, just a glare and second request for my coffee cup. I hand it to her and she pulls a swab out of her front pants pocket. The swab was not in a sterile package but just jammed in her pocket. She removes the lid of my cup, swabs inside the top of the rim, looks at the swab, hands it back to me and says "thank you". Off she goes to swab the next beverage. I tossed my over-priced coffee in the garbage.
Several questions I would have liked to ask her, but didn't. Primarily, why aren't you using a sterile-packaged swab? Secondly, why would I be ingesting something that could blow up or poison someone else? Also, since I'm inside the "sterile" area, and obviously purchased this drink inside the "sterile" area, shouldn't you be testing the beverages at the retail locations before they are sold to the traveling public?
Does anyone know what this is all about, and if it is something I refuse does it get me kicked out of the airport, or worse? My gut tells me this is just another in a long line of symbolism over substance harassment.
Sorry if this is a redundant post. It's my first one. Just found FT, and believe I have found some kindred spirits in regards to air travel in the days of the TSA, particularly in this forum. My thanks in advance.
Female TSO asks for my coffee cup so that she can "test it". I asked her "test it for what", no answer, just a glare and second request for my coffee cup. I hand it to her and she pulls a swab out of her front pants pocket. The swab was not in a sterile package but just jammed in her pocket. She removes the lid of my cup, swabs inside the top of the rim, looks at the swab, hands it back to me and says "thank you". Off she goes to swab the next beverage. I tossed my over-priced coffee in the garbage.
Several questions I would have liked to ask her, but didn't. Primarily, why aren't you using a sterile-packaged swab? Secondly, why would I be ingesting something that could blow up or poison someone else? Also, since I'm inside the "sterile" area, and obviously purchased this drink inside the "sterile" area, shouldn't you be testing the beverages at the retail locations before they are sold to the traveling public?
Does anyone know what this is all about, and if it is something I refuse does it get me kicked out of the airport, or worse? My gut tells me this is just another in a long line of symbolism over substance harassment.
Sorry if this is a redundant post. It's my first one. Just found FT, and believe I have found some kindred spirits in regards to air travel in the days of the TSA, particularly in this forum. My thanks in advance.
The
) at the gate has been going on for some time now and there is another thread out her some where on this subject but I would have stopped the TSO in their tracks simply because she pulled the swab out of her pocket and that is not sterile and as such, the test strip may already be contaminated-period and end of story. I would ask that a completely unused and sterile test strip be used and to have the TSO change their gloves right then and there or if not wearing gloves, to put on a pair of fresh gloves (and note, they probably will not have a "fresh supply of gloves" with them as they do at the checkpoint 
). If the TSO gives me lip, they will have two options.....I'll simply hand her my drink with a "here, you look thirsty so why don't you have my coffee which I just purchased inside the secure area of the terminal" and walk away or accidently drop my cup as I start to hand it to her for testing with a "geeez, I'm sorry about that"
Feb 25, 2011, 1:01 pm
#18
Join Date: Jan 2011
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This is crazy....
First it was holding a strip over the top of the drink and dropping water on it.
Now it's opening the lid and touching a dirty swab to it. Dirty pockets, dirty gloves, dirty swab which has been used on other drinks. Add to that the fact that some people remove their drink lids and drink from the cup, using the lid only to stop spillage and keep it warm...so you also have some other pax's germs being rubbed all over your cup in addition to everything else.
This is so disgusting.
No doubt I would be saying no. If they want to have a LEO throw me out of the airport because I don't want to catch who knows what from who knows who because of their disgusting make work projects, SO BE IT!!
First it was holding a strip over the top of the drink and dropping water on it.
Now it's opening the lid and touching a dirty swab to it. Dirty pockets, dirty gloves, dirty swab which has been used on other drinks. Add to that the fact that some people remove their drink lids and drink from the cup, using the lid only to stop spillage and keep it warm...so you also have some other pax's germs being rubbed all over your cup in addition to everything else.
This is so disgusting.
No doubt I would be saying no. If they want to have a LEO throw me out of the airport because I don't want to catch who knows what from who knows who because of their disgusting make work projects, SO BE IT!!
Last edited by Mimi111; Feb 25, 2011 at 1:40 pm
Feb 25, 2011, 1:11 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 121
Board of Health?
I know that they somehow magically managed to get nude-o-scopes listed as not medical equipment and therefore not under FDA approval, but...
...if they're swabbing cups with dirty/used swabs and dirty gloves, can't the Board of Health really shut this down fast?
...if they're swabbing cups with dirty/used swabs and dirty gloves, can't the Board of Health really shut this down fast?
Feb 25, 2011, 2:09 pm
#20
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 627
So...
What happens if I simply tell the TSO that s/he will _not_ be swabbing my drink? Ruling out "accidentally" dropping the drink (which would be assault if I did it maliciously to a fellow passenger), what can I do?
- If I say "no" and walk away, will the TSO (who has no legal authority to detain me) call over a LEO to escort me out of the "sterile" area?
- What if I just hand the drink to the TSA agent and walk away?
If I get escorted out of my originating "sterile" area, should I be able to return to ticketing and ask for my checked bag back?
Of course, this begs the even bigger question: if I get escorted out of my connecting "sterile" area for refusing a drink swab, can I go to ticketing, explain the situation, and get my checked bag?
A variance of this happened to my relatives in 2005. My grandparents, aunt, and cousin were flying PHL->CLT->TLH for my wedding, and got stuck in CLT. The airline was unable to get them to TLH in a reasonable amount of time, so it was basically "screw this; give us our checked bags and rent us a car one-way". Eight hours later, they arrived with time to spare.
What happens if I simply tell the TSO that s/he will _not_ be swabbing my drink? Ruling out "accidentally" dropping the drink (which would be assault if I did it maliciously to a fellow passenger), what can I do?
- If I say "no" and walk away, will the TSO (who has no legal authority to detain me) call over a LEO to escort me out of the "sterile" area?
- What if I just hand the drink to the TSA agent and walk away?
If I get escorted out of my originating "sterile" area, should I be able to return to ticketing and ask for my checked bag back?
Of course, this begs the even bigger question: if I get escorted out of my connecting "sterile" area for refusing a drink swab, can I go to ticketing, explain the situation, and get my checked bag?
A variance of this happened to my relatives in 2005. My grandparents, aunt, and cousin were flying PHL->CLT->TLH for my wedding, and got stuck in CLT. The airline was unable to get them to TLH in a reasonable amount of time, so it was basically "screw this; give us our checked bags and rent us a car one-way". Eight hours later, they arrived with time to spare.
Last edited by mahohmei; Feb 25, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Feb 25, 2011, 2:40 pm
#21
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If you had a life-threatening illness, the FDA wouldn't allow the Nude-O-Scope to be used even as a diagnostic tool because it hasn't been tested to their standards.
Feb 25, 2011, 2:43 pm
#22
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The insecurity swabs of drinks (purchased airside ) at the gate has been going on for some time now and there is another thread out her some where on this subject but I would have stopped the TSO in their tracks simply because she pulled the swab out of her pocket and that is not sterile and as such, the test strip may already be contaminated-period and end of story. I would ask that a completely unused and sterile test strip be used and to have the TSO change their gloves right then and there or if not wearing gloves, to put on a pair of fresh gloves (and note, they probably will not have a "fresh supply of gloves" with them as they do at the checkpoint ). If the TSO gives me lip, they will have two options.....
) at the gate has been going on for some time now and there is another thread out her some where on this subject but I would have stopped the TSO in their tracks simply because she pulled the swab out of her pocket and that is not sterile and as such, the test strip may already be contaminated-period and end of story. I would ask that a completely unused and sterile test strip be used and to have the TSO change their gloves right then and there or if not wearing gloves, to put on a pair of fresh gloves (and note, they probably will not have a "fresh supply of gloves" with them as they do at the checkpoint ). If the TSO gives me lip, they will have two options.....
Feb 25, 2011, 2:45 pm
#23
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The TSO insisted, I said, "no, thanks; have a good day."
They didn't like it, but they just left. I simply don't think there is anything they can do about it. A LEO probably cannot do anything about it either, because they cannot seize your property without a court order or some sort of cause. My guess is that in every case, if you insist, they'll just move on.
This testing accomplishes nothing other than employing more people on the backs of the US population at large, and everybody knows it. The TSO probably doesn't care either way.
Feb 25, 2011, 6:21 pm
#25
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Feb 25, 2011, 8:42 pm
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Feb 25, 2011, 9:07 pm
#28
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Feb 25, 2011, 10:02 pm
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