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TSA caused me to miss my flight
Went through Hector Field (FAR) in Fargo, ND this morning. Had an 11:00 am flight to MSP. I went thru security, opted out of the ProVision ATD phone booth machine.
At the end of security checkpoint is an area they call "Composure Area" as indicated by the signs in the area. Behind those benches are some padded airport gate area type chairs against the window. That's where I sat, did some computer work, made a call, and watched people going thru the checkpoint. At one point, I saw a man having something taken out of his bag and got up to watch the exchange, at a distance of about 7 feet.. He had to end up taking his Leatherman tool back to the car. After that exchange, I went back and sat down.
Close to time to board the plane, an airport LEO came over and started asking me questions about my trip, why was I here, whre was I going, etc.
He told me he was asking because TSA was suspicious of me and my "increased interest" in what they were doing. Time to board, I gave the GA my BP and went down the jetway. As I was about to enter the plane, the TSA 3-striper called to me and asked me to come back up for a minute.
The minute turned into a long wait. He said they were suspicious of my "increased interest". He said they were concerned that I was trying to see something. I asked what I could possibly see that I would not have already seen when I went thru the checkpoint myself. I should have told him I was watching over other pax belongings so nothing would get stolen by TSA. After much discussion about that, about whether or not I really did anythiing wrong or illegal (he admitted I didn't), the poiice were called. I was somewhat belligerent and defended myself with everything I could remember from my FT brethren. He said he was going to have to write a report and needed my ID and BP. I said nothing doing. "You've already seen my BP and ID when I went thru security. You won't see it again. I won that argument. He was waiting for a phone call from his "supervisor" on how to deal with me. After the plane was already gone, they called and said his supervisor wanted to bring in the Fargo police, so then they came. After much discussion about my behavior being suspicious to TSA and really to him also, and the responsibilities (and merits) of the TSA, he cleared me and so now here I sit waiting for the next flight. I will be submitting a complaint form with the name and badge number of the 3-striper.
Apparently, you aren't supposed to watch them while they do their job, but that isn't going to stop me. It's still a free country, although I'm beginning to wonder.
I know there's more to the story, but I need to get ready to board the next flight. Hopefully, they won't try to make me miss this one too!
Went through Hector Field (FAR) in Fargo, ND this morning. Had an 11:00 am flight to MSP. I went thru security, opted out of the ProVision ATD phone booth machine.
At the end of security checkpoint is an area they call "Composure Area" as indicated by the signs in the area. Behind those benches are some padded airport gate area type chairs against the window. That's where I sat, did some computer work, made a call, and watched people going thru the checkpoint. At one point, I saw a man having something taken out of his bag and got up to watch the exchange, at a distance of about 7 feet.. He had to end up taking his Leatherman tool back to the car. After that exchange, I went back and sat down.
Close to time to board the plane, an airport LEO came over and started asking me questions about my trip, why was I here, whre was I going, etc.
He told me he was asking because TSA was suspicious of me and my "increased interest" in what they were doing. Time to board, I gave the GA my BP and went down the jetway. As I was about to enter the plane, the TSA 3-striper called to me and asked me to come back up for a minute.
The minute turned into a long wait. He said they were suspicious of my "increased interest". He said they were concerned that I was trying to see something. I asked what I could possibly see that I would not have already seen when I went thru the checkpoint myself. I should have told him I was watching over other pax belongings so nothing would get stolen by TSA. After much discussion about that, about whether or not I really did anythiing wrong or illegal (he admitted I didn't), the poiice were called. I was somewhat belligerent and defended myself with everything I could remember from my FT brethren. He said he was going to have to write a report and needed my ID and BP. I said nothing doing. "You've already seen my BP and ID when I went thru security. You won't see it again. I won that argument. He was waiting for a phone call from his "supervisor" on how to deal with me. After the plane was already gone, they called and said his supervisor wanted to bring in the Fargo police, so then they came. After much discussion about my behavior being suspicious to TSA and really to him also, and the responsibilities (and merits) of the TSA, he cleared me and so now here I sit waiting for the next flight. I will be submitting a complaint form with the name and badge number of the 3-striper.
Apparently, you aren't supposed to watch them while they do their job, but that isn't going to stop me. It's still a free country, although I'm beginning to wonder.
I know there's more to the story, but I need to get ready to board the next flight. Hopefully, they won't try to make me miss this one too!
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
You asked for it. Unusual behaviour and interest drew attention to you and then a belligerent attitude increased your chances of being delayed.
Exactly. Polite firmness is the only way to deal with the TSA.
Remember, the TSA is just like your local Department of Motor Vehicles. They feed on John Q. Public belligerently asserting themselves and if for any arbitrary reason they decide you're not going to get something, cry as you might you're not going to get it.
He said they were suspicious of my "increased interest".
This is what happens when you hire pizza delivery drivers and high-school dropouts, give them 8 hours of training, then tell them to detect and handle "suspicious" behavior patterns--training that takes weeks, if not months, for a real law enforcement agency to administer.
__________________ Every increment of radiation exposure produces an incremental increase in the risk of cancer.
Frankly, I don't know how you can stand spending more time near them than absolutely required, but I also don't know why they see a problem with it. It's not like they have anything to hide.
This type of thing has happened to me before. I said that I was curious and just watching the screening procedures to kill time because I was bored. They left me alone.
Sorry, this one's on OP. Whatever the policy merits of TSA and its procedures are, there's nobody at the airport worth making policy arguments to. You aren't obligated to engage with TSA, but if you choose to, you aren't advancing the ball by being belligerent.
All of this is borne out by the fact that local law enforcement got involved. It's not clear to me whether there was any "belligerence" toward them, but if so, that's always a bad thing.
As to the ID/BP issue, they gave up on that because they knew they could -- and almost certainly have -- already pulled the information from the carrier since they know exactly who you are.
To be frank, if I were the pax you were observing at the checkpoint and I saw you, I would ask the Officer to see what is up for my own personal privacy reasons having nothing to do with whether TSA cares or doesn't.
It's not fair to say TSA caused you to miss a flight if you were engaging in behavior that a reasonable person would find suspicious. Sitting and watching the checkpoint isn't something that most people do. I get the feeling that you were watching more than just one passenger. If you really were watching pax belongings, I could see why TSA would be interested in you. How many times did you stand up and watch?
No matter what airport I'm at, immediately after going through the TSA, my steps are as follows:
- Shoes back on.
- Make an immediate beeline for my departure gate, no pausing, no passing Go.
- Find something to do for the next 90 minutes, like window-shop or have a meal at the nearest food area.
My goal? Have as little TSA interaction or observation as possible, for both my blood pressure and not wanting to be flagged as a terrorist, since watching the TSA checkpoint is apparently terrorist activity. This especially applies at TLH, where disappearing into the crowd is impossible because there's no crowd.
This reinforces my opinion that the TSA clerks should have zero authority to touch or interact with already-screened passengers. If you think of the airport as a gated community, do you really want the rent-a-dropout at the entrance gate to be allowed to walk around the community and harass people who were already given permission to enter?
I put the fault here on the TSA. Forget "suspicious"; what someone does while waiting for a flight is nobody's business, and that includes finding a quiet corner of the concourse, laying out a prayer rug, and doing Islamic prayers. It sounds like the TSA clerks here were just angry that someone was watching them "work", and if FAR is a small airport like TLH, they can easily track one person around. Obviously, if you walk off in ATL, you're gone without a terminal dump.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cbn42
This type of thing has happened to me before. I said that I was curious and just watching the screening procedures to kill time because I was bored. They left me alone.
that's what I initially told them. they didnt leave me alone.
Perhaps if they had come to me and asked me to move along, I would havve done so. But they didn't say anything until they pulled me out of the jetway.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zitsky
It's not fair to say TSA caused you to miss a flight if you were engaging in behavior that a reasonable person would find suspicious. Sitting and watching the checkpoint isn't something that most people do. I get the feeling that you were watching more than just one passenger. If you really were watching pax belongings, I could see why TSA would be interested in you. How many times did you stand up and watch?
I wasn't "watching" passengers, I was off and on observing people (pax and screeners) as they went thru the process.
and I only watched one guy when I stood up, and it wasnt obvious, just leaned against a wall nearby and looked in that direction.
and I didn't say I was watching their belongings, I said I should have said that I was.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mahohmei
No matter what airport I'm at, immediately after going through the TSA, my steps are as follows:
- Shoes back on.
- Make an immediate beeline for my departure gate, no pausing, no passing Go.
- Find something to do for the next 90 minutes, like window-shop or have a meal at the nearest food area.
My goal? Have as little TSA interaction or observation as possible, for both my blood pressure and not wanting to be flagged as a terrorist, since watching the TSA checkpoint is apparently terrorist activity. This especially applies at TLH, where disappearing into the crowd is impossible because there's no crowd.
This reinforces my opinion that the TSA clerks should have zero authority to touch or interact with already-screened passengers. If you think of the airport as a gated community, do you really want the rent-a-dropout at the entrance gate to be allowed to walk around the community and harass people who were already given permission to enter?
I put the fault here on the TSA. Forget "suspicious"; what someone does while waiting for a flight is nobody's business, and that includes finding a quiet corner of the concourse, laying out a prayer rug, and doing Islamic prayers. It sounds like the TSA clerks here were just angry that someone was watching them "work", and if FAR is a small airport like TLH, they can easily track one person around. Obviously, if you walk off in ATL, you're gone without a terminal dump.
FAR IS a small airport, only 3-4 gates, and I can't hide anyway, I stand out in a crowd at 6'8", so I'm not normal looking anyway.
I did have my yellow Flyertalk.com luggage tags on my laptop bag. maybe they didn't like my support of flyertalk
FAR IS a small airport, only 3-4 gates, and I can't hide anyway, I stand out in a crowd at 6'8", so I'm not normal looking anyway.
I did have my yellow Flyertalk.com luggage tags on my laptop bag. maybe they didn't like my support of flyertalk
Wouldn't surprise me; I've always wondered if TSA clerks have a universal unofficial (or official) hatred of FT, and if it's even discussed in employee "training" as a "website where people post secret information that terrorists could use to compromise our security".
My dad has a Turkish Airlines "circular red/white logo" luggage tag on the top loop of his backpack that he got while flying TK recently. I told him, "I hope the TSA clerks never realize what that is and that Turkey is 99% Muslim!"; I think he's pretty safe in that regard, as I can't imagine a TSA clerk spotting and recognizing the TK logo.
