"I'm 87 years old!"
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 516
"I'm 87 years old!"
This weekend my wife and I accompanied my 87 year old mother on a trip to a family wedding. This was the first flight for either of them since the NoS and related TSA insanity was introduced.
Preparing for TSA I told my mother that due to her age she could keep her shoes on.
We departed from NoS-free DCA Terminal A. I went through the cattle chute first, followed by my mother and wife. At the luggage belt (right side) I observed an elderly gentleman get out of a wheelchair. A TSO was yelling at him to sit in a chair to take his shoes off. When the gentleman did not respond, the TSO simply yelled louder. And louder, and louder. Eventually someone accompanying the man saw a chair hidden behind a pole, and took the man there. The yelling subsided.
I went through the WTMD uneventfully and gathered our belongings. Suddenly I here the same TSO screaming "TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES!" I looked back and saw my mother behind the WTMD, being screamed at. The TSO screamed the same thing at her again. Evidently she wasn't processing his vitriol; my wife whispered the message in her ear. My mother then looked at the TSO and shouted "I'M 87 YEARS OLD!"
That infuriated the TSO and he screamed his message even louder.
My mother had to take her shoes off and slowly stumble through, despite the clear signs saying that if you were born on that date before 1938 you could keep your shoes on.
I did not witness anyone else getting yelled at, leading me to conclude that we travelled on TSA's unannounced "Abuse The Elderly Day"
My wife was considering flying to Florida next month. Now she's set on driving.
My mother took her last flight. We're not about to give TSA another shot at her.
Preparing for TSA I told my mother that due to her age she could keep her shoes on.
We departed from NoS-free DCA Terminal A. I went through the cattle chute first, followed by my mother and wife. At the luggage belt (right side) I observed an elderly gentleman get out of a wheelchair. A TSO was yelling at him to sit in a chair to take his shoes off. When the gentleman did not respond, the TSO simply yelled louder. And louder, and louder. Eventually someone accompanying the man saw a chair hidden behind a pole, and took the man there. The yelling subsided.
I went through the WTMD uneventfully and gathered our belongings. Suddenly I here the same TSO screaming "TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES!" I looked back and saw my mother behind the WTMD, being screamed at. The TSO screamed the same thing at her again. Evidently she wasn't processing his vitriol; my wife whispered the message in her ear. My mother then looked at the TSO and shouted "I'M 87 YEARS OLD!"
That infuriated the TSO and he screamed his message even louder.
My mother had to take her shoes off and slowly stumble through, despite the clear signs saying that if you were born on that date before 1938 you could keep your shoes on.
I did not witness anyone else getting yelled at, leading me to conclude that we travelled on TSA's unannounced "Abuse The Elderly Day"
My wife was considering flying to Florida next month. Now she's set on driving.
My mother took her last flight. We're not about to give TSA another shot at her.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,082
For a TSA clerk to be yelling at anyone is not acceptable and that person should be fired on the spot. The treatment of travelers by TSA is also unacceptable.
The only cure for TSA is complete removal of this cancer from the face of the earth.
The only cure for TSA is complete removal of this cancer from the face of the earth.
#3
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC
Posts: 6,091
Did you point out the sign to the TSA employee and tell him that your mother was born before the date indicated? If so and he still did not acquiesce, I would have stopped everything and called for a supervisor. This TSA employee was clearly out of bounds and needed to be dealt with.
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Yet again the TSA shows itself behaving like petty bullies who go after and try to intimidate persons or groups of persons that are more easily victimized or are disadvantageously marginalized in some largely immutable way at the time.
Given the proximity of TSA HQ to DCA, the signal from TSA management is very loud there.
Given the proximity of TSA HQ to DCA, the signal from TSA management is very loud there.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 516
Did you point out the sign to the TSA employee and tell him that your mother was born before the date indicated? If so and he still did not acquiesce, I would have stopped everything and called for a supervisor. This TSA employee was clearly out of bounds and needed to be dealt with.
I agree that push-back is necessary; I want to do so in a manner avoids tilting at windmills.
#8
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
I suspect that the only thing that would guarantee a response would be to get your local TV station to interview your mother on camera about her experience. TSA tends to respond swiftly to being publicly embarrassed like that. Unfortunately, that also puts your family in the position of making a public spectacle of themselves.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,082
The checkpoint is so small that the supervisor could readily see everything, and the TSO so loud that the supervisor had to hear. The fact that the supervisor did not intervene with the first gentleman meant the supervisor either approved, or did not care.
I agree that push-back is necessary; I want to do so in a manner avoids tilting at windmills.
I agree that push-back is necessary; I want to do so in a manner avoids tilting at windmills.
Any complaints filed with TSA disappear.
#10
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
#13
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 569
Silence is a form of compliance.
#14
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bahamas
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 958
No way I would let anybody shout at her in what you describe.
You should have done better!
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 516
Silence is a form of compliance.