TSA Says Pistol Decoration on Purse is “Offensive” to Travelers
Apr 23, 2014, 7:16 pm
#16
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
I have a pair of ... decidedly mixed thoughts.
Neither of them are about the passenger, though. She has the right to express herself through her choice of handbags.
Thought 1: at some level, the TSA supervisor was truthful when she pointed out that the purse could be seen as a threat. Yes, it's an utterly ridiculous threat. But we've seen airline passengers harassed by flight crews for wearing a Princess Bride T-shirt or reading books about aviation. I'm sure there's some rocket scientist out there who would see that purse and conjure up some imaginary threat based solely on the image of the firearms on the side of the purse.
So I could see the TSA manager attempting to let the passenger know that, while the purse was obviously not a threat to anyone, some folks might be bothered by it.
Thought 2: I'm not sure how a TSA manager conveys that idea to the passenger without it sounding like an order or a threat. A "suggestion" or a "request" from a person in authority usually comes across as an order. Yes, we all here know such instructions do not carry the force of law. But an ordinary passenger won't know that.
I tend to think that, especially because of the latter issue, the TSA manager should've kept silent on the issue --- even if that meant they had to deal with a problem created by an over-reacting passenger later on. But I'm not willing to completely condemn the manager, either. There may have been some good intention there, however poorly expressed.
Neither of them are about the passenger, though. She has the right to express herself through her choice of handbags.
Thought 1: at some level, the TSA supervisor was truthful when she pointed out that the purse could be seen as a threat. Yes, it's an utterly ridiculous threat. But we've seen airline passengers harassed by flight crews for wearing a Princess Bride T-shirt or reading books about aviation. I'm sure there's some rocket scientist out there who would see that purse and conjure up some imaginary threat based solely on the image of the firearms on the side of the purse.
So I could see the TSA manager attempting to let the passenger know that, while the purse was obviously not a threat to anyone, some folks might be bothered by it.
Thought 2: I'm not sure how a TSA manager conveys that idea to the passenger without it sounding like an order or a threat. A "suggestion" or a "request" from a person in authority usually comes across as an order. Yes, we all here know such instructions do not carry the force of law. But an ordinary passenger won't know that.
I tend to think that, especially because of the latter issue, the TSA manager should've kept silent on the issue --- even if that meant they had to deal with a problem created by an over-reacting passenger later on. But I'm not willing to completely condemn the manager, either. There may have been some good intention there, however poorly expressed.
Apr 24, 2014, 9:57 am
#18
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
I have a pair of ... decidedly mixed thoughts.
Neither of them are about the passenger, though. She has the right to express herself through her choice of handbags.
Thought 1: at some level, the TSA supervisor was truthful when she pointed out that the purse could be seen as a threat. Yes, it's an utterly ridiculous threat. But we've seen airline passengers harassed by flight crews for wearing a Princess Bride T-shirt or reading books about aviation. I'm sure there's some rocket scientist out there who would see that purse and conjure up some imaginary threat based solely on the image of the firearms on the side of the purse.
So I could see the TSA manager attempting to let the passenger know that, while the purse was obviously not a threat to anyone, some folks might be bothered by it.
Thought 2: I'm not sure how a TSA manager conveys that idea to the passenger without it sounding like an order or a threat. A "suggestion" or a "request" from a person in authority usually comes across as an order. Yes, we all here know such instructions do not carry the force of law. But an ordinary passenger won't know that.
I tend to think that, especially because of the latter issue, the TSA manager should've kept silent on the issue --- even if that meant they had to deal with a problem created by an over-reacting passenger later on. But I'm not willing to completely condemn the manager, either. There may have been some good intention there, however poorly expressed.
Neither of them are about the passenger, though. She has the right to express herself through her choice of handbags.
Thought 1: at some level, the TSA supervisor was truthful when she pointed out that the purse could be seen as a threat. Yes, it's an utterly ridiculous threat. But we've seen airline passengers harassed by flight crews for wearing a Princess Bride T-shirt or reading books about aviation. I'm sure there's some rocket scientist out there who would see that purse and conjure up some imaginary threat based solely on the image of the firearms on the side of the purse.
So I could see the TSA manager attempting to let the passenger know that, while the purse was obviously not a threat to anyone, some folks might be bothered by it.
Thought 2: I'm not sure how a TSA manager conveys that idea to the passenger without it sounding like an order or a threat. A "suggestion" or a "request" from a person in authority usually comes across as an order. Yes, we all here know such instructions do not carry the force of law. But an ordinary passenger won't know that.
I tend to think that, especially because of the latter issue, the TSA manager should've kept silent on the issue --- even if that meant they had to deal with a problem created by an over-reacting passenger later on. But I'm not willing to completely condemn the manager, either. There may have been some good intention there, however poorly expressed.
Whether he knew it or not, whether he was trying to be helpful or not, a uniformed, badged government employee attempted to stifle someone's freedom of speech/expression. As you said, anything such a government actor does can be easily misconstrued as carrying the force of law by those who are less knowledgeable about TSA and the actual limits of its power than FlyerTalkers (which seems to be almost everyone, including a lot of TSOs).
But the TSOs know this. In fact, some of them have actually used that fact to unfair or illegal advantage, flashing their badges and claiming to be "federal officers". This manager either knew, or reasonably should have known, that unless he explained his suggestion ad nauseum as being nothing more than a friendly suggestion, it had a great possibility of being taken as an official government-sanctioned order.
In short, the manager was either a jack-booted thug attempting to illegally restrict someone's freedom of expression, or he was an imbecile who didn't know that uniforms and badges can intimidate people.
Apr 24, 2014, 2:36 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
Hanlon's Law: never ascribe to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
Apr 25, 2014, 4:49 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,165
The common thread seems to be male clerks and teenage girls -- just circumstantial, of course...
Apr 25, 2014, 5:13 am
#21
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
Apr 25, 2014, 2:42 pm
#22
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: UK
Programs: MUCCI du gingembre cinquant, CAMRA
Posts: 1,275
Crossed swords, pikes, axes and a host of other weapons are common symbols. Presumably any member of her Majesty's armed forces with one of these would be declared offensive by TSA nay?
What a bunch of idiots, how dare they try to define what is offensive.
What a bunch of idiots, how dare they try to define what is offensive.
Apr 25, 2014, 3:05 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,165
Last edited by FliesWay2Much; Apr 25, 2014 at 5:26 pm
Apr 25, 2014, 3:23 pm
#24
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
Crossed swords, pikes, axes and a host of other weapons are common symbols. Presumably any member of her Majesty's armed forces with one of these would be declared offensive by TSA nay?
What a bunch of idiots, how dare they try to define what is offensive.
What a bunch of idiots, how dare they try to define what is offensive.