Being "Literal" with TSA is fun

Old Apr 23, 2015, 5:15 pm
  #46  
 
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Originally Posted by zitsky
I'll tell you anyway, you certainly sound like a jerk but I know you don't care. I don't like TSA either but I don't deal with them by acting like a 5 year old.
I'm more of a 7 year old. But thanks anyway.
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Old Apr 23, 2015, 5:35 pm
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Originally Posted by pinniped
And acting like a spoiled little brat to the TSA agents is somehow supposed to make the process better for all of us?

I'm not following the logic. If anything, it seems to me that the OP's behavior has a much greater potential to make life more difficult for both himself and other passengers who later have to deal with the agent(s) he's bullied.
That's how you interpret it, fine. But you're looking at the small picture, just a small symptom of the bigger problem. The root cause of these feelings that the OP has towards the TSA, is due to the TSA and how they behave and perform.

We didn't see or hear about this much before the TSA came along and started making a mockery of security with federal employees.

Everybody can show their displeasure with a government entity however they see fit. Some may go so far as civil disobedience due to the TSA going too far, others won't take it that far, as the OP has decided to do. I commend the OP for showing restraint.

+1 to the OP.
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Old Apr 23, 2015, 5:38 pm
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Originally Posted by cynicAAl
I'm more of a 7 year old. But thanks anyway.
At least I know you have a sense of humor...
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Old Apr 23, 2015, 6:41 pm
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Seems like a lot of FTers who don't frequent the TS&S forum don't really get the whole anti-TSA attitude.

Well, I do frequent the TS&S forum, so let me explain it to you: OP acted like a jerk.

I don't know why, but acting like a jerk when confronted with mindless government drones makes some people feel good. Kinda like torturing bugs, I guess. I imagine that, if confronted by the other type of TSO one often encounters, i.e. the overbearing power-tripping bully, such jerks usually fold like a road map.

I despise TSA as an organization. But no matter how disgusted I am with TSA and any individual TSO, I like to keep one thought firmly in mind whenever I deal with them:

I am BETTER than they are.

But I am only better, I am only a superior person ethically and morally, when I act better than they act, which means I am never abusive, condescending, confrontational, or insulting. I treat TSOs with far more respect than they deserve, because to do any less would make me just like them.

And I despise them.
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Old Apr 23, 2015, 6:46 pm
  #50  
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The TSA continues to offend and violate rights basically because of the attitude of so many like the posters here. So what, what can we do about it, blahblahblah. So the OP did apparently the only thing left to do, since so many people are willing to accept this disgrace of a government agency. He let them know what so many agree with but are afraid to speak out about. We don't respect them even a little bit.
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Old Apr 23, 2015, 7:10 pm
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Originally Posted by NewportGuy
The TSA continues to offend and violate rights basically because of the attitude of so many like the posters here. So what, what can we do about it, blahblahblah. So the OP did apparently the only thing left to do, since so many people are willing to accept this disgrace of a government agency. He let them know what so many agree with but are afraid to speak out about. We don't respect them even a little bit.
Well we can argue effectiveness, but emailing or calling your House or Senate reps, writing the President or the people in charge of TSA is at least better than doing nothing at all. Some people are jerks to flight attendants and the like because they don't like their attitude, which seems to me not that different than how some people act toward employees of the TSA.

And please don't confuse having manners with being afraid to speak out about something.
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Old Apr 23, 2015, 9:54 pm
  #52  
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Originally Posted by zitsky
Well we can argue effectiveness, but emailing or calling your House or Senate reps, writing the President or the people in charge of TSA is at least better than doing nothing at all. Some people are jerks to flight attendants and the like because they don't like their attitude, which seems to me not that different than how some people act toward employees of the TSA.

And please don't confuse having manners with being afraid to speak out about something.
You have a choice of airlines, and F/As, when you fly, which is why many of us only fly international carriers when we can. You have NO option but to be subjected to the incompetence of the TSA. If they were actually succeeding at their jobs one could perhaps make a case. But they are inept and incompetent, have NEVER stopped a hijacking or attack, let countless weapons through (but never an oversized shampoo bottle ) but have the power of government behind them, making them untouchable.
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Old Apr 23, 2015, 10:52 pm
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Originally Posted by pinniped
But this clerk did none of those things. The clerk in question was professional and didn't take the bait, even though the OP was clearly taunting him.

Sounds like he "stuck to the rules" to me.



Oh good gawd, please stop it with the "liberty" stuff. I think most people agree it's totally fair game to criticize the TSA, comment on their tactics, and point out where the system can be improved. There are lots of threads here about legitimate misconduct by the TSA: that should absolutely be taken seriously.

But the OP's childish behavior isn't about "speaking out" or trying to enact positive change to the system. Hell, it isn't even an effective step towards the goal some people have of abolishing the whole thing entirely. It's just childish behavior, plain and simple. Like what my 7-year-old does what she doesn't get what she wants...
I agree with this. FNT is a pretty small airport, and outside of a small rush in the morning, it is pretty quiet throughout the rest of the day. I've flown out of Flint about 5 times, the staff there has always been pretty professional.

It's one thing for the TSA to try and waste your time and hassle you, but it sounds like the TSA person was trying to get you out as fast as possible. If you would have just shrugged it off for what it was (a random check), it would have taken probably 20 seconds.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 5:18 am
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Had all of us stood up to the TSA, especially in November of 2010, we could have put an end to the theater of the absurd called "security." Instead, most just put their tails between their legs, looked down and marched through the gauntlet of scans and gropes.

I applaud anyone who stands up to the TSA in any way whatsoever.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 5:46 am
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Originally Posted by KDS
TSO comes over and confirms my bags; apparently I'm to get a "random" bag check. He grabs my laptop bag and says , "grab your stuff and follow me." I replied, "that is my 'stuff' that you have." He stopped, thought for a moment, then said, "grab the rest of your stuff and follow me."
You sound like a typical maladjusted teenager. Which is ok if you are, we were all teenagers at some point in our lives. But a few years from now if you've matured normally, you'll look back at this post and cringe.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 5:54 am
  #56  
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Originally Posted by WillCAD
Seems like a lot of FTers who don't frequent the TS&S forum don't really get the whole anti-TSA attitude.

Well, I do frequent the TS&S forum, so let me explain it to you: OP acted like a jerk.

I don't know why, but acting like a jerk when confronted with mindless government drones makes some people feel good. Kinda like torturing bugs, I guess. I imagine that, if confronted by the other type of TSO one often encounters, i.e. the overbearing power-tripping bully, such jerks usually fold like a road map.

I despise TSA as an organization. But no matter how disgusted I am with TSA and any individual TSO, I like to keep one thought firmly in mind whenever I deal with them:

I am BETTER than they are.

But I am only better, I am only a superior person ethically and morally, when I act better than they act, which means I am never abusive, condescending, confrontational, or insulting. I treat TSOs with far more respect than they deserve, because to do any less would make me just like them.

And I despise them.
I agree with this. This "literal" stuff can be mildy amusing for about 5 nanoseconds with mates, but it is not very grown-up in an adult situation.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 6:00 am
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Originally Posted by KDS
Came through FNT this morning. Got the "random 'you've been randomly identified for screening'" beep from PreCheck WTMD. I sighed audibly and said something loud enough to hear.

TSO comes over and confirms my bags; apparently I'm to get a "random" bag check. He grabs my laptop bag and says , "grab your stuff and follow me." I replied, "that is my 'stuff' that you have." He stopped, thought for a moment, then said, "grab the rest of your stuff and follow me."

He says he's going to swab my bag and check it (doesn't say what he's checking for, of course). I said, "yeah, yeah, more stupid pet tricks."

He says, "the metal detector selected you for this screening, not us." I replied, "the metal detector is an inanimate object; it is incapable of selecting anything." He says, "didn't you hear that beep when you walked through?" I repeated my statement. He got a bit testy, but then left me alone.

When he came back and said all was ok, I replied, "wow, that really made a difference, didn't it." He walked away and we ended our encounter.

Another pax was in front of me in the PreCheck line; while checking his ID, the TSO said that "KDS" is behind you so the lane is definitely open (??). Guy turns to me and says, "it must be interesting that they know you by name." I replied, you should hear the stories as to why they know me; they're memorable ones.

Just another day of traveling under the bootheel of the blue-gloved agents of "freedom."
The Bad Guys won the war long ago.
You have lost the war.
Get over it!
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 7:17 am
  #58  
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Originally Posted by HarryHolden68
The Bad Guys won the war long ago.
You have lost the war.
Get over it!
And this demonstrates the problem.

Just be good sheeple and don't concern yourselves with abusive governments.

Had partisans throughout history taken this avenue our world would be a very different place.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 7:26 am
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Originally Posted by KDS
He says, "the metal detector selected you for this screening, not us." I replied, "the metal detector is an inanimate object; it is incapable of selecting anything."
I've had bad days, worse days, and really really bad days with the TSA. I've muttered a snooty comment twice (that I recall) since TSA's creation, but never did so with premeditation. When this happened, the clerk was doing something stupid that I knew he just made up. My emotions got the better of me.

It seems you are being intentionally snotty for the fun of it. Belittling someone about silly semantics about the machine selecting or not selecting you (which that person had nothing to do with) seems rude and petty. Your argument is not more literal or more proper. It's just petty. This reminds me of a story where somebody yelled "you're fat and stupid" at a little girl that stuttered, causing her to cry and suffer long-term issues.

You aren't making a little girl cry. What you are most likely doing is making an adult clerk mad. If he is better than you (think about that for a second), then he will shake it off and be a professional with everyone else. Many clerks will take out their frustration with you on the next person. Did you stop to think that you are likely instigating and perpetuating the behaviors you are complaining about?

Originally Posted by KDS
Just another day of traveling under the bootheel of the blue-gloved agents of "freedom."
I abhor TSA and their empire building, power grabbing, Constitution-ignoring, security theater. I despise that that they routinely harass people, routinely violate people's rights, and routinely fail to follow the rules (e.g., FOIA, public comments, radiation safety). I'm furious at the money they waste and how insiders get rich by selling junk solutions to their own fear-mongering. I don't have words that adequately describe my disgust at the POS and groping people when it's pretty clear that doing so is neither necessary nor effective. Don't even get me started on the deliberate sexual harassment and blatant cover-up/protection of the offenders/overt actions to shield the clerks and supervisors from prosecution that happened in DEN.

I politely stand up for my rights at checkpoints with facts and sound logic. I do what I can to try and influence the people at higher levels of TSA that actually make the decisions as well as Congress and the public at large. If everyone focus on doing the right things the right way, we would be much better off.

So, please tell me. How is belittling a clerk going to improve anything? Do you even care that your behavior may be the cause of that clerk being more abusive to someone else?

Originally Posted by WillCAD
Seems like a lot of FTers who don't frequent the TS&S forum don't really get the whole anti-TSA attitude.

Well, I do frequent the TS&S forum, so let me explain it to you: OP acted like a jerk.

I don't know why, but acting like a jerk when confronted with mindless government drones makes some people feel good. Kinda like torturing bugs, I guess. I imagine that, if confronted by the other type of TSO one often encounters, i.e. the overbearing power-tripping bully, such jerks usually fold like a road map.

I despise TSA as an organization. But no matter how disgusted I am with TSA and any individual TSO, I like to keep one thought firmly in mind whenever I deal with them:

I am BETTER than they are.

But I am only better, I am only a superior person ethically and morally, when I act better than they act,
which means I am never abusive, condescending, confrontational, or insulting. I treat TSOs with far more respect than they deserve, because to do any less would make me just like them.

And I despise them.
:-::-::-::-::-:
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 7:35 am
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Originally Posted by Boggie Dog
And this demonstrates the problem.

Just be good sheeple and don't concern yourselves with abusive governments.

Had partisans throughout history taken this avenue our world would be a very different place.
Oh that's right. Revolution. Works every time doesn't it. Even better if good old Uncle Sam can kick it off.

To retort...
Well, for a start the Middle East would be a far more stable place.
There wouldn't be a bunch of people running amok beheading innocent people.

Has it ever occured to anyone that if you demonstrated one iota of respect to the poor TSA agents, they may just replicate that? I think the TSA folk are great - never had a problem. But then I take time to talk to them like they are human beings. Ascede to their resonable requests and thank them for their time. You should try it - they are nice people.

They are doing an impossible job. Dammed if they do. Dammed if they don't. You should remember that and if you think you can do better, put your money where your opinions are!
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