ysolde

I have a severe shellfish allergy. I don't like the idea of this agent grabbing at the lobster and then potentially going through my clothes without washing his hands first. In all likelihood, nothing would happen to me. But . . .

Section 107

transmission received. I am familiar with such places.

petaluma1

Both the person who purchased the lobster and the person who provided and packed the lobster are upset by TSA taking and distributing the picture, as well they should be.

TSA's pitiful, stupid response:

http://whdh.com/news/woman-outraged-...r-she-shipped/

another article:

http://wtnh.com/2017/06/27/owner-of-...bster-picture/

TSA blew this one big time. :-)

txrus

What was the 'helpful travel tip' shared w/this picture??

As far as educating the public about their mission, they actually might have succeeded if the 'mission' of this picture is to show the traveling public what happens w/their personal belongings when left in the hands of these idiots.

chollie

The message this sent loud and clear, amplified by the TSOs idiot grin, is that TSA owns us and our belongings. They don't need a valid reason to open our bags, take things out of baggies, open LGAs, stick fingers in, and then grin like this guy when they toss everything back in a mess. They can open a bag and toss the contents and damage people's things because they're having a great time, and when they do something really outrageous, why, they get to take pictures.

This is 100% the face of a TSO who cuts your lock instead of using the keys, not beause the keys are a hassle, but because he gets a charge out of busting into people's luggage and messing with the contents just because he can.

Already heard on the radio this am: how many unpublished pictures are out there of this TSO and others like him clowning around and taking pictures with women's panties and sex toys?

Someone posted a picture on twitter. They very carefully and respectfully packed a US flag in their carry-on. TSA pulled the flag out, rumpled it up, and threw it back in. It looked like a TSO blew his nose on it.

Take a good look, ladies and gentlemen (and they are). This is the face of TSA. This is the face of someone who really takes his job seriously. This is a guy who is really focused on finding threats to aviation security.

And remember: he is not in this alone. Someone else took that picture - was it a slow day and no other bags need clearing? At least one LTSO and one STSO signed off on this behavior, and someone at HQ backed it up in the blog.

txrus

I'm not on twitter, but I hope those who are post appropriate responses to this twit (meaning the screener ) & his behavior. And for all of those who was saying, 'well, it's just a lobster...what's the big deal?', remember these idiots also 'screen' Fido & Fluffy when they fly in the hold.

For the $8B+/yr these idiots get, we ALL have a right to expect better

petaluma1

Many are doing so but many more think it's funny. They are the same people who believe that TSA keeps them safe.

MSPeconomist

Has there been any report regarding whether the lobster arrived at its destination safely? I'm imagining the TSA employees tossing it back into the bag with other items and without any water for it. Or maybe they were just careless about repacking all of the customer's possessions and left the lobster forgotten on the floor, until some TSA employee remembered to take it home for dinner.

chollie

Allegedly, he had to take the lobster out to clear it.

We are told that the only bags that get opened for inspection are the ones flagged by the CT scanners.

So he opened the bag and took out the 'suspicious' lobster. It's an 'organic', and we all know TSA is very concerned about organics and test scores right now.

I know this is SSI, so I can only speculate. Here's a very large lobster that has been removed so it can be physically cleared.

How did the grinning TSO 'clear' the lobster when he was finished clowning around? Did he open the claws or examine the body to see if it looked like explosives were concealed somewhere on the lobster? Did he swab and test the lobster?

Or did he just take it out to see how big it was and to clown around and take selfies? Did he then just cram it back in its container after his not-so-extensive 'visual' inspection?

Seriously? That lobster didn't get its gonads diddled and its anal area probed like I have to when I fly?

Boggie Dog

Lobster I have seen shipped from lobster pounds in Maine were packed in boxes with seaweed used a a liner and cushion. Also provides a moist atmosphere. No standing water.

petaluma1

Yes, it did arrive but not packed the way it had been originally. The recipient says that next year he will drive to CT to pick it up his lobster order rather than allow it to go through TSA.

petaluma1

That's basically the way this one was packed until the TSA messed with it. The large lobster was on the bottom of the cooler with the smaller ones on top with saltwater cloths to keep them moist. The stupid screener put the smaller ones back in the cooler first and the larger one on top.

MSPeconomist

One (big) lobster per year? Is he eating the lobster or putting it into a koi pond?

ADDED after seeing reference to the smaller lobsters: Or is the lobster being used for scientific research?

chollie

TSA: "We train our officers to repack bags carefully and respectfully at the 'academy'".

TSA SSI: "Our screeners have the final say on how to do their jobs".

ysolde

So this TSA agent is futzing around with seaweed and a lobster, all with bare hands, then moving on to someone else's (possibly my) suitcase, touching my clothes (possibly my underthings, although they are packed in packing cubes), all with bare hands? Does he wash his hands carefully and thoroughly between these tasks? Or does he expose people to potentially lethal allergens, because . . . well, anything to keep the flying public safe from lobsters, I suppose?