Outrageous TSA employee acts like SS officer
Jul 17, 2017, 9:59 am
#16
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I'd like to see a simple law:
Government officials (including those under private authority--say, private prison guards) have no official power unless they have their name badge properly displayed. If it's not showing John Q. Public can simply ignore them as if they were just another person. (An exception would exist for law enforcement whose badge came off/became unreadable due to the incident. You can't stop a cop from arresting you by spray-painting his name.)
Government officials (including those under private authority--say, private prison guards) have no official power unless they have their name badge properly displayed. If it's not showing John Q. Public can simply ignore them as if they were just another person. (An exception would exist for law enforcement whose badge came off/became unreadable due to the incident. You can't stop a cop from arresting you by spray-painting his name.)
I've posted on the TSA Blog a question asking if screeners are required to ID themselves in some manner if asked. Since we already know that only valid information comes directly from TSA I'll be interested in seeing how quickly my question is answered.
Jul 17, 2017, 11:39 am
#17
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That is so aggravating! There is definitely a passive-aggressive bent to the TSA power trips. It's like they want to see you jump through some kind of subservience hoop of not hoping for anything good or even fair, and then they may or may not bestow kindness upon you, @SpinOn2 ...
Jul 17, 2017, 2:00 pm
#18
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In the case of TSA the screeners should be required to wear a vest with a large fluorescent numbers on the back., large enough to read from several feet away. I don't care what their name is as long as there is some method to identify any given screener.
I've posted on the TSA Blog a question asking if screeners are required to ID themselves in some manner if asked. Since we already know that only valid information comes directly from TSA I'll be interested in seeing how quickly my question is answered.
I've posted on the TSA Blog a question asking if screeners are required to ID themselves in some manner if asked. Since we already know that only valid information comes directly from TSA I'll be interested in seeing how quickly my question is answered.
Jul 17, 2017, 3:12 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Semi-rant here. Not an injustice like, but really ticked me off.
I am rushing into JFK terminal 8 yesterday with about 15 min before my flt closes. My own fault, as I was transferring from LGA, something I have done many times in 2 hrs, but today was unfortunate for delays.
Of course my bag gets sent to the side for manual inspection nonsense. Already irritating enough as a Global Entry Member with TSA Pre, and a security access level clearance for airport ramps/planes up until last year when I left the airlines industry. But regardless they have to do their job so it is what it is. I asked the TSA guy if he could check mine first as the lady before me did not mind, and I was going to miss soon. The guy looked up at me, and did not even reply. Then they start moving even slower. He definitely heard me. So now I am irritated, this time I said "Hello I am asking you a question at least have the decency to respond". Again, he ignores me and starts talking to his colleague like I don't exist.
Then I was livid. I know it's not their fault I was behind, but to treat people like you are their superiors, like they are below even a response when asked a simple question, that does not fly with me. I let my anger get the best of me and definitely had some words for them
Thankfully I did a dead sprint to the other side and made my flt with 1 min to spare.
I am sick of these TSA people who have an authority complex, especially considering how horrible they actually are at stopping things getting thru.
I am rushing into JFK terminal 8 yesterday with about 15 min before my flt closes. My own fault, as I was transferring from LGA, something I have done many times in 2 hrs, but today was unfortunate for delays.
Of course my bag gets sent to the side for manual inspection nonsense. Already irritating enough as a Global Entry Member with TSA Pre, and a security access level clearance for airport ramps/planes up until last year when I left the airlines industry. But regardless they have to do their job so it is what it is. I asked the TSA guy if he could check mine first as the lady before me did not mind, and I was going to miss soon. The guy looked up at me, and did not even reply. Then they start moving even slower. He definitely heard me. So now I am irritated, this time I said "Hello I am asking you a question at least have the decency to respond". Again, he ignores me and starts talking to his colleague like I don't exist.
Then I was livid. I know it's not their fault I was behind, but to treat people like you are their superiors, like they are below even a response when asked a simple question, that does not fly with me. I let my anger get the best of me and definitely had some words for them
Thankfully I did a dead sprint to the other side and made my flt with 1 min to spare.
I am sick of these TSA people who have an authority complex, especially considering how horrible they actually are at stopping things getting thru.
You show up at a checkpoint well after the recommended time for arrival for your flight, which you admit is your own fault. You ask TSA to violate their own procedures by screening your items ahead of someone else's items. When they do decide to check your items (note: it's unclear to me from your description abovewhether or not they granted that request for early screening), they take extra time to perform their screening. Nowhere do you claim that the manner in which they checked your items was inappropriate, only time-consuming and silent.
And this is TSA's problem, how, exactly?
If one believes in the myth of the terrorist trying to smuggle contraband through a TSA checkpoint, it's not hard to imagine the scenario of terrorist pretending to be the impatient business traveler, pushing to the front of the line and demanding expedited screening in order to "make his flight", thereby hoping to push the TSOs into inadequately screening the presented items. Or, perhaps, the TSO sees you as an indercover TSA inspector attempting a sting operation, by seeing if they can induce a TSO into performing an inadequate screening, which seems far more likely.
Yes, the TSOs did not speak to you. But, as I've said in many threads before, there really is no point in TSOs addressing passengers. If every passenger is a potential threat, then there's no reason for TSOs to trust anything that a passenger says. And anything that a TSO says becomes a matter of public record, subject to public scrutiny.
Because I suspect that the TSOs would have really liked to respond to you in anger (as with the SS-like remarks that started this thread). And then we'd be having yet another discussion about how TSOs talk inappropriately to passengers and ought to learn more respect, even when treated disrespectfully by passengers.
Up-thread, we're criticizing TSOs for how they talk to passengers. You're criticizing TSOs for how they don't talk to passengers. I suppose TSOs can't win, can they?
(Obligatory Disclaimer: Don't mistake me for a TSA apologist. I've criticized TSA plenty in these forums.)
Jul 17, 2017, 3:48 pm
#20
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Jul 17, 2017, 4:08 pm
#22
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... until some arrogant passenger decides that a TSOs "polite and respectful" talk is neither, because the TSO won't waive a checkpoint rule, or won't genuflect when they pull a DYKWIA maneuver, or won't respond quickly enough to the passenger, or ...
I repeat my previous assertion. As TSA policies currently exist, there is no reason for TSOs and passengers to talk to one another beyond the barest minimum required to conduct the screening process --- and plenty of reasons for them not to talk to one another.
TSA, as the party with most of the power at the checkpoint, is in the best position to change that, of course. I won't hold my breath.
I repeat my previous assertion. As TSA policies currently exist, there is no reason for TSOs and passengers to talk to one another beyond the barest minimum required to conduct the screening process --- and plenty of reasons for them not to talk to one another.
TSA, as the party with most of the power at the checkpoint, is in the best position to change that, of course. I won't hold my breath.
Jul 17, 2017, 4:44 pm
#23
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... until some arrogant passenger decides that a TSOs "polite and respectful" talk is neither, because the TSO won't waive a checkpoint rule, or won't genuflect when they pull a DYKWIA maneuver, or won't respond quickly enough to the passenger, or ...
I repeat my previous assertion. As TSA policies currently exist, there is no reason for TSOs and passengers to talk to one another beyond the barest minimum required to conduct the screening process --- and plenty of reasons for them not to talk to one another.
TSA, as the party with most of the power at the checkpoint, is in the best position to change that, of course. I won't hold my breath.
I repeat my previous assertion. As TSA policies currently exist, there is no reason for TSOs and passengers to talk to one another beyond the barest minimum required to conduct the screening process --- and plenty of reasons for them not to talk to one another.
TSA, as the party with most of the power at the checkpoint, is in the best position to change that, of course. I won't hold my breath.
Jul 17, 2017, 6:11 pm
#25
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Jul 17, 2017, 6:17 pm
#26
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The guards at the gate of any military installation manage to be on alert for threats while still treating entrants with civility and professionalism.
The difference between the guards at the gate of a military installation and the TSA is that the former are generally held to a common, enforced standard.
Jul 17, 2017, 6:18 pm
#27
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Jul 17, 2017, 7:33 pm
#28
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Nonsense.
The guards at the gate of any military installation manage to be on alert for threats while still treating entrants with civility and professionalism.
The difference between the guards at the gate of a military installation and the TSA is that the former are generally held to a common, enforced standard.
The guards at the gate of any military installation manage to be on alert for threats while still treating entrants with civility and professionalism.
The difference between the guards at the gate of a military installation and the TSA is that the former are generally held to a common, enforced standard.
But...TSA does not exactly have training, standards, education, expectations, etc. in anyway commensurate with the US armed services!
Jul 17, 2017, 7:41 pm
#29
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... until some arrogant passenger decides that a TSOs "polite and respectful" talk is neither, because the TSO won't waive a checkpoint rule, or won't genuflect when they pull a DYKWIA maneuver, or won't respond quickly enough to the passenger, or ...
I repeat my previous assertion. As TSA policies currently exist, there is no reason for TSOs and passengers to talk to one another beyond the barest minimum required to conduct the screening process --- and plenty of reasons for them not to talk to one another.
TSA, as the party with most of the power at the checkpoint, is in the best position to change that, of course. I won't hold my breath.
I repeat my previous assertion. As TSA policies currently exist, there is no reason for TSOs and passengers to talk to one another beyond the barest minimum required to conduct the screening process --- and plenty of reasons for them not to talk to one another.
TSA, as the party with most of the power at the checkpoint, is in the best position to change that, of course. I won't hold my breath.
Jul 17, 2017, 7:54 pm
#30
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