ekardz

i opt out on all flights since the beginning of this year, and while the process is a PITA - it's not the guy who is patting me down fault. he has a job to do, and while you may disagree with the politics behind it, you don't have to be mean to this employee.

Non-NonRev

At the FLL Terminal 3 Concourse F checkpoint (AA and B6), there is a metal detector only line to the far left. The TSOs will try to force the crush of kettles towards the other lines (some more insistent than others - they'll claim that this line is only for wheelchairs); but it you play it cool, you should be able to stay in the leftmost line

chollie

Yes, he has a job to do.

Accepting the fact that he has chosen to do this job, it most certainly is his fault (and that of his superiors) if he fails to perform his duties in a professional and respectful manner at all times (consistent with stated TSA goals).

Those duties officially do not include handling crotches, breasts, buttock cracks, faces, bare skin.

leonidas

Dude 14 million people are unemployed. Add to that a person having a mortgage, a life, kids etc all at a particular city. It's not easy to leave and get another job.

spades097

So now some of you people are going to automatically assume that the TSO made poor life choices and he now automatically deserves for you to treat him poorly before he even opens his mouth?

Some of you who claim to be really, really smart will find out how smart you are when you miss your flight because that same TSO decided to take a little extra time. After you do, be sure to continue your attitude when you get to the gate agent and just start listing your demands. I'm sure that will get you on the next flight ASAP. Oh, yeah, then when your bag gets gate checked, be sure to mouth off to the ramp agent too...I'm sure that tag won't fall off at all between the gate and the beltloader.

If you have a problem with TSA then take it up with your Congressman. The guy at the bottom of the ladder is not making the decisions.

A smile goes a long way to getting what you want...

puddinhead

99% of all TSA employees are pleasant and professional.
1% are either clueless or unhappy and shouldn't have contact with humans. I send letters (not email) to the head of the TSA for the ends of the bell curve - the exemplary should be recognized as well as the angry dregs.

It's not CBP, I have found the CBP all to be professional and courteous but through. All of them…

InkUnderNails

I can agree with this, but I would suggest it is closer to 5% not 1%. Let's not quibble over statistics.

When I have an interaction with the occasional difficult TSO, and within my rights I escalate to a higher authority, the person brought to mediate the situation will almost inevitably initially side with the difficult TSO, becoming an ally to the TSO. If I had gotten this new person first there may never have been a problem. Yet, because he is being asked to mediate a situation between one of his subordinates and a random "irate" passenger, it is now TSO's 2, passenger 1.

The further this continues, the worse it gets. Whether supervisors, managers, BDO's, LEO's, whoever is called to assist usually takes on the difficult nature of the initial TSO. Everyone of these people were likely very reasonable folks until asked to choose between the initial TSO and the passenger. It takes an extraordinarily wise and cognizant person to resist the natural tendency, and hopefully we can get one of those. Often we can. Many times we can not.

So while the difficult TSO's may be only 1% or 5%, it often occurs that encountering one of these turns the whole CP, or at least those in which we come in contact to also become difficult with which to deal. It temporarily skews the difficultness of the checkpoint, just for our observation and interaction. It explains why the vast majority of the people passing through the CP, let's say 95%-99% to correspond to the difficult TSO's, have no problem, but when problems occur, it seem the whole force of TSA's and LEO's seem to be difficult.

They are not normally difficult people with which to deal. They become this way out of convenience, returning to normal once the confrontation is over.

Global_Hi_Flyer

Sounds like a contradiction to me.

DeafBlonde

^ +100,000

sbagdon

Not as I understand it. Same-sex is suggested, yet seem to remember some smaller airports specifically stating that same-sex may not be available. Specifically relating to too few female TSOs, and female pax needing to be search by male TSOs.

spades097

So because a TSO can delay your screening that somehow makes him a decision maker for nationwide TSA policies?

InkUnderNails

Posted by spades097
Some of you who claim to be really, really smart will find out how smart you are when you miss your flight because that same TSO decided to take a little extra time.
..............
The guy at the bottom of the ladder is not making the decisions.[/QUOTE]


Actually, the guy at the bottom makes more decisions than one realizes. When I teach industrial management seminars, I tell them that while they think they are in charge, all they really do is buy the tools the employees need and relay the expectations of management. Thousands of times every day the employees on the floor make minute-by-minute decisions that determines the profitability of the organization. If they are making poor decisions, the company does not make money or its efficiency suffers.

It is similar, but not the exactly the same, with a government bureaucracy as it is in manufacturing. The government buys the tools and passes along policy and expectations. It is still the moment by moment decisions and actions at the point of service that defines the effectiveness of the implementation. If the policies are perfectly implemented, we would see high consistency across all implementations. We don't. So, they probably are not. That is a failure of the decision process at the point of implementation, not a failure of policy or management.

This process can be improved by proper training, but it never seems to be improved. That is a management failure. They fail to properly train people to make good decisions.

squeakr

Actually a couple of reminders:

1) Please don't refer to TSO's or each other as dolts, idiots, bottom feeders etc. It is SPECIFICALLY prohibited in the TSS forum and also throughout FT.
2) This is a PRACTICAL ISSUES forum. It is NOT the Debate and Discussion forum. It is one of the only forums (between the two) where similar topics can be started in each forum. One for discussion, one for practical advice. It doesn't come up often but when it does please go ahead and discuss the issues ion the Debate/Discussion forum.

3) We REALLY REALLY want this Practical Forum to be a place where people can come and ask questions, not always TSA related. We do not want those posters to avoid the forum because every simple question becomes an angry debate, For that reason we especially DO NOT WANT debate and snarkiness in this forum.

You know where to take ta discussion, please be so kind as to do so.

Thanks.

squeakr

co Mod TS/S

bpmtrain

I agree completely. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

cottonmather0

No. It's the willingness of the "players" to go along with the nonsense that enables it to go on. If someone is willing to degrade themselves for that job, then they can get all of the abuse they deserve for agreeing to treat their fellow citizens like common criminals.

For a lot of them, it's not "just a job", it's a chance to get a plastic badge and to lord authority over other people in higher social classes and to get sweet government bennies to boot.

I see it as my duty to push back as much as I can and not be a sheep. If they don't like it, they can go back to Walmart or Arby's.

And I've told a lot of them so and am not ashamed that I have.