Morning departure, BWI, D-gates. The WTMD TSO is shouting out orders to those of us waiting to deposit our belongings on the conveyor belt. "One bin per person, no exceptions, unless you have more than one laptop, one bin per person."
Now haven't we've all been drilled that the laptop must go in its own separate bin so it can be easily viewed on the x-ray? And I'm not gonna dump my Kippie bag, jacket, shoes and belt on the conveyor belt.
I see LOTS of empty bins at the end of the table. It's not like we have a bin shortage here. I'm thinking what we have here is a case of somebody on a power trip.
So I grab two bins.
Oh, he didn't like that. Not one bit. He's staring at me, repeating his mantra, and I'm staring at him right back. As I get ready to shove my two bins through the x-ray, he walks through the WTMD, grabs the bin with my jacket, Kippie bag and belt, and says, "I said one bin per person. That's the limit."
My response, "Is that so? And what exactly do you propose we do given that the laptop goes through separately?"
He takes my jacket, belt and Kippie bag and places them on TOP of the lap top, pushes the loaded bin through the X-ray followed by my shoes. Hands the confiscated second bin to an associate and waits for me on the other side of the WTMD.
I hand him my boarding card, and he hands it back to me. No retaliatory secondary which honestly surprised me.
Then he scolds me, "Next time listen to us. We know how to get you through (security) quickly. That's why we're the TSA's Number 1 Airport in the country".
I turned to him and just started laughing out loud. I couldn't help it, what he said was just so silly sounding. Which infuriated him even more but at that point I was already through the WTMD and had my boarding pass back in hand.
Yeah, BWI is the number 1 airport in the country. Makes me wonder who came in last...
Last edited by El Cochinito; Mar 4, 08 at 10:05 am..
That's a new one. Good move on getting your materials back before the retaliatory secondary. Oh wait, that never happens.
With the absence of dedicated bag feeders, one thing I find amusing at all airports is how TSAers will walk by the mouth of the x-ray while doing something else (re-stocking bins, yelling at passengers, whatever) and diligently change the bin insertion to go width-wise, and not length-wise.
It's clearly something that's done everywhere, so the chuckles I get are frequent. As if changing those bins are going to make a difference how long it takes to go through the dog-and-pony show.
With the absence of dedicated bag feeders, one thing I find amusing at all airports is how TSAers will walk by the mouth of the x-ray while doing something else (re-stocking bins, yelling at passengers, whatever) and diligently change the bin insertion to go width-wise, and not length-wise.
It's just habit.
__________________ The views expressed here are my own and in no way represent the views of the TSA, DHS, or any other ABC agency.
One bin per person, great! I assume that means I no longer have to take my (non-alarming) coat off, no longer have to take my shoes off, no longer have to take my freedom-baggie out of my rollaboard, and no longer have to put my laptop in a separate bin? Right?
Yeah, BWI is the number 1 airport in the country. Makes me wonder who came in last...
I consider BWI to have some of the LEAST professional screeners in the country... and without any exaggeration, I've flown through at least 40 different US airports over the past two years.
"uhhh, excuse me, Mr. TSO, but your own published regulations REQUIRE that I place my laptop in a separate bin....can I have it in writing that you are forcing me to do otherwise?...You, know just in case Kippie decides to fine me..."
No. There's no justification for that. The TSA guy was just trying to do his job and make things quicker for travelers. I'm sure that the OP has complained numerous times about the lack of bins and the time it takes to get past security. So TSA helps clear up those problems.
I see a lot of people on this forum take out their hatred of TSA policies and security measures on the people on the ground.
If you have a compliant, then complain effectively, not by this childish passive-agression. Complain to the DHS, complain to your Congressional representative, but don't be a jerk to the guy who's getting paid by the hour and just doing his job.
And the laughter was inexcusable. I can't imagine that there's too much the TSA guys on the ground can take pride in (as far as work goes) and being #1 in the country is something they can. And the OP mocked that. How low can you go?
And then you people talk about the arrogance of the TSA guy.
Last edited by essxjay; Mar 4, 08 at 5:55 pm..
Reason: Personal attack removed
No. There's no justification for that. The TSA guy was just trying to do his job and make things quicker for travelers. I'm sure that the OP has complained numerous times about the lack of bins and the time it takes to get past security.
The TSA guy was just trying to expose the OP's property to risk of damage (Those belts aren't exactly clean; I sure wouldn't place my coat on a dirty belt where someone's dirty shoes have been. At least you can see if the bin you put your coat in is full of mud. And don't get me started on the risk of loose items getting caught in the belt or in the rollers.) Of course, the TSA guy is immune to having to pay for any such damages.
Quote:
So TSA helps clear up those problems.
If TSA wants to clear up those problems, they can end the war on water, shoe carnival, and laptops out rule.
If an individual TSO is going to make up his own rules in violation of SOP (which this guy was doing), then why not make up rules that will speed up the process without increasing risk of damage to passenger property? (e.g., "laptops don't have to come out.")
Quote:
I see a lot of people on this forum take out their hatred of TSA policies and security measures on the people on the ground.
If you have a compliant, then complain effectively, not by this childish passive-agression. Complain to the DHS, complain to your Congressional representative, but don't be a jerk to the guy who's getting paid by the hour and just doing his job.
And the laughter was inexcusable. I can't imagine that there's too much the TSA guys on the ground can take pride in (as far as work goes) and being #1 in the country is something they can. And the OP mocked that. How low can you go?
I would be honored to go through behind the OP. The OP sounds like a model frequent flier to me.
Complaining to Congress and the DHS is not working. I'm against taking out our frustrations on random screeners who are following their own published rules, as a good number of them seem to be reasonable human beings caught up in a bad agency. (E.g., most TSAers on FT.)
But when a TSO starts being a jerk and/or making up his own rules to the detriment of the passenger, all bets are off. If enough people complain and take it out on the bad guys individually, then maybe they'll complain to their leadership, quit, or just see the error in their ways.
Last edited by essxjay; Mar 4, 08 at 6:07 pm..
Reason: Quoted material deleted
One-stop shopping. 
Are you prepared for an emergency? 
I consider BWI to have some of the LEAST professional screeners in the country... and without any exaggeration, I've flown through at least 40 different US airports over the past two years.
