How many times do you want to see my Boarding Pass?
Nov 11, 2004, 7:18 pm
#1
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How many times do you want to see my Boarding Pass?
Three times in CLE today!
1. When you enter the security line, an airport employee has to see it. You either have to go to the regular line, or the other line for "additional screening". SSSS I assume. One person in the SSSS line and a 20 minute wait in the regular line. No F line. I asked can I go for additional screening? No you have to use that line. OK fine.
2. A TSA employee at the end of the regular line has to see it and then directs you to one of the X-Ray lines they want you to use. OK fine, not an airport employee but TSA this time.
3. Go through the machine and have to show the TSA guy (again). The last TSA guy was 10 feet away. So I ask why do you need to see my Boarding Pass when one of your empoyees asked for it a minute ago 10 feet from you (as I point to the previous guy). Oh for security reasons Sir. I say, oh so you don't trust your employees to do it right the first time? Well Sir its for security reasons. I said, if he can't do his job correctly then fire him, but checking again when the guy is right there is just plain stupid.
and leave.
What is wrong with this picture? If they triple checked my bag I could at least 1/2 understand it, but this is absurd.
1. When you enter the security line, an airport employee has to see it. You either have to go to the regular line, or the other line for "additional screening". SSSS I assume. One person in the SSSS line and a 20 minute wait in the regular line. No F line. I asked can I go for additional screening? No you have to use that line. OK fine.
2. A TSA employee at the end of the regular line has to see it and then directs you to one of the X-Ray lines they want you to use. OK fine, not an airport employee but TSA this time.
3. Go through the machine and have to show the TSA guy (again). The last TSA guy was 10 feet away. So I ask why do you need to see my Boarding Pass when one of your empoyees asked for it a minute ago 10 feet from you (as I point to the previous guy). Oh for security reasons Sir. I say, oh so you don't trust your employees to do it right the first time? Well Sir its for security reasons. I said, if he can't do his job correctly then fire him, but checking again when the guy is right there is just plain stupid.
and leave.What is wrong with this picture? If they triple checked my bag I could at least 1/2 understand it, but this is absurd.
Nov 11, 2004, 7:37 pm
#2
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Won't professionalize 'til you federalize.
What part of World Class Security don't you understand?
Your papers, please.
Seriously, there is little real reason for the multiple ID/BP reviews, but give a government employee some money and some power and before you know it . . .
You could have gotten the SSSS full treatment if you had just said you lost your picture ID - because SSSS is the penalty for no ID. Try it next time the SSSS line is short and the regular line is lengthy.
What part of World Class Security don't you understand?
Your papers, please.
Seriously, there is little real reason for the multiple ID/BP reviews, but give a government employee some money and some power and before you know it . . .
You could have gotten the SSSS full treatment if you had just said you lost your picture ID - because SSSS is the penalty for no ID. Try it next time the SSSS line is short and the regular line is lengthy.
Nov 11, 2004, 7:37 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 801
My favorite is JAN (Jackson MS) where you have 3 people within 20 feet of each other all asking to see your BP. Keep in mind the security line is single file and usually they are only boarding for one flight at a time. Two of the requests are from TSAs standing within 5 feet of each other.
Nov 11, 2004, 8:23 pm
#4
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Originally Posted by FWAAA
Seriously, there is little real reason for the multiple ID/BP reviews, but give a government employee some money and some power and before you know it . . .
Their bosses are different, though. They need to justify their existance and salaries by doing something and, you know, asking n times for a boarding card is so much easier than catching a terrorist...
Nov 11, 2004, 9:03 pm
#5
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Nov 12, 2004, 11:34 am
#6
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Four Times
Today at San Jose, CA it was 4 times. Airport employee at front, followed by TSA. Then the TSA person at the magenetometer. Then one more TSA person, after you have claimed your luggage, before you actually leave the screening area. (This was not SSSS - just the regular line)
Nov 12, 2004, 1:08 pm
#7
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New TSA rules at PBI
Recently, I read a thread here where a TSA agent said that they will never ask for your ID. They are only concerned with the boarding pass for SSSS.
Went through security at PBI on Monday afternoon. After showing my boarding pass before the WTMD, a TSA agent on the other side asked to see my boarding pass and ID.
I guess it is true - Never say never.
Did notice at MEM that they have the area after the WTMD roped off and you have to show your boarding pass yet again to leave the security area. Seems like overkill that they did not trust the first 3 people checking the boarding pass to get it right.
Went through security at PBI on Monday afternoon. After showing my boarding pass before the WTMD, a TSA agent on the other side asked to see my boarding pass and ID.
I guess it is true - Never say never.
Did notice at MEM that they have the area after the WTMD roped off and you have to show your boarding pass yet again to leave the security area. Seems like overkill that they did not trust the first 3 people checking the boarding pass to get it right.
Nov 12, 2004, 3:01 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Arlington VA
Posts: 5,735
Originally Posted by thesaints
Yes, if you mean DHS top brass. Don't think the TSA peones enjoy particularly harrassing passengers with unreasonable requests to show boarding cards.
Nov 12, 2004, 3:26 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Originally Posted by AArlington
I seriously wonder if the TSA top brass get out much and fly much.
Nov 12, 2004, 4:38 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 1,439
Showed it 4 times a few days ago at EWR - 2 airline employees asked (one at the beginning of the line, one at the end) and 2 TSA (one before metal detector, one after). The 4th guy attempted to explain to me: "She didn't have to ask for it on the other side. She just did it for your convenience. I was required to ask for it.
[emphasis added]
I would really love to see an efficiency expert take a look at it.
By the way - another thing I noticed on this trip: It used to be "nothing covering the laptop." This time I was instructed to put my jacket on top of the laptop because "nothing can cover the shoes."
Yeesh!
[emphasis added]
I would really love to see an efficiency expert take a look at it.
By the way - another thing I noticed on this trip: It used to be "nothing covering the laptop." This time I was instructed to put my jacket on top of the laptop because "nothing can cover the shoes."
Yeesh!
Nov 12, 2004, 6:15 pm
#12
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Originally Posted by Paulo
By the way - another thing I noticed on this trip: It used to be "nothing covering the laptop." This time I was instructed to put my jacket on top of the laptop because "nothing can cover the shoes."
In Europe they don't even ask you to pull it out of your bag, but here TSA would have a point. I was explained that the laptop battery is opaque to x-rays, so one could in principle tape a small knife to the battery and it would appear as a dark rectangle on the machine screen.
Being this the rationale behind the procedure, a resourceful terrorist could just replace the battery with an empty metal box containing his knife. This would pass the current visual checks and would look the same on x-rays.
Again, TSA procedure would stop my grandmother from hijacking a plane and are but useless against the average smart terrorist.
Nov 12, 2004, 8:54 pm
#13
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Originally Posted by thesaints
Being this the rationale behind the procedure, a resourceful terrorist could just replace the battery with an empty metal box containing his knife. This would pass the current visual checks and would look the same on x-rays.
Again, TSA procedure would stop my grandmother from hijacking a plane and are but useless against the average smart terrorist.
Again, TSA procedure would stop my grandmother from hijacking a plane and are but useless against the average smart terrorist.
Absolutely correct, IMO. There are dozens if not hundreds of holes in the current system.
If the bad guys are still thinking about aircraft as a target, they've discovered all the potential loopholes.
If there's a will...and these dudes have the will...there's definitely a way.
But I'm of the belief the terrorists are looking beyond aircraft as their next goal...
Nov 13, 2004, 7:33 am
#14
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 456
Originally Posted by thesaints
The laptop carnival is another classic example of how TSA is only for show (and a bad one, for that matter).
In Europe they don't even ask you to pull it out of your bag, but here TSA would have a point. I was explained that the laptop battery is opaque to x-rays, so one could in principle tape a small knife to the battery and it would appear as a dark rectangle on the machine screen.
Being this the rationale behind the procedure, a resourceful terrorist could just replace the battery with an empty metal box containing his knife. This would pass the current visual checks and would look the same on x-rays.
Again, TSA procedure would stop my grandmother from hijacking a plane and are but useless against the average smart terrorist.
In Europe they don't even ask you to pull it out of your bag, but here TSA would have a point. I was explained that the laptop battery is opaque to x-rays, so one could in principle tape a small knife to the battery and it would appear as a dark rectangle on the machine screen.
Being this the rationale behind the procedure, a resourceful terrorist could just replace the battery with an empty metal box containing his knife. This would pass the current visual checks and would look the same on x-rays.
Again, TSA procedure would stop my grandmother from hijacking a plane and are but useless against the average smart terrorist.
Nov 14, 2004, 8:27 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Originally Posted by myrgirl
That's not entirely true. True, the center of any type battery is more or less opaque but the way a battery looks on an xray is very distinctive. Not to mention the fact that it's actually quite easy to see into/behind semi-opaque items by tweaking the image with the xray controls. If someone tried to replace a battery with a metal box or taped a knife to the battery itself, I would know instantly. The reason we ask that the laptops come out of the bag has nothing to do with the battery; it has to do with the fact that it's easier to clear both the laptop and the bag if they're run seperately because then you get a better image of each.
Or do European airports have better scanners ?