Liquid insanity at SEA - random testing of passenger beverages at the gate
Jan 13, 2010, 7:34 pm
#1
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Liquid insanity at SEA - random testing of passenger beverages at the gate
I was transiting SEA the other day and stopped into the UA RCC a few minutes before it closed. My throat was sore, so I procured an 8oz styrofoam cup, filled it with hot water and a tea bag, and headed for my connecting gate. Once there, I noticed several TSAers milling about. I was expecting a gate-grope for at least some passengers during boarding. Instead, I had an entirely different experience.
Boarding was less than 10 minutes away, so I figured I'd sit down during the wait. I was minding my own business, drinking my tea, when a smurf-colored TSA agent came up to me and asked me if he could test my drink. I was a bit shocked and he said that I had been, "Randomly selected for a test." He held out a small white strip of paper, and inched it toward my cup. I told him he was not going to stick that or anything else into my cup. I asked him what he was testing for, but all that he could do was tell me that it was a, "Random test" and that he was only going to wave the paper over my drink, not put it into my drink. I refused again, and told him in no uncertain terms that he was not going to be doing anything with my drink. He walked away flustered. I could hear him behind me, consulting with his supervisor, "What do I do if he refuses the test?" While this was going on, I finished my drink.
I was about to get up to throw the empty cup away when a different TSAer approached me. This one asked me the same question about testing my drink. I was holding an empty cup, and pointed that out. He insisted. I asked what he wanted to test for and was told again that it was a random test. I told him my drink was gone, that I had obtained it at the RCC, that it clearly perfectly safe for me to drink, and that he should tell me what he was testing for. All I got back was intimidation. I was told that I didn't have to fly this evening if I didn't want to.
At that point, the gate agent was preparing the boarding door and I knew my flight could soon be leaving without me. Much as I didn't want to, I held out my cup. Other than a slightly damp tea bag, it was completely empty. The TSAer held his white strip over the cup, and then proceeded to put a drop from a small bottle of distilled water (that appeared to be larger than 3.4oz) onto the paper. I got up, thew away my cup, and boarded my flight.
The inability of the TSA to tell me what they wanted to do, and why, along with their use of intimidation tactics to gain compliance, are completely unacceptable.
Unfortunately, those tactics are what we've come to expect from the TSA.
Boarding was less than 10 minutes away, so I figured I'd sit down during the wait. I was minding my own business, drinking my tea, when a smurf-colored TSA agent came up to me and asked me if he could test my drink. I was a bit shocked and he said that I had been, "Randomly selected for a test." He held out a small white strip of paper, and inched it toward my cup. I told him he was not going to stick that or anything else into my cup. I asked him what he was testing for, but all that he could do was tell me that it was a, "Random test" and that he was only going to wave the paper over my drink, not put it into my drink. I refused again, and told him in no uncertain terms that he was not going to be doing anything with my drink. He walked away flustered. I could hear him behind me, consulting with his supervisor, "What do I do if he refuses the test?" While this was going on, I finished my drink.
I was about to get up to throw the empty cup away when a different TSAer approached me. This one asked me the same question about testing my drink. I was holding an empty cup, and pointed that out. He insisted. I asked what he wanted to test for and was told again that it was a random test. I told him my drink was gone, that I had obtained it at the RCC, that it clearly perfectly safe for me to drink, and that he should tell me what he was testing for. All I got back was intimidation. I was told that I didn't have to fly this evening if I didn't want to.
At that point, the gate agent was preparing the boarding door and I knew my flight could soon be leaving without me. Much as I didn't want to, I held out my cup. Other than a slightly damp tea bag, it was completely empty. The TSAer held his white strip over the cup, and then proceeded to put a drop from a small bottle of distilled water (that appeared to be larger than 3.4oz) onto the paper. I got up, thew away my cup, and boarded my flight.
The inability of the TSA to tell me what they wanted to do, and why, along with their use of intimidation tactics to gain compliance, are completely unacceptable.
Unfortunately, those tactics are what we've come to expect from the TSA.
Jan 13, 2010, 7:37 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2007
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After you were finished, why didn't you just throw it away and tell him he could do whatever he wanted with it?
Jan 13, 2010, 8:14 pm
#5
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The inability of the TSA to tell me what they wanted to do, and why, along with their use of intimidation tactics to gain compliance, are completely unacceptable. Unfortunately, those tactics are what we've come to expect from the TSA.
Instead they drag out the rubber trunceons, bully and intimidate to force a passenger into submission. They lost the PR war a long time ago when they still had a chance to recover. Now TSA has become a laughing stock.
Jan 13, 2010, 8:17 pm
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 11,439
Why not take a real stand and tell them to delay you if that is what they want to do. There are more flights and your rights take precedence over a short delay. If everyone were to do that this would be less of a problem. That is my plan if they approach me with unreasonable requests.
Jan 13, 2010, 8:22 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 736
Since you had the tea for a sore throat, a better answer would be that you have the beverage for medical reasons, and they better not contaminate it unless they want to get charged with practicing medicine without a license. Just another angle.
Jan 13, 2010, 8:23 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Slightly to the left of center
Posts: 3,475
What a joke. The fact you were actively sipping your beverage introduced selection bias since others who may have beverages may not be actively drinking them. Bad smurfs! If I was carrying naughty liquids, I probably would keep them tucked away in my carry-on; I certainly wouldn't have it out where people would notice, let alone drinking it.
Jan 13, 2010, 10:05 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2008
Location: LAX
Posts: 209
Same nonsense was happening in Nashville in early December. I was actually standing in my little pre-assigned number area to board a SW flight and a couple of TSOs walked up with the little white strips.
I was in the middle of a sip... what did they think it was? Liquid nitrogen?
I was in the middle of a sip... what did they think it was? Liquid nitrogen?
Jan 13, 2010, 11:11 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 381
"I was transiting SEA the other day and stopped into the UA RCC a few minutes before it closed. My throat was sore, so I procured an 8oz styrofoam cup, filled it with hot water and a tea bag, and headed for my connecting gate. Once there, I noticed several TSAers milling about. I was expecting a gate-grope for at least some passengers during boarding. Instead, I had an entirely different experience.
Boarding was less than 10 minutes away, so I figured I'd sit down during the wait. I was minding my own business, drinking my tea, when a smurf-colored TSA agent came up to me and asked me if he could test my drink. I was a bit shocked and he said that I had been, "Randomly selected for a test." He held out a small white strip of paper, and inched it toward my cup. I told him he was not going to stick that or anything else into my cup. I asked him what he was testing for, but all that he could do was tell me that it was a, "Random test" and that he was only going to wave the paper over my drink, not put it into my drink. I refused again, and told him in no uncertain terms that he was not going to be doing anything with my drink. He walked away flustered. I could hear him behind me, consulting with his supervisor, "What do I do if he refuses the test?" While this was going on, I finished my drink.
I was about to get up to throw the empty cup away when a different TSAer approached me. This one asked me the same question about testing my drink. I was holding an empty cup, and pointed that out. He insisted. I asked what he wanted to test for and was told again that it was a random test. I told him my drink was gone, that I had obtained it at the RCC, that it clearly perfectly safe for me to drink, and that he should tell me what he was testing for. All I got back was intimidation. I was told that I didn't have to fly this evening if I didn't want to.
At that point, the gate agent was preparing the boarding door and I knew my flight could soon be leaving without me. Much as I didn't want to, I held out my cup. Other than a slightly damp tea bag, it was completely empty. The TSAer held his white strip over the cup, and then proceeded to put a drop from a small bottle of distilled water (that appeared to be larger than 3.4oz) onto the paper. I got up, thew away my cup, and boarded my flight.
The inability of the TSA to tell me what they wanted to do, and why, along with their use of intimidation tactics to gain compliance, are completely unacceptable. Unfortunately, those tactics are what we've come to expect from the TSA."
Boarding was less than 10 minutes away, so I figured I'd sit down during the wait. I was minding my own business, drinking my tea, when a smurf-colored TSA agent came up to me and asked me if he could test my drink. I was a bit shocked and he said that I had been, "Randomly selected for a test." He held out a small white strip of paper, and inched it toward my cup. I told him he was not going to stick that or anything else into my cup. I asked him what he was testing for, but all that he could do was tell me that it was a, "Random test" and that he was only going to wave the paper over my drink, not put it into my drink. I refused again, and told him in no uncertain terms that he was not going to be doing anything with my drink. He walked away flustered. I could hear him behind me, consulting with his supervisor, "What do I do if he refuses the test?" While this was going on, I finished my drink.
I was about to get up to throw the empty cup away when a different TSAer approached me. This one asked me the same question about testing my drink. I was holding an empty cup, and pointed that out. He insisted. I asked what he wanted to test for and was told again that it was a random test. I told him my drink was gone, that I had obtained it at the RCC, that it clearly perfectly safe for me to drink, and that he should tell me what he was testing for. All I got back was intimidation. I was told that I didn't have to fly this evening if I didn't want to.
At that point, the gate agent was preparing the boarding door and I knew my flight could soon be leaving without me. Much as I didn't want to, I held out my cup. Other than a slightly damp tea bag, it was completely empty. The TSAer held his white strip over the cup, and then proceeded to put a drop from a small bottle of distilled water (that appeared to be larger than 3.4oz) onto the paper. I got up, thew away my cup, and boarded my flight.
The inability of the TSA to tell me what they wanted to do, and why, along with their use of intimidation tactics to gain compliance, are completely unacceptable.
Unfortunately, those tactics are what we've come to expect from the TSA."IMO, running tests on liquids at the gate is unnecessary. If they have to, run it on bottles of liquids, not an open cup. Since pax aren't allowed to take open containers in their hands through the checkpoint, I'd say it would be pretty safe to assume the drink was bought inside the sterile area. Also, the TSO that made the comment about you flying out that evening was totally inappropriate. It's too bad someone was not recording the conversation. This might be construed in a court of law as a threat.
Jan 13, 2010, 11:35 pm
#12
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It was absolutely a threat. Unfortunately, missing my flight would have resulted in my being stranded at SEA overnight and missing the purpose of my trip the next day.
Jan 14, 2010, 5:39 am
#15
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 464
Did they think he was going to get on the plane and start jumping up and down causing all the explosives to explode inside him like Will E Coyote?
