Originally Posted by
SATTSO
There is no policy or part of SOP that I am aware of that says you have to be off your phone, but they do have to see your face to compare it to your picture. So you may have to pull your phone away from your face, but thats not too hard to do. Nor is it hard for a TSO to ask a question of you while your on the phone.
I see no problem with people being on the phone when a passenger comes to the TDC. It may be considered rude by some, but as a TSO I have no idea of the importance of your call. Heck, I have even told people to send their phone through the x-ray while connected, so they can pick up right where they left off, and most do this and actually enjoy that freedom of not having to reconnect (if they don't alarm and the x-ray is moving rather quickly!).
Nah, as far as I can tell the TSO though you were being rude, but there is no policy against what you did. Just so you know.
^^^
At the gate once a woman next to me was on the phone with her wounded soldier son, who was apparently calling from the recovery room after surgery, in another country. If she'd been showing you her ID during this call I'm certain she would have appreciated your consideration.
Also, TSOs who can perform this duty with common sense, empathy for actual pax experience, and ego intact, retain my confidence they would be capable of handling more demanding problems.
This policy has more to do with airline revenue than safety, but as long as we're stuck with it, this is how.