Originally Posted by
TSORon
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19447921-post39.html
I see where your error is. You are assuming that TSA expects us to rely
only on our TSA training. This of course is not true, the TSA and the government in general realizes that people have their own personal histories and education, and as such those histories and education can be of use in our current positions (most companies are much more likely to hire someone with experience than those without). We are not automations, we come to the job with life experience just as you have done for your job. I do not need to be trained by TSA to recognize a grenade, or marijuana, I have personal experience with both. And in any case, even if I had no such experience I would be required to report anything that I cannot identify to a supervisor who hopefully can.
Should they train us on these things? Sorry, that decision is above my pay grade. Consequences are not mandated in the MD, or even spelled out for that matter. But it’s a part of my job, and as a good worker I am going to do my job.
Most of your non sequiturs and deflections have been well addressed by other posters, so I will focus more on on-topic specifics.
Ron, this thread is about the TSA discovering non-prohibited items and the requirements therefor. You were the one that wanted a new thread in a new forum to discuss this, but you don't want to directly answer the two questions posed, which were:
1. Has the TSA trained you to detect "these things" that are unrelated to the safety of air travel (i.e. non-prohibited items)?
2. Are you aware of any TSO being reprimanded or worse for failing to report "these things" that are unrelated to the safety of air travel and for which you have not been trained to detect (e.g. child pornography, illegal drugs)?
First, you keep on stating that I want to "punish someone for being wrong about a safety concern" and link back to a post. I don't know how much clearer I can be on the subject, but this is the opposite of what I was positing. The question is not whether a TSO is punished for reporting a safety concern, the question is whether a TSO has been punished for failing to report a non-prohibited item per the SOP/Management Directive? Is that so difficult to answer?
The reason I keep on asking this question (but yet continue not to receive a direct answer from you) is to illustrate the SOP/Management Directive's impotency in this regard. If no adverse repercussions arise from a failure on the part of a TSO to follow the SOP/Management Directive, then the language is basically ineffectual. You can't seem to acknowledge that basic construct.
Second, the TSA doesn't train you in identifying non-prohibited items that should be reported since they may be evidence of a crime. You can't seem to directly acknowledge this fact either. If the TSA did train you, then that would be tacit admission of the ability to go beyond the administrative search parameters for WEI, which would cause legal issues.
I do find it interesting to note that the TSA is looking for certain past experiences and you note your prior training "to recognize a grenade, or marijuana". The TSA does train you to recognize the former, but not the latter. Are you implying that during your hiring process, the TSA was interested in your ability to recognize illegal non-prohibited drugs? Are you implying that such a question even comes up during the hiring process? Are you implying that if two TSO equally-qualified candidates are being considered for one position, that the training in recognizing those drugs could be the deciding factor?