Originally Posted by
JMN57
I know that keeping order in a community such as FlyerTalk is a challenge and I don't mean to be difficult but I don't quite understand moving this thread to an area called "Checkpoint Border Policy Debate".
My posting was not to debate checkpoint policy but to ask about specific behavior at the checkpoint and whether it was "normal". Frankly, having read about theft by TSA and observing this particular agent's behavior, I wanted to know what others thought of it. I debated posting in AA (since I was flying AA from MIA) but ultimately decided to post in Travel Buzz as I thought the topic broader. Frankly, it would never occur to me to post it in this area as I was curious about what a broad cross section of FT'ers felt about the question. Putting it in this area would seem to restrict it to those who would like to "debate" policy which I am not looking to do.
Finally, please take my comments as an observation and contribution to the community. As I observed earlier, it is hard keeping FT orderly and I have nothing but respect and thanks for those that do. If this is the "right" place for my posting, I'd only suggest that the area be renamed to something broader than policy/debate.
Thanks
People who are interested in debating checkpoint policies are more likely to know the details of how checkpoints work, so I think this is a good location for the thread.
Normally, they ask you if the bag is yours before opening it so that they know who to talk to if any prohibited items are found. They have the right to search your bag, and they do not need your permission to do so. If the pre-check line wasn't busy and it was obvious that the bag was yours, the TSO may not have seen any need to verify.