<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Fenito:
As far as our agency being "Un-American", spiff. This country has no clue what is american anymore. If you want to generalize things, we as a country are selfish, greedy and ignorant. We think everything should revolve around us. If things aren't done the way we want them done and now, then we feel we have to complain so that we can get our way.
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With all due respect, Fenito, I find the TSA as an organization un-American in several aspects. First and foremost is the lack and disregard of passenger privacy. From time to time the TSA documents things such as false alarms, or even 'SSSS' pax -- items such as boarding pass, ID, etc., is requested -- information is taken down and the passenger has no idea where it goes. The TSA provides no clear answers, nor does it have any type of privacy policy. While individuals such as yourself have provided some answers, you know as well as I know procedures are different everywhere; there is no clear privacy policy I am aware of.
The TSA has been around for awhile and something as simple as a universal privacy policy when it comes to passenger information is something that should of been addressed a long time ago.
CAPPS II is what really scares me and is what I find extremely appalling and un-American. See:
www.dontspyon.us (if you haven't already).
CAPPS II and several of the goals of the TSA are the equivalent of internal border controls with-in the United States. I'm sorry, but this is not American.
Next are several issues related to screening. Screeners should only be screening for (real) dangerous objects and threats. It's not the duty of the TSA to bust people for drugs (as an example) or anything else they may have in their luggage or on their person unless it is a threat to aviation security. I'm not a drug user, nor do I carry anything illegal, but I'm a firm believer in the 4th Amendment.
I even see the ID checks required by the government as un-American. If the airline wants to check my ID for revenue control purposes, fine -- but ID checks do nothing for security and it's none of the government's business where I travel within the USA, IMHO.
I don't see anything selfish, greedy, or ignorant with my beliefs as stated above.
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The fact is, we as screeners, 99% of the time, only hear complaints, no solutions. I know everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I say if you're not willing to see all sides of a situation, then you need not speak your opinion because it's worthless.
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It's not the responsibility of the passenger to come up with solutions. If, 99% of the time, you only hear complaints, that would indicate to me something is wrong and a solution needs to be found. I've personally provided ideas/solutions to the TSA when I've had specific complaints, only to have them disregared. Unfortunately, with the TSA beauracracy, I'm not sure what it takes for someone to implement a solution to a problem??
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We know that some of our policies are BS, but we can't just up and change them....it takes time. If people aren't willing to have patience, why should the screeners have patience with the passengers who complain?
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Just how much time does it take? The TSA has had a couple of years now. When there are problems in private organizations, typically they're corrected promptly. You know just as well some of the policies are BS; but do you, personally, see them changing anytime soon?
As far complaining to screeners, it's easiest for people to do. Try contacting the TSA higher-up, it's nearly impossible. Send an email, get a canned response that has nothing to do with your original message. Call the hotline and get canned responses as well with no real answers or no real help.
Passengers complain because they're unhappy with something. As a screener, you're a front-line employee, and unfortunately, it is your job to have patience in regards to the complaints (especially if management is not going to support you or make the necessary changes to eliminate the complaints). I'm sure it sucks to get complaints, but front-line employees are often where complaints are directed at.
I spent time doing customer service work when I was in college and I dealt with a lot of complaints -- it sucked, but it was part of the job. Luckily my employer worked with the front-line employees to solve the complaints -- something I just don't see happening with the TSA.
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I understand that the frequent flyers on this board don't like most of the policies, and think the TSA is not doing their job, but are you saying you can't give credit to the screeners that actually do their job and protect people? It may only be a few airports, but those few are still better than none, correct?
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I've come across many great TSA employees who do their job & do it well. Unfortunately I've come across many who don't give a rat's a$$ about their job or the passenger. As a frequent traveler, I fly to/through many airports and see a lot when it comes to the TSA and different checkpoints.
I would suspect many TSA employees would not only be shocked, but frusterated if they were in my shoes, dealing with multiple airports, different checkpoints, different procedures, rude treatment, etc., on a regular basis.
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There are so many security breaches in place right now, we couldn't stop a terrorist even if we wanted to really. Hell, at our airport, if no one is outside to screen the curbside bags (persay the screener is on lunch or break), then that skycap can send the bags down and has done it before, without being screened. No one screens or checks flight crew or airline workers who go underneath the airport through the baggage rooms. We don't check air cargo (which isn't anything new). But what we do...do, is what we can. We screen the baggage the way it ought to be done at every airport, in front of the passenger and they are given the opportunity to lock their bags afterwards.</font>
You hit the nail on the head -- there are so many breaches it isn't even funny, but yet I don't see the TSA (or the government in general) doing much about it. If the TSA were to eliminate a lot of the BS and stupid policies, they would have manpower and resources to spend on real threats, IMHO.
As you said (part of the text I clipped), it's likely you work at one of the better airports & things run great compared to other locations. The fact you will lock a passengers luggage after screening is just amazing. You won't find that in very many places.
Best,
SDF_Traveler
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin