Originally Posted by bocastephen
The FAM program has become a mess with participants divided into three families - the rent-a-cop thugs who think they are de facto Army Rangers empowered by God himself to arrest and interrogate anyone who blinks an eye; the befuddled marshalls who flew through training, are not quite sure how to react in an emergency, and who leave their weapons in the lav while taking a pee; and finally the few good folks out there who really thought they were signing up for something worthwhile, are proud of what they are trying to do, mind their business unless faced with a true emergency, and who are continually abused and stymied by an out of control management layer who threw the program together on a cocktail napkin and are more concerned with the color of everyones' sportcoats than the proper design and operation of the program.
Now how about the two FAMs who strutted through the west-side DCA security checkpoint this past Saturday at 1pm, in full view of about 200 people, walking up through the 'exit' line with big grins, showing their credentials to the guard and making sure everyone in that half of the terminal saw and heard them. Sounds like these two need a refresher course on keeping a low profile.
Those two FAMS most likely had big grins on their faces trying to "laugh in the face of adversity." None of us like doing the "stroll of shame" as we call it. We are forced to deal with procedures and regulations that we did not create, and every airport, with every different FSD has his or her own "orders" on how to cooperate with the FAM service.
Your first paragraph is backwards. It is true there are some thugs (every agency, and civilian job has them) and a few "befuddled" types. Most have been weeded out thank goodness, and will continue to be if what I see on a daily basis continues. However, the majority are the highly trained, and motivated, and previously experienced people you refer too.