I was flying out of ANC 02/23. The security line was quite long but fortunately the employee/elite/first line was clear. There was only one screening lane so both lines blend right in front of the table. I "blended" in three people behind the table much to the audible dismay of the fourth person. (She was not travelling with the person in front of me.)

I could see the TSA screener in the WTMD watching me with what can only be described as a sour look. Is it because I don't have a business suit that I don't belong in the employee/elite/first line? I was not rude when I took my place, I didn't push my way in or anything of that sort.

When I got to the belt I did the ritual, laptop out, yada yada before being asked. I even took my shoes off because I was wearing cowboy boots (and it was about 45 min prior to departure and I needed extra time to access my bank prior to boarding). I had Mr. AinA with me and we were headed to Seattle for the night (just the two of us) so I was in a great mood.

When I walked through the WTMD, still smiling I might add, the screener just pointed to secondary and said, "Over there." I asked, "Am I being SSSS'd?" "No, I told you OVER THERE." "Am I being secondaried?" I asked. "Step to the side." was her only reply.

By this time I no longer have a friendly smile. It was one of those out of left field ...??? Not to sound paranoid, but I can tell when something is personal and this was definitely personal. Whether it was me moving to the front of the que or my appearance or my good mood??? I don't know.

I understand the theory that some like to have one person in secondary at all times and cycle one in as it clears but the corral was clear the entire time and there were multiple women that went through the WTMD before me.

I asked the person who screened me what was going on and she said I had been selected randomly. I stated if that were the case I would have appreciated being informed of that rather than being ordered around. At that point I requested a supervisor.

To the secondary screeners credit she was professional, but definitely not friendly. I am not expecting an invitation to tea here, but rather to be acknowledged as a fellow person.

What is my beef? My main beef is that I was not treated like a thinking human being. (Not that I have come to expect more from TSA.) My secondary (hehe) beef is that the claim that it was a random screen was dubious at best, it was most likely her own personal pissy match. Try to write THAT one up on a form.

These people do not wear tags with names, rather they are long numbers and I am incapable of memorizing series of numbers. Where's my pen and pencil? Why in my bag, of course!

I should have requested a complaint form at that point and had the supervisor provide me with the WTMD screener's number. It just seems so futile. All of the complaint forms I have filled out in the past appear to have fallen on deaf ears as I have never received a follow up or any indication that they have ever been received. I have mailed them in, phoned them in and left them at the check point.

I guess I am just venting. I know to not expect anything better, but having not been secondaried for a couple months I had forgotten how crappy they treat you. Grrr!

Alison