Originally Posted by Flaflyer
"who often did not speak English (even when they thought they were speaking English)."
Actually this is one of the largest problems with all the American travel industry in general. Lack of person who speak another language. Even airport signs and PA announcements are rarely in a language other than English. Overseas, almost every sign is in many languages. Including road signs.
In international airports, everyone including TSA should try to have someone who knows some foreign languages, for the benefit of tourists who do not speak English. I read the standards for a FA for one Asian airline, they want FAs who speak their native tongue, English, and preferably one other language.
In somewhere like MIA, having screeners who speak Spanish and Portuguese would be a big plus. In JFK in front of the AF terminal, some French would help, elsewhere some Japanese or Chinese or . . .
The travel industry employees I meet overseas are much better multilingual than in the US. I feel sorry for a foreign traveler who comes to the US and knows little English. This cannot be an easy country for them to visit.
The current TSA SOP, at least at IAD Int'l connections, is for the screeners to raise their voice and give a colder stare at the individual as the individual tries to understand what is being yelled at them.