Thanks Bambi, it was just "one" of those days... sigh... It all goes back to the taking responsibility issue- She screwed up, but "I" was at fault for bringing something in my luggage. 20+ years in the military taught me if you have the responsibility you also have the accountability for your actions, and those of your subordinates. You also have a responsibility to stand up for your folks, AND if they are wrong, you also have the responsibility for making their error right. I'm sorry, but I just don't see this happening in TSA.

I had dinner Friday night with some folks from DHS and CBP, among other things, this subject came up- Our "consensus" was that many in TSA figure time is on their side, e.g. people have flights to catch and are less prone to complain as that takes time; also, pushing people through means people don't have the luxury of going against the push of people to find individuals and get names and numbers. Lastly, the implied threats tend to put people on the defensive and make them weigh whether they "really" want to push the issue and risk arrest.