Originally Posted by dgilman
The problem is that the people enforcing the rules don't understand why the rules exist.
Not one TSA supporter has been able to articulate why the rules are the way they are.
Until you guys can, I suggest you call it a day.
The reason for following an SOP, instead of a supervisor exercising "discretion," is the likelihood that the people who wrote the SOP thought of something that doesn't occur to the supervisor. Another poster rased the sharp object question, but that may not be it.
The reason for working from an SOP is that you want to work from a study that's examined all security incidents over the last whatever years, in all countries, at all airports, and non-airport situations, not one supervisor's experience. How long has he or she been on the job?
And saying you won't believe it unless one of the TSA supporters gives you a reason is like saying a cop shouldn't enforce a speed limit unless he can quote you the traffic death statistics that were used for the 35 mph limit.