I had an eye-opening experience dealing with the Irish version of the TSA at DUB. It was revelatory because I did not feel the usual sense of intrusion or annoyance that I get with the TSA, even though our security-related delay was longer than is usual. I started to break down the reasons why the Irish succeed where the TSA totally fails in its client relations:

1) The Irish security folks did not yell, or even raise their voices. Ever. The inspector's voices were quiet and private.

2) You had no sense of the personality or ego of the inspector at all.

3) Because of these first two items, you didn't have the usual sense of bad-mannered people bringing Napoleon complexes to the job.

4) The inspectors invited you to open the compartments of your bags, rather than grabbing at your things without asking.

5) They said "Please" and "Thank you."

6) They sounded reasonably educated, as representatives charged with interacting with people's private realms SHOULD be.

7) They did not stand around yakking with each other and laughing, as the TSA's crack representatives so often do while I'm waiting in an AA EXP security line and about to miss a connection (ORD EXP line, anyone?)

8) Their was a tacit acknowledgement in all of their behaviors and procedures that their work was a necessary evil. So different from the sanctimony that many members of the TSA bring to work.

The Republicans got slaughtered at the polls this week, and that is appropriate given the time and treasure they've wasted through their galactic incompetance these past years. I would like to think that a contributory factor was that many conservatively-inclined folks, myself included, have no interest in watching America become an incompetent police state.

The TSA might be wise to look to the Irish if it values its turf.

-KF