And it wasn't even a screener manning a station.

I'm sitting at JFK waiting for a connection, just clearing security after an international flight at the DL terminal. I was forced to check a bag at Gatwick due to the repressive rules in the UK (I've avoided the up till now, schedule dictated a LGW departure today).... so I retrieved the checked bag at customs for carry-on to my connecting flight (why take an extra chance that it'll be stolen).

I stopped by the recheck desk to ask about the gate for my departure and let them know I'd just carry it on. No problem. The TSA screening station in the Customs area was closed, which forced everyone to leave the terminal and clear security again up stairs at the check-in desks. Something about understaffing (side note, the supe at the screening station upstairs was asking the screeners if they'd work overtime, and each said no).

As I was leaving the recheck desk, there was a marauding TSA screener walking by (remember, the security station was closed, there was no reason for her to be there) - and she pointed out that I needed to put the bag on the conveyor as a checked bag. I said that I was carrying it on from here. She then said "Well, you're not ALLOWED to have this baggage tag on it", and she reached down and ripped off the barcode tag. She then started grilling me about liquids. After I answered correctly and pointed out that I did this all the time, she let me go. And she dropped the barcode tag in the trash, not even telling the airline folks what she was doing.

That MAY have cost me the ability to get on an earlier flight as the airline record still reflected the checked bag (flight changes not allowed with checked bags). And I had no way to prove that the bag I had was the one that was checked.

Another lovely day with TSA. And don't even get me started about LGW and the UK.