Originally Posted by
FliesWay2Much
Sorry, but this is unacceptable behavior on the part of the TSA. I would have quickly elevated it to the level of calling over a cop. Screeners are supposed to change gloves every time a passenger requests it -- It's not a "please", it's a "I require you to change your gloves." This is enough of a hot button for me that I would have pulled out my cell phone and called 911 and I would have resorted to the Earl Weaver School of Debate which starts with your cap turned around and your face about 3" away from your opponent.
Strong message to follow...
In retrospect I wish I'd done more. While operating on too little sleep--as often happens as I start a flight--I don't think quickly enough. Now after a full night's sleep I'm much more unhappy with the TSA.
The first time they refused it happened so quickly (and we were so tired) that the net result was just us being puzzled as we walked off.
The second time I asked for and spoke to the supervisor- but as she was the one who did the inspection, well, what good was that?
The third time--I admit that I was far, far more frazzled by the canceled flights and bad UA customer service. I just didn't feel like two fights (UA's multiple mistakes), and I didn't escalate beyond the pseudo-supervisor.
On a practical level we've already thought of what to do for our upcoming flights to protect the CPAP machine.
But I'm interested in the larger issue. One screener ignoring us could be a mistake, or stubbornness. Four screeners sounds like a policy change: one we the passengers haven't been told about.