I suspect it is more that folks ARE far more ready to complain than praise.... no matter what the topic... Ask anyone who works "in the public eye"...

I read the litany of complaints and just wonder..... as I have never had a bad experience with the TSA AND have said so in these forums (you musn't have seen my posts...).... and I travel with "Restricted goods" (guns to be precise) which - I'm sure some here would suggest would automatically lead to a nasty experience.. Sorry... hasn't happened!.... (my worst travel experience was with Australian Customs... which was a hell of a shock after many, many excellent dealings with them..)

Perhaps expectation is a part of it as well... ALL I expect is to be treated "not badly" while the TSA (or anyone I have to deal with for that matter) does whatever it is they are supposed to do... I suspect some folks expect to be treated in accordance with their OWN view of their importance in the world.. if you know what I mean...

I wonder - honestly - at how some of the folks telling their tales of woe actually approach TSA staffers... do they "do unto others as they would have them do unto you" or what?

"Ripping in" to front line worker bees about POLICY that you don't like is IMO pointless (and rude)..... like those folks who yell at gas station console operators (mainly uni students working part time here IME) about the price of gas... Like THEY have any control over it...

OK so the rules they have to enforce are dumb - no argument from me there...... but the coal face workers can't change them.. so save the spleen for..and write/complain/campaign to those who CAN.... that's the way I see things... Unfortunately there ARE folks (and quite a number of them if my field of work is any indication) that will ONLY vent at the "troops"... and will NOT address complaints to anyone likely to be able to make ANY changes.... How pointless is that?

And sorry.. I don't consider it anywhere near good enough to say "writing/complaining doesn't achieve anything"... Like being nasty to the "troops" does??

I am sure there are many valid complaints about the TSA... hell, name ANY organisation (public or private) where the staff are required to enforce "rules" on people where that would NOT be the case!! (look at the complaints here on FT about FA's, hotel staff etc etc)

Are "they" any worse than anyone else?

Not in MY experience.. and that's ALL I can say.... YMMV.

I'll be dealing with "them" again next week... and have no particular qualms.... we'll see how it goes THIS time of course.. but I have no intention of being paranoid about it....