Carl Johnson

I don't think it would be rude. The Shoe Carnival is stupid. Americans are stupid, not because the machines can't detect explosives or weapons concealed in footwear, but because we obsess over minimal threats and go through endless theatrics that provide no benefit.

If there were a real terrorist threat against airports and aviation, somebody would have come up and sprayed a checkpoint line with a AK long before this, and the Shoe Carnival increases the carnage that such an act would cause by increasing the length of time passengers are concentrated at the checkpoint rather than dispersed through the terminal.

exbayern

There used to be a handful of screeners at FRA who struggled with German, who were not as polite, and rather brusque. I learned here a few years ago from an American poster that FRA has/had some screeners who were American, due to the proximity to Wiesbaden. I don't see that around much anymore.

Now at FRA with the new pier, we have witnessed queues. Please understand that 10 minutes is a lengthy queue, and unusual in much of the world. (See Carl's excellent post about queues and the danger they could in theory present) There are two issues which I could see:

1) transfer checkpoint set up meant that the priority queue tends to get blocked; to prevent that opening weekend they had our Russian friend screaming at us in English to MOVE to the right, ALL the way to the right. Many delighted in screaming back to SPEAK GERMAN as we are GERMANS in GERMANY. I still see her every now and again; as chollie can attest, that type of behaviour isn't common in many airports. Obviously there was tension as passengers shouting back is also uncommon

2) instead of taking the person aside when they alarmed the WTMD as is the norm, everyone had to wait until the person was cleared, or the bag cleared. Many of us on the M&M forum were puzzled as to what has changed. Again, the flow is different than the norm. I wasn't flying to the US by the way, but rather was on my way back to Paris. I try and avoid FRA longhaul flights as a result, but have one this week and am curious to see if things have improved. And it is just at that one pier that things seem to be very different than the norm.

Add in the many shoe removers because US bound flights were leaving from this area, and things were very different from the normal queue.

You misunderstood my post. I was trying to be diplomatic. There are posters with obvious prejudices here; the one who bleats about how 'all' French hate 'all' Americans is just one example. I know another woman elsewhere who has a long, ignorant, bigoted history of posting online who relayed a second hand story about screening at CDG, and refused to accept that the passenger had not followed the rules (by the way, that is one thing I don't like about FT - the certain posters who list TSA rules when they do not necessarily apply outside the US; just as your laptop safe bag isn't applicable. I'm not saying that you are telling people that it is, but there are a few posters here who make a regular habit of misleading people by listing TSA rules for flights not in or going to the US)

No matter that I have flown from French airports over I would guess 100 times with the same item with no issue; this woman ranted and raved that it was the French, and their lack of following 'the rules' (she meant TSA rules), and their 'hatred' of Americans, which caused the minor incident. That's an extreme example, but when I read some posts here I don't place any value on them as I know the history of the poster. (I recognise your name, but honestly cannot recall any sort of history you may have, so again, none of that was related to the incident you describe)

I had an FA on a UA flight say to me whilst serving my meal 'I saw that you had trouble at security' and then she went on to whinge about how 'awful' it is outside the US. I told her that I on the contrary, I was not the one who had any 'trouble' at all. In fact, the screener and I had discussed that FA in particular in our own language because she was directed everyone else to remove shoes, and saying it was the price 'we' all had to pay to fly, and created a lengthy delay at the checkpoint.

cottonmather0

Horrible experience at IAH Terminal E this morning, traveling with my wife and kids.

My wife takes the two kids through the WTMD as I'm fumbling with our carry-ons. Some guy (airport employee, I think) cuts in line in front of me and pushes his stuff through the x-ray and gets pointed to the WTMD. I turn around and get pointed towards the MMW. Argument ensues that since I didn't have a kid in my possession, I don't get the special treatment. Dragon pretty quickly pulls a DY...T? on me. I yell at my wife to go ahead without me, dragon yells at me that "it's not allowed to communicate with passengers on the other side of the checkpoint." Never heard that one before.

I ask for a grope, then realize that my bags have already been pushed through the x-ray. I move to see them and dragon goes berserk. Groper shows up pretty quickly and as we're moving through the side gate, the screen jockey suddenly decides that they need to look inside my briefcase.

Grope was perfunctory, bag check was meticulous. Typical IAH angry black female clerk going my bag was rather touchy that I wasn't respecting her authority enough during the process. Apparently didn't like that I had locked up my valuables in a separate bag inside the briefcase and especially didn't appreciate my explanation that, "So you can't touch my wallet without me seeing it."

At one point some other clerk with a "lead office" nametag walked over and told me to calm down. I told him to go away. About that time the nice clerk walked back with the entire contents of my briefcase in a tub and plopped it down in front of me and told me to "have a nice flight" and the waddled over to the international checkpoint, presumably to look for more twinkies, leaving me to repack my briefcase.

So yeah, bad morning. But at least I got to ride on the 787 for the first time.

exbayern

That's disappointing. I was having better experiences at IAH than at DFW in the past year.

mlbcard

Nothing like power tripping TSA agents making up rules and yelling at you to start your day. I'm glad I rarely fly anymore. It's just not fun.

Majuki

I think there was some confusion, but I was simply trying to play the devil's advocate and give at least some of the shoe carnival overseas the benefit of the doubt. I do understand there are those on this forum with prejudice, but I won't speak for them. I do understand there are differences between TSA rules and other airport security rules, and that's what leads to some of the confusion. Add to it the UA FA telling everyone to remove their shoes, and most people sheepishly comply without questioning it.

I can't say I've complained about airport security outside of the US. In fact, I praised the security for domestic flights in Australia when I experienced it in May 2011. I haven't had any overly bad experiences compared to the TSA within the last three years, even when flying on AA LHR-ORD a week after the underwear incident. Then again, I've never had to opt-out overseas.

Global_Hi_Flyer

Got the three-striper for a full grope at DCA this morning. Was not happy with my request for new gloves. Failed to change the pad in the ETD probe either before or after me (betcha someone is going to get a false positive today...) - I'm only hoping it wasn't the same pad that they used to do an ETD on the diaper of a baby that was carried through the WTMD (yep, anyone going through the WTMD today was swabbed).

A bit of attitude when I told him it was none of his business where I was traveling today or for how long, but that did not result in retaliation.

A bit worse than a typical day at DCA.

And we're off and groping in 2013.

evanderm

K9s and MMW in full force at TPA this morning. MTMDs roped off. Didn't opt out due to it being a MMW scanner. My pocket zipper was an anomaly and required patting down.

InkUnderNails

I have started wearing a hearing enhancer (not a hearing aid as those are medical devices) and got my ear patted down because it showed an anomaly.

DemonDeacon

At ATL, managed to SDOO for the first time in a long time. Walked through the WTMD with no metal, it gave a solid beep, and the TSO there informed me that I'd been randomly selected to get my hands swabbed.

All I could do was chuckle to myself as I was walked to the swabbing area. I told the TSO there, "The one time I don't have to get groped I get randomly selected for a hand swab."

She didn't seem to find it as amusing as I did.

cottonmather0

For something that's supposed to be "random", I've found that it sure happens a lot. (for the pedants, yes, I know that "random" ≠ "infrequent")

And I agree, I've found that they certainly don't like it when I express my dissatisfaction with my SDOO getting ruined for no good reason.

GrinAndBearIt

My first time in the new Terminal 3, and my first time ever getting grief at LAS. The checkpoint was nearly empty with many TSA agents; it was not busy at all. I was the only person in my line, and when I quietly and politely opted out, the agent sighed loudly, rolled his eyes, and asked if I really wanted a full body pat-down. I replied no, but it's the option I choose to get through the checkpoint. I immediately got a cursory patdown with no waistband or groin check by a friendlier agent. The supervisor was standing nearby, and I asked to speak to him. I told him that the original agent's response was rude and unnecessary. He agreed and walked up front to speak to the agent as I was leaving the checkpoint.

InkUnderNails

And he said "Good job! You have obviously learned your training material well."

knotyeagle

I do better by confronting the errant screener directly (and berating if necessary), why waste a comment card or a supervisor's time. Trust me it is much more productive that way.

zitsky

Are you joking? I hope so, because the arrogance behind your comment takes my breath away. Do you treat customer service people who displease you in the same rude manner? I don't like the TSA, but the employees don't need to be talked down to or treated as children.