Schmurrr

SDOO at AUS last week. That's not happened in forever!

BOI last week had "managed inclusion" in operation. Random pax got the PreCheck treatment at the cost of a hand swab.

FriendlySkies

I was surprised to see this at AUS last Friday. Was there for the AUS MegaDO and had received a gate pass to attend the UA event. Obviously didn't have PreCheck, but I was called to the TDC next to the WTMD only lane, which was running as PreCheck. The WTMD next to the NoS was also running as PreCheck, though the NoS pax had to take everything out/off.

BSBD

OK. Well, whatever point you were trying to make has escaped me. Thanks anyway.

Xyzzy

Yea - that was a ttal surprise. I was all set for my massage... but sailed through as a SDOO!

RE: The comments about the MMW at AMS -- I've opted out of it but the staff was NOT happy about my choice. They have a lovely pamphlet telling you how safe and effective the SurrenderBox(TM) is and how one can opt out. I'll spare the details but after starting as one of the first ones at the gate I ended up as the last passenger on the aircraft.

Exiled in Express

PHX Monday evening.

I opted out, got my escort fairly quickly and then it took a turn for the worst. After the bags were collected, the contents were haphazardly pulled out and spread on a screening table and swabbed. I was both stunned and tired and really did not want to escalate the matter at the time. Only after this was completed did the pat down occur. Is this "normal" for PHX? It certainly hasn't happened to me anywhere else.

WillCAD

I've never been through PHX, but but PHX and SFO are generally considered by FTers as the worst in the US when it comes to rude, incompetent, and outright abusive TSOs who make up rules as they go.

Exleftseat

+1

mikeef

Not that the TSA doesn't make the rules, but isn't SFO outsourced?

Mike

FriendlySkies

Screening at SFO is outsourced to Covenant Aviation Security.

greggarious

So today at TPA, when I asked for an opt out the (female) TSO insisted on very slowly reading an explanation of the pat down procedure before calling for a male assist.

Is this a policy change, or were they slow walking me for opting out?

(I noticed a pretty marked change in demeanor when I politely, but firmly said "No, that's not true. The TSO doing the patdown reads that, and they can shorten it if the person says they've had a pat down before and consent. By reading that, you are simply delaying me getting on my flight. Please call for a male assist.")

cottonmather0

I haven't posted in this thread in a while because with Precheck, life got immensely easier.

That said, today I was traveling through IAH Terminal B and the Precheck lane was wiiiiiiide open. And what does that mean, Boys and Girls?

Say it with me: "RANDOM" SELECTION!!!!

They direct me to the scanner, I do the shore shoulder trick. Agent is skeptical but they send me for a patdown. I follow every instruction but I also tell the agent that he's wasting my time - I already know the spiel, just get on with it - etc etc etc - well finally the "supervisor" saunters over (kind of short and husky version of this guy) and he tells me that he was "pausing the screening until I became more cooperative". I asked him what instructions I didn't follow, so he revised his condition to, "Until you lose the attitude." So we stand there and stare at each other and then he says, "And then I will send you home once we finally get around to finishing the screening."

So I smile and turn around and go through the patdown motions and don't say anything else. Make eye contact with the supervisor at one point and mouth, "Is this good?" He smiles and nods his head.

So the chemical machine beeps negative and some other TSA standing there says, "Why the bad attitude? Didn't you refuse to go through the scanner? You have to get a patdown."

I explain that I went through Precheck and got a suspicious "random" beep that in my mind is just an excuse to waste my time because they had nothing else to do. Extra TSA grins sheepishly and walks away.

Well, the supervisor didn't like that answer so then they decide they are going to x-ray my stuff all over again, just to be petty. Supervisor comes back with my shoes and I sarcastically say, "Did you find anything good?" He shakes his head and I say, "Didn't think so." That got his attention and he says, "You know what, let me get you a comment card, SIR." And he wanders over to the podium.

I walk over and wait for him and then he hands it to me smugly and says, "Here you go. Name. Badge Number. Time of Day. You can let customer service no how poorly you think I did." And he hands it to me.

I say, "As if that would ever make a difference. This is structural, my man." And I tear it up and throw it in a wasterbasket next to us and walk off.

And truth be told, it really isn't about customer service. He didn't do anything wrong. It's about a BS system that has no common sense. But "just following orders" isn't an excuse and I say that the only way this ever changes is if the people on the line have to pay the consequences for the crappy system. Won't ever happen, but at least it's civil disobedience.

Last time I checked, "meek acquiescence" was not part of the screening process.

/RANT OVER

cottonmather0

Just want to add, don't accuse me of just being a bad apple. The screening process is necessary and I have no problem whatsoever with a metal detector and X-ray.

What I don't like is being detained and hassled with no suspicion at all of any wrongdoing.

As long as the screening process for me - an overweight bald white guy in his 40's with a boring English name, going through the Precheck lane - is cursory, as it logically should be, then I will be courteous. But as soon as TSA decides to delay me and hassle me (even if these particular guys didn't make that decision, someone somewhere decided "random screening" of the Precheck line is a good idea) then I will be sure to let them know my thoughts and register my displeasure with agents of my government.

HawaiiTrvlr

This! ^^

Boggie Dog

He was going to send you home after the screening was completed because of attitude? You should have called for the terminal TSM to be called at that point.

cottonmather0

He said he thought I was "trying to trip that guy up" [gesturing at the groper], I guess by getting him off script with my constant complaining.

Truth be told, I would have taken him up on the threat but I was running late and it was the last flight of the day to my destination. I am sure his argument would have been "interfering with the screening process" in some way, even though I followed every instruction and didn't reuse any part of it. I would have asked them to pull the videotape had they decided to accuse me of that.

He literally didn't care for me being uppity and complaining and not silently taking my grope like a good little peasant.