The FLL concourse C lead screener asked me where I was going, I told him I believe the AirTran boarding pass said ATL. He then asked where after that and when I was coming back. That is where I started asking him about this administrative search. He earlier asked me if I was "from here". I asked him is state of Florida residency required to use concours C at FLL.

Give no quarter. None.

It seems that if you don't want to answer their questions, the thought that goes on in their simple minds is, " Aha! I've caught a bad guy who has something to hide!"

However, if you start shooting questions of your own back to them, they get taken by surprise and start feeling uncomfortable.

Wise. If you have extra BPs just tear up the annotated one (in front of the TSA), put the bits in your pocket and walk on .

I suppose it's really situational - when someone seated next to me on a plane talks about his work, wife and kids and asks about mine - I usually have no problem making small talk about the same. The BDO seemed coached to initiate this kind of conversation, but came across as very disingenuous and somewhat creepy.

When a stranger blocks my path and asks me personal questions, or asks me for money, or tries to recruit me to his religion...I try to end the dialogue as quickly as possible. Beggars and proselytizers cannot legally retaliate against us for brushing them off. TSA agents of course, can.

Maybe you should have returned his question with a few questions :
"What are your religious beliefs?"
"Do you believe in God and Hell?"
"Have you accepted Christ as your personal savior?" Lol

Indeed, something along this line might be rather fun to try.

You raise some very good points. I guess I'll have to start photo-shopping my PNR and frequent flyer number out before printing.

Colleague of mine had an incident this week at Boston where he objected to the employer questions and asked why they need to know. BDO said "So we can inform your employer that you're not cooperative". The ensuing conversation led my colleague to conclude that the "employer" questions are included as another level of coercion & intimidation, with the intent to make all travelers into "sheep".

Yet again another reason why no TSO gets more information than what is displayed on the boarding pass.

Unfortunately, the blue uniforms give the impression that not answering the questions will lead to big trouble. (Though, even if it was a cop randomly coming up to you and asking such questions, you are under no obligation to answer.)

There are only two acceptable replies to this SPOT voodoo --

"I decline to participate in this pilot program."

"I decline to answer any further questions without legal representation."

But again, most passengers either don't know that they do not have to answer; are intimidated by the blue uniform; or (most likely) don't care, and just want to get to the gate.

The other day a friend posted on Facebook, "Grilled at TSA today, it's like Border patrol now." I asked him if it was at BOS Terminal A, and sure enough, it was. I told him about the pilot program, and that he had no obligation to answer. As for what he was asked: "Line of business, where do I live (on my driver's license, incidentally) how did I get here, where did I park, how long am I going for, when am I returning." He followed up with, "Not to mention - I would be highly surprised if the 24 y.o. TSA mentalist would be able to detect any micro or macro expressions in my face other than irritation and confusion." I think I turned him into a convert: "I might start planning to actually get to the airport 2 hours early - to deal with the inevitable problems that my actions will cause." And the best compliment? "Saul, I love your passion for this one."

Lol, I was talking to my boss about this today and he said that if this happens to me, tell them to go and f*ck themselves.

I ,for one, cannot (sarcasm) wait for these to come to ROC. I can only imagine how the 'chat up' or 'down' , would have went on my trip thru MIA in Feb. There was a group of people from Japan,they spoke zero english and had a translater or two with them. They were on the DL flight with me up to JFK then NRT. I would have loved to see them try and chat up a group that had no idea what they were saying to them

Another possibility if you have plenty of time - Give them your life story - just for fun. Maost people hate it when they are given too much information.

I, too, love your passion for this one. It's a passion shared by me and by a lot of others here on FT.

These Enhanced Podium Interrogations are just the latest violation of the Constitution by TSA, brought to you by the same people who thought up the Virtual Strip Search, the Full-Body Rubdown with Genital Manipulation, Gate Rapes, and of course, the classic Private Room Strip Search.

This carp is what motivated me to get a US Passport card and use it as my ID when I fly, so the TSA will not be able to demand my Papers, Please, Comrade and record home address along with my name, they'll only get my name. I don't have a terribly common name, but my name is shared by several relatives, and a few non-relatives - including a federal judge of some repute in Kentucky. I just hope that one day my name is added to some "suspicious character list" and it causes the judge some difficulty; it may cause some backlash in the judicial community that would be favorable to the traveler, instead of the gubment.

Or you could start telling them in great detail about your family tree -- that always draws a big yawn. (said with much affection by a genealogist)

Flew out of DTW a few days ago and got the podium interrogation - I wasn't aware of the pilot program going on so I was a bit off-guard for this asinine experience...gave the screener my US passport and both my boarding passes for my flight to ATL and my final destination, and the screener started with:

"Hi, my name is (screener's name), and I'm going to ask you some security-related questions"

"Where do you live?"
(Ontario, Canada)

"What do you do there?"
(student)

"Are you going to Atlanta (my connecting point)?"
(no)

"Why are you going to (destination city)?
(Visit my parents over the holidays)

"So since your parents live there, did you use to live in (destination city) then?"
(no)

"Where did you live then before you moved to Canada?"
(discourse on my life's history after I graduated college in 2007)

"Ok, go ahead"

Laughable experience in the extreme...this tactic might work in Israel where they know what they are doing and are damn good at it, but applied en masse to our fine uneducated friends in the TSA? Very disturbing thought...