mybodyismyown

I am waiting to board a 6:40pm flight to Baltimore and staring down a 4-person squad of blue-shirts. This is a Southwest flight, so if they stop people, they'll be screwing people who paid extra for early boarding out of their boarding position.

Interesting...

saulblum

Ask, in a voice audible to your fellow passengers:

"So, I guess you were sleeping at the checkpoint, huh? Or are you just making up work to make yourselves look busy?"

To be fair, you are flying to Baltimore, and the Ravens are in the Super Bowl, and the Super Bowl is a high-profile™ event.

So it kind of makes sense, right?

barbell

If you walk through and pretend to be talking on your phone, you'll likely be left alone.

After all, a terrorist wouldn't be on the phone during boarding, would they?

Would they?!?!?!?!?!!?

knotyeagle

Use your camera and start taking video/photos at about 10', they back down very quickly at FLL.

FlyingHoustonian

I hope you thanked them for "keeping us safe", and for working on Superbowl Sunday!
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Hahahahaha, that was a good one huh?

IrishDoesntFlyNow

Especially since the Super Bowl was 1,100 miles away in Louisiana. But the (victorious) Ravens will be back eventually, and we can never be too careful, now can we?

~~ Irish

goalie

My standard comment is "so what did you miss at the checkpoint?"

linsj

I have to remember this line. Only saw a couple of gate checks last year, but I wish I would have said this!

mikeef

Layers, my friend, layers.

Mike

N830MH

Good idea! He will have play the video and try to take a pictures. Just keep away from TSA and don't let TSA see you.

Mats

I always like to over-thank them. They fail to see the irony, and it's impossible for them to fight back. "Thank you SO much for all of the extra work you're doing. Keeping us safe is so important. I'm really happy to see you here checking ID's, officer. Really, thank you!"

It's incredibly snarky, but it goes right over their heads. Sarcasm isn't in the TSA "playbook."

I feel like you could have the grenade pin in your mouth, wearing an "Ask me about joining Al Qaeda today" sticker, and they'd be fumbling for the expiration date on your driver's license. That'll catch 'em!

At least it's better than the "stare downs." I haven't seen that in a while, and it was hilarious. I would just stare back. The unspoken message from me was, "You're looking particularly stupid right now, and you're not fooling anyone."

pittpanther

So what happens then? If you paid more for early boarding but are stopped for gate screening, and 29 other people pass you by, what is your recourse? This had to have been discussed on FT somewhere...