TSA Allowed To Make Local Rules?
May 29, 2013 | 9:54 pm
#31
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
The last time this happened to me was BDL a bit over a year ago. It was an irritating nuisance.
I am hearing impaired. I expect certain things at the CP and I am ready. Shoes off, computer and liquids out, jacket and belt off, the works. It is the same at every airport.
If someone tells me to do something that is not standard, I usually do not understand it. This includes BDO's, name game, Code Bravo and other unusual processes. So, I may have been told to keep my BP out and did not hear it. The scanner was roped off so I walked right through the WTMD while the line barker was (I think) asking for my boarding pass. Whatever, I ignored it as I was following the procedure used in every airport, and went to the xray belt to retrieve my stuff.
Then it became surreal. The line barker followed me to the belt and was still asking for my BP (I think she was as with my back to her I could not understand.) When I finally understood that someone behind me was talking to me I turned around and said "What?"
"You have to show me your BP before you can got through the metal detector." I wanted to explain the logical fallacy of this statement as I had clearly walked through the darn thing without showing the BP. Not wanting to cause additional ruckus, I said I needed to retrieve it from my bag where I had stored it, not knowing that I would need it.
Well it seems that by breaking protocol, I had created a situation where I could not touch my bag. They would not let me get it out. Since it had cleared the xray, they were not doing a secondary. I pointed at the pocket and said that it is in there. It took a supervisor to open the pocket and get the BP out. I said for her show it to the line barker as I was putting myself back together. She couldn't as I had to show her. I took the BP showed the line barker, and was given a quick OK. In this time, with no line barker, the line to the WTMD had backed up significantly.
Wouldn't you know, the very first person waiting was asked for the BP and he said that it was in his bag in the xray. A great rolling of eyes ensued and I got my stuff and began to leave. On the way past the supervisor I commented that was somewhere in the top ten of stupid TSA procedures, a very crowded list.
I am hearing impaired. I expect certain things at the CP and I am ready. Shoes off, computer and liquids out, jacket and belt off, the works. It is the same at every airport.
If someone tells me to do something that is not standard, I usually do not understand it. This includes BDO's, name game, Code Bravo and other unusual processes. So, I may have been told to keep my BP out and did not hear it. The scanner was roped off so I walked right through the WTMD while the line barker was (I think) asking for my boarding pass. Whatever, I ignored it as I was following the procedure used in every airport, and went to the xray belt to retrieve my stuff.
Then it became surreal. The line barker followed me to the belt and was still asking for my BP (I think she was as with my back to her I could not understand.) When I finally understood that someone behind me was talking to me I turned around and said "What?"
"You have to show me your BP before you can got through the metal detector." I wanted to explain the logical fallacy of this statement as I had clearly walked through the darn thing without showing the BP. Not wanting to cause additional ruckus, I said I needed to retrieve it from my bag where I had stored it, not knowing that I would need it.
Well it seems that by breaking protocol, I had created a situation where I could not touch my bag. They would not let me get it out. Since it had cleared the xray, they were not doing a secondary. I pointed at the pocket and said that it is in there. It took a supervisor to open the pocket and get the BP out. I said for her show it to the line barker as I was putting myself back together. She couldn't as I had to show her. I took the BP showed the line barker, and was given a quick OK. In this time, with no line barker, the line to the WTMD had backed up significantly.
Wouldn't you know, the very first person waiting was asked for the BP and he said that it was in his bag in the xray. A great rolling of eyes ensued and I got my stuff and began to leave. On the way past the supervisor I commented that was somewhere in the top ten of stupid TSA procedures, a very crowded list.
