detained for trying to "bribe" a TSA agent.
 

Flying out of LAX last week. I was tired and having a bad day as it was the third airport and hence 3rd TSA encounter.


I had bought a drink shortly before going though security and put the change in my back pocket (about 4 bucks of coins).

Coat off, shirt off, belt off yet again, though the metal detector.... Beep, beep.

The TSA agent wands my down. The only thing that's picked up is the coins, which I take out, and put on the counter.

Despite that there is now nothing on picked up the wand he insists I walk back through the metal detector.

I then go to get my stuff from the x-ray machine and the TSA says don't forget your coins.

So I say to him " keep it, consider it a tip" in a moderately sarcastic tone.

By the time I get my belt and shoes on there is two other TSA officers and some kind of security officer and they threaten to detain me and call to police for trying to "bribe a public officer".

After about 5 minutes having my ID and boarding pass examined, of apologizing and being polite they let me on my way.

Yes I know it was my fault, and will hold my tongue in the future.

Which terminal was this at?

Supposedly TSA got rid of the wands when the NoSs were installed...

Hmmm I wonder how this would play out... Walk up to the security checkpoint - wink at the TSA individual - smile and whisper with subtle coyness filled with promise, "I'll let you fondle me if you let me through..."

KAKAPO24 made a mistake, apologized for it and moved on.

If the Officer had kept the change there would be a hue and cry on FT and elsewhere about Officers taking bribes. The TSA folks handled this one the best way possible.

Actually, the TSO should have simply ignored the comment, let the pax go on their way and placed the coins wherever all the other left behind coins get placed by TSO's. Yes, the pax (as they noted) should have held their tongue but so should have the TSO

So later the OP can cause problems / media circus by saying a TSO accepted a "tip"? Not saying our OP would have done such a thing, just making a point.

I was being sarcastic because I was tired. Of course I wasn't then going to kick up a stink saying it was a bribe.

It was terminal 8.

Next time, tell them, "Go ahead and call a cop. And call your supervisor while you're at it. Also the FSD and the GSC." Unbelievable. "Public officer"? Who are they kidding?

Some of them do steal, and others do accept "tips".

The most likely persons to cause problems/media circus in relation to an airport in the US: the TSA.

I wish it were otherwise but the TSA has put itself in this situation and has gotten in on the action of favors for money.

On AA flights to and from Europe, they collect "loose change" for UNICEF.
Maybe airports should have canisters in which to place loose change (found by TSA)--I would guess lots of loose change is left in the trays (and smaller containers).

They wont last long. I give them a few hours before the contents end up in a TSA persons pockets.

That's a pretty small bribe. Isn't there some minimum for bribes, like 50 bucks or something?

I just think you insulted them by being such a cheapskate.

And of course, by definition it's a tip (or in your case, a display of irritation with the process). A bribe happens before the event, and a tip happens after the event. If you go to a fine restaurant and want to find a table on a Friday night, you pay the maitre d' BEFORE you get the table (a bribe). You pay the waitress AFTER you have eaten (a tip).

Leave it to the TSA to screw that up, too.

Not always. In a former job, I used to have employees in several states as clients, and we were always counseled by our lawyers that, for a couple of states, there was _no_ de minimis exemption for gifts - bringing Starbucks to a meeting with my client would have constituted a bribe under the law.

To go along with some pretty small minds.

Except for the part where they detained him and claimed he was trying to bribe the clerks.

For a TSA screener it was about $3.99 to much.

Doesn't a bribe require at least an implication of reciprocity or quid pro quo?

Well, the OP certainly got what (s)he paid for.

So what would have happened to the OP if he left the coins there, kept his mouth shut and walked away? I can't imagine TSA allowing people to just randomly leave personal property laying around.

Happens more than you might think.

Travelers left more than $500,000 at airport checkpoints last year, TSA keeps the change

More like pubic officers these days . . .

For conviction, yes, for detention/hassle/groping the bar is down flush with the floor.

Perfect example of why people that listen to corporate lawyers never get anything done.......

I remember dealing with one regulator who hung around all day and then would not even eat a piece of birthday cake for one of our employees. Dude, either eat the cake or get the heck out of here! It's not a bribe, it's a little thing I like to call...common courtesy.

Common sense has left the building. Bring me a Starbucks and some cake.

Well that was poorly handled by the TSA officer, surely all the officer needed to say was "thank you very much sir, but I'm not allow to keep tips, even small ones, please take the money back" and there would have been no problems. Instead they escalated a situation (which I have noticed is not uncommon for US law officers)

Yeah we have a client like this, we can't do anything lest it looks like a bribe. End of last year, when we invited all our clients out to an xmas lunch, we had to deliberately exclude that client, lest someone somewhere thought someone been invited to join in a party was tantamount to corruption at the highest level.

I think the government deems cash or gifts valued at $50 or more as bribes. Pocket change is a nominal gift, perfectly acceptable.

And who apologized to who for 5 minutes? I wouldn't have apologized.

A bribe for what? The OP was through the checkpoint and was free to go. I can't think of why it would be considered a bribe. A tip, OK, but why would you even consider tipping a TSA person?


DD

You have to put on your TSA "look at me I'm an Officer!" hat to even begin to understand.

But I don't think you want to go there.

Occam or Uhlman or one of those guys has the answer.

Exactly right. I am, frankly, surprised by the number of posters who have pointed out, logically and accurately, but entirely unnecessarily, that what the OP did was not really a bribe. The only thing the OP did wrong, as far as the TSOs are concerned, is to not show sufficient respect for their "authoritah." These TSOs were officious, petty martinets, anxious to flex power they did not have. The threat to call a cop was completely hollow, and any LEO on the seen would have laughed in their faces. No law was broken. More importantly no CFR -- the arbitrary rules that have the force of law (at least until challenged in a court of law) -- was broken. As I said in an earlier post, my response would have been to call their bluff and demand that the people actual authority be called over immediately. It would have been amusing to have seen these clowns grovel and scrape as they tried to avoid their chastisement.

Of all the government agencies, TSA seems to be the one that is coming the closest to pushing us into a police state. Don't accept it. I don't. I've been threatened with the, "Do you want me to call a cop?" bluff on one occasion, and my response was, "Yes, I do. And I'm not moving from this spot until you call one." Needless to say, that put paid to the TSO's posturing AND earned him a reprimand from his supervisor.

It reminds me of the time I was accused of breaking a federal law. I stopped immediately, asked for clarification, and asked them to request a manager, an LEO, and the right to call my lawyer. The TSO looked quite surprised and asked what my problem was. "You are a federal employee that has just accused me of a federal crime. I take that very seriously. I say nothing else until I talk to my lawyer."

Immediate attitude change. "Aw, don't worry about it. I was just kidding."

I registered my complaint with management before I left the area.

which the TSA personel are not.

The way the story is told, OP cleared security and was not subject to any further screening (arguably he is subject to it at any point in the airport though).

So it's not clear how that would be a bribe.

If the TSA agent cannot reconcile that, he may have poor decision making ability. Or just have it in for the OP and thus anger management issues.

Armchair Referee Ruling: Big-headed, previously denied employment as a mall security guard, TSA agent flaunting his superpowers

Yes, this is a very critical point. It would be interesting if wands are coming back, or this is a rogue check point.

Could it be that it was a paddle shaped HHMD and not a true tubular shaped wand as the HHMD's are still used

Bolding above mine.

In re the bolded phrase, the person hired on to TSA. I think that alone says something about their decision making ability.

This. Seriously, why did the TSO have to get started? :rolleyes:

Oh yeah, because of this...

And I LOVE the use of the word "martinets" here. As Sideshow Bob would say, it's le mot juste.

Mike

Since none of them are attractive, that would be hard to say. But I would be afraid of the line of them that would show up making it impossible to ever get to the gate :)

Lesson learned is to talk with them as little as possible

I don't care what Sideshow Bob says on anything. He's a pompous, overstuffed, pseudo-intellectual windbag with delusions of grandeur.

But I desperately want to know what Sideshow Mel would say about the use of the word "martinets".

And, to a slightly lesser extent, I'm curious about Sideshow LukePerry's opinion.

Since hand wands haven't been routinely used for over a couple of years now, this is a very interesting incident. What happened to the old divest and repeat option before a hand wanding?

Sideshow Luke Perry would not be at the scene. As you well know, he was shot out of a cannon, which would clearly be prohibited at the checkpoint.

I find your comments about Sideshow Bob demeaning and hurtful. Anyone who can sing the entire score of the H.M.S. Pinafore after a ride through a cactus patch and being attacked by multiple rakes is okay in my book.

Mike

That is exactly what they want you to do.

I wound up talking to a suit after I told the TSO and the two striper that they should have watched the documentary about Nazi Germany to get tips on how to do their jobs better