recent TSA checkpoint experience...

US TSA steal, protecting property is not only reasonable but necessary.

Really? That is what the policy states but reality is very different.

More often than not my CPAP stays in my carry on and TSA makes
no fuss, mention of it nor asks me to remove it.

They did that.

They did NOT do that. In fact, they took the bag out of my sight thus
the reason for me jumping to conclusion they swiped my reading glasses.


It would be really nice if TSA were consistent.

If the lack of consistency is meant to mix things up such that
patterns are not established I'm fine with that; however, the
search of my bag needs to be conducted in front of me not
out of my sight where potentially someone, for example, could
slip a little bag of white powder in my bag and I suffer the
consequences of that "find".

Lack of consistency is one of the worst things TSA foists upon us, and not just because it's inconvenient - inconsistency is horrible for true security, too.

In a system where nobody knows what the current rules are, nobody knows what they're supposed to do, and nobody knows what's going to happen next, those who are tasked with watching the places or things that are supposed to be protected are often confused. In confusion there is opportunity - for those who DO know what they want to do.

Every single time a TSO deviates from what the web site tells travelers is the proper procedure, every single time a TSO tries to prohibit something that's on the prohibited items list, every single time a TSO needs to call a supervisor for anything, their attention is diverted from the true mission, and an opportunistic bad guy can easily slip through unnoticed.

Inconsistency means that TSOs are constantly having to figure out stuff as they go (or in many cases, make it all up as they go). This distracts them from any actual vigilance, creating opportunities.

Of course, all of this is moot, since the greatest opportunity of all lies not with passengers, but with getting a job at the airside Sbarro or Hudson News. But that's a different topic.

It would be really nice if I won a million dollars. The chances of that are much greater than the TSA ever being consistent.

I did say the word "supposed" when I said that they search your bag. This is to ward off complaints about things that are alleged to be stolen, broken or left out of the bag. They are taking a huge risk doing that to you without you being able to watch them.
In regards to locks on the bag, you can lock your bag any place and any time. There is nothing that says that you cannot.

Thank you.

ATL has a different, undocumented (for the pax) set of rules, because I got scolded just for having the lock inside a pocket of my bag (not locking anything, just carrying it).

I must be the Chairman of Bad TSA Experiences This Week. So Wednesday I was at JFK T5, arguably the WORST TSA checkpoint in the US (although BOS could be a close competitor). I go through the elite line (and there seem to be a lot of people in this line, including those in wheelchairs, just seemed overly full when this line usually is not, but I digress). I get to the TSO, and he looks over my BP. Asks my name, which I state, reluctantly and quietly. He takes my BP to the guy next to him, has a brief discussion and comes back. He proceeds to tell me that because there are no bar codes on my BP, I have to go back to the kiosk and print out a new one. The BP was printed from home, and that's the way it came out of the printer. So I ask, "Are you going to make me stand in this line again?" And he says, in a pissy tone, "That's not what I'm going to make you do, that's what you HAVE to do." I mean, seriously, what is the rationale behind this (I know, dumb question)? I can whip out a pen and draw a bar code, for all they know, or better yet, I could use my computer to design a fake BP, complete with bar codes. Not like they'd ever know the difference.

Anyway, after a few expletives muttered under my breath, I make my way back to the kiosk, get my new BP, and get back in the long line. Get back to the TSO again. He decides it's time to change shifts as I'm standing in front of him. He points out something about me to the guy coming on (I couldn't hear what he was saying), so I say, "Yeah, I'm the big bad guy without the bar codes". So this dude looks at my BP again, and asks my name. I say, "Look, I already did that with the previous guy. Why are you even asking me this?" He says, "Because I need to know who you are." I reply, "You have my ID in front of you with my picture on it, issued in this state." So he takes my ID and BP to the guy next to him and tells him I refuse to state my name (by now, I'm assuming this is a supervisor of some sort), and he comes back and hands me my documents, and I'm on my way. Unfortunately I have to go through this terminal a lot (i.e., several times per month), and it's just getting worse and worse. These are hands down the nastiest group of people I have ever come across in my travels. The airline is getting an email from me about this, because I am OVER IT.

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My oldest son when in his petulant stage, would have been a problem. He ALWAYS went by his nickname and not his full name and was adamant that he was Bob not Robert as an example. If this were to happen to him and the TSO looked at him and said "are you Robert?" he would have gotten a terse "No" for an answer. Now what happens?

My son's nickname has nothing to do with his given name. I've had a couple of experiences like this at TSA and both times we made it through but it was clear that we were on thin ice and could have easily been given a harder time.

On the one hand, I can understand - not agree, but understand - why they check names and boarding passes of adults due to the no fly list, but on the other hand, 1.) Children aren't on the no fly list (or shouldn't be) and 2.) Just like finding drugs and other contraband, it's not TSA's job to intervene in custody disputes or prevent child trafficking, which is the heroic mindset that some of these TDC's are taking when they ask questions about kids' names.

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I am firmly convinced, though perhaps someone can convince me otherwise, that the "secrecy" around TSA's "approved" procedures is not to trick the terrorists, but rather to give plausible deniability when TSOs deviate from, violate, forget, or otherwise "screw up" the established procedures.

After all, if there is no "known" procedure, then the TSA can always claim that a TSO didn't do anything wrong. Remember, "the King can do no wrong." That's why we didn't want a king, but we keep getting people who want to be our kings (and queens). A pox on them.

Really? And what are the consequences of such "risk"? Does anyone ever successfully sue the TSA for loss and damages? Do the videotapes ever work in those circumstances? Do the TSA and LEO people just tell me "d y w t f t" and thus "suck it up"? Does the TSA ever respond to complaints, let alone resolve them?

You need to be on our side of the conveyor belt for a while. You're reading too many TSA memos and believing them.

?? Confirming names (verbally) and boarding passes has nothing to do with the no fly list or the watch list, at least not at this time. The TDC has no special hardware that enables him/her to scan your BP and check it against a government database to verify that the name on the BP isn't on the NFL or watch list.

Some of the questions are justified as excuses for the TDCs to put their 'BDO' skills to work. Most of it is either 1) punishment because a TDC missed something or 2) an attempt to vary the job so the TDC doesn't completely zone out.

Either way, it makes no difference to me whether the TDC scrupulously checks or is half asleep. Other countries don't even bother with this ridiculous ID check. If a pax is properly screened, it doesn't matter who he/she is - he/she is no threat to me. (Hint: this assumes TSOs focused on the actual mission - aviation safety - not TSOs focusing on sno-globes, breast implants, adult diapers, large sums (allowed) of $, personal conversations, TSO cellphones, etc.)