At RDU this morning, there was a well-dressed man in a nice suit, and an official (airport) badge patrolling the area of the TDC lines. He mostly paced back and forth watching everything. But he was even occasionally helping the TSOs check documents (including mine).

I hadn't seen someone like this before, so I asked the TSO shouting instructions before the WTMD who this man was. He said "he's the manager." I asked "you mean the FSD? The STSO? The TSM? Someone else?" His reply: "No, he's just the manager. Is there a problem with that? Why do you want to know?"

Apparently my explanation of it being unusual for a TSA employee not to be in uniform wasn't satisfactory to him, since his tone became increasingly hostile, so I dropped it.

After the scanners I asked the same question to another TSO, and got a similar "he's the manager of the checkpoint, why do you want to know?"

Has anyone else seen someone like this before? Encountered anything like this before?

I have seen the "Manager" milling about and checking things, talking to employees and such. It is not uncommon. I have also had conversations with them in their official capacity. The latter is lot more interesting.

I guess I don't find seeing a senior manager or supervisor at a check point all that strange. When I first moved to San Antonio a retired military police officer I knew in the Pentagon had moved down here and was deputy whatever of TSA here. I'd often see him at the check point in a suit checking on operations. He was going after a more senior position last I talked to him so he has moved on or retired again as I've lost touch with him and haven't seen him at the airport lately. He's a good guy and was one of the uniformed military who tried to rescue people in the Pentagon on 9/11.

Here in CLT(at least before I retired) quite common to see a "suit" walking around looking stupid.

Yes. No big deal.

I've seen guys in suits, whom I presumed to be TSMs but didn't ask, at c/ps in MCO. And I don't even fly much, so it can't be all that rare to see them.

I was actually under the impression that it was a TSA or FAA regulation that a TSM must be present at all times when screening operations are being conducted.

The beligerent TSO with whom you spoke is, I would guess, simply not cognizant of the proper title for a TSM. TSM stands for Transportation Security Manager, after all, so it's not completely out of character for a TSO of limited understanding to simply know a TSM as "the Manager" rather than by the full term or its acronym. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a lot of TSOs don't know the proper terminology and simply refer to anyone in a suit as a "suit" or "boss" or "supervisor" or "upper manager" or "el jefe."

Here at Dulles, it's rare to see a TSM, because some of them have second jobs.

The position's acronym is SSI. Must not be mentioned for fear of some boogie-man or another. Same reason some TSOs fear any passenger utterance of the acronym "SOP". If a passenger ever spelled out the letters for "SSI", their world might end in a puff of greasy smoke.

Made me think of that scene in the BBC sitcom Faulty Towers with John Cleese:
Mrs. Richards: Are you the manager?

Basil Fawlty: I am the owner, madam.

Mrs. Richards: What?

Basil Fawlty: I am the owner.

Mrs. Richards: I want to speak to the manager.

Basil Fawlty: I am the manager, too.

Mrs. Richards: What?

Basil Fawlty: I am the manager as well.

Manuel: Manajer, he manajer.

[Basil smacks him]

Mrs. Richards: Oh, you're Watt!

Basil Fawlty: I'm the manager!

Mrs. Richards: What?

Basil Fawlty: I'm the manager!

Mrs. Richards: Yes, I know, you've just told me. What's the matter with you?

1) TSM being present = not unusual
2) TSO doesn't even know the acronym of his supervisor = not unusual
3) TSO gets hostile when you ask simple, respectful questions = not unusual

The unusual part of all of this is that you didn't get a retaliatory freedom grope.

Thanks! I just spewed my soup all over the screen.

"Made me think of that scene in the BBC sitcom Faulty Towers with John Cleese:
Mrs. Richards: Are you the manager?"

Funny, speaking of TSA and John Cleese, I always draw a connection
to the "Knights who say niiiiiiiii"---bean counter types who are steadfast in their
affiliation to a group that has never accomplished much of anything.

The suit being the only thing that differentiates the wearer from the rank and file clerk, correct?

Yep & I think the ones I've actually talked to in the past are even more stupid if anyone can believe that.

Me either. I was more ruffled by the hostile treatment I received when asking a simple question. If I really was up to no good by asking about him, I'd probably try to be a bit more subtle in my information gathering.