actonma

I arrived at Boston Logan Airport Terminal B Friday evening (July 17) at approximately 7:00 PM on United Airlines and as I was walking towards the exit I saw New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and his security detail walking towards the United gates. When I got to the exit (near B29) – probably 10, maybe 15 seconds later... – a State Trooper was apologizing to the TSA agent assigned to the door. I didn’t see what happened firsthand but it was apparent that the State Police had escorted Governor Christie and his entourage into the airport via the Exit Door, thus bypassing the TSA Security Screening.

Per an article in the Washington Post, Government policy the list of people who can bypass TSA Security when flying commercial jets is pretty short:

• Congressional leaders traveling with a security detail (the speaker of the House, the House minority leader, the Senate majority leader, etc.) are allowed to bypass security but other members of Congress are expected to stand in line and wait.
• Cabinet secretaries who travel with bodyguards may bypass security but Cabinet secretaries traveling without protection and other senior government officials flying commercial must be screened.
• Former presi

dents flying commercial with Secret Service agents and some foreign ambassadors also traveling with guards are exempt from screening.

Notably, this list does not include State Governors.

I hope I didn’t see what I think I saw; but if Governor Christie was permitted to bypass TSA Security it would be a major breach of airport security.

I wrote to the TSA who responded
Thoughts?

Boggie Dog

Canned response and most likely from a TSA contractor, not actually TSA. You will never get a response ftom TSA that takes any responsibily.

No one should be completely exempt from screening. When people like Christie feels he is above security screening it sends the wrong message. I realize that Christie is not a threat but neither are the vast majority of people who fly daily.

Three failures.

Christie's for not requiring his staff to follow the rules.

Christie's staff for not complying with the rules.

TSA for not enforcing TSA rules.

TSA should have dumped the terminal.

makeUturn

I recently saw something at HSV that puzzled me. Like a lot of other airports, the exit from the secured area is near to and can be seen from the entrance, and a TSA agent is posted at the exit. I had just finished going through security and noticed a person I did not recognize walk up to the exit guard agent. He handed her an ID and after briefly examining it, she handed it back to him and he walked on through. Since I have no idea who the person was, I am still wondering what made him important enough to enter through the exit area and bypass the security screening required for the rest of us.

Often1

People who are non-exempt but have security details routinely go through checkpoints. The security officers themselves don't go through the checkpoint because they are armed. Like all law enforcement, they are separately processed.

All but one officer go through the separate processing and wait for the protectee. The protectee goes through the checkpoint just like everybody else with one officer watching from behind. That officer is then separately processed and catches up.

You can bet that DHS will have raised this with the NJ State Police had higher levels. You can also bet that this won't be the subject of a detailed response to OP.

SeriouslyLost

LOL.

Not unless the media gets involved and forces DHS/TSA to do something via public shaming. Otherwise, they'll simply ignore it.

cbn42

State governors appear to be exempt according to TSA SOP.

http://www.airsafe.com/issues/securi...t-redacted.pdf

4.3.5. INDIVIDUALS UNDER PROTECTIVE ESCORT
Certain individuals and their accessible property under protective escort are eligible for specialized screening. After
the airport-assigned LEO, STSO, or designated TSA representative has verified the protective escort’s badge,
credential, and Government-issued photo ID, the armed protective escort must verify the identity of the protected
individual to the airport assigned LEO, STSO, or designated TSA representative and sign the logbook with both his or
her information and the identity of the protected individual(s). The armed protective escort need not actually be flying
with the protected individual(s). The following individuals (as verified by the armed protective escort) and their
accessible property are eligible for specialized screening:
A. All individuals, accompanying immediate family members, and up to two accompanying staff members
who are under the armed protective escort of a Federal LEO to include branches of the United States
Armed Forces. The Federal armed protective escort must present a valid Federal badge, credential, a
second Government-issued photo ID, and a Notice of LEO Flying Armed document (if flying).
B. U.S. State and Territorial governors and lieutenant governors, the Mayor of the District of Columbia,
accompanying immediate family members, and two accompanying staff members when under armed
protective escort of a non-Federal LEO. The armed protective escort must present valid LEO
identification (badge, credential, Government-issued photo ID, and Notice of LEO Flying Armed
document (if flying)).
C. Spouses of U.S. State and Territorial governors and lieutenant governors, the Mayor of the District of
Columbia, accompanying immediate family members, and two staff members, when under armed
protective escort of a non-Federal LEO. The armed protective escort must present valid LEO
identification (badge, credential, Government-issued photo ID, and Notice of LEO Flying Armed
document (if flying)).

petaluma1

What is the "specialized screening" for which these people are eligible?

FlyIgglesFly

Please, Christie just wouldn't fit in the nude-o-scope. That's all this is.

Section 107

specialized is whatever they want it to mean.....it means modified/different than regular procedures.

Section 107

It could be a flight crew member, airport authority employee, TSA, DHS, airline employee, FAA, FBI, plain-clothes airport police, operations, engineering/maintenance.... take your pick - of lots of folks.

Generally, to do that one has to be actually working. If you are not working and you want to access the "sterile" area you are supposed to go through screening.

actonma

I just received a reply from the Customer Support and Quality Improvement Manager - U.S. Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration


Thank you for your question and related concern. We have reviewed and researched same.

Please know that Governor Christie as well as his entourage were processed through the TSA checkpoint in compliance to TSA Specialized Screening Procedures, including the validation of Law Enforcement Officers’ Unique Federal Agency Number (UFAN).

Regards,
Marina

chollie

You don't have to be a genius to know that those 'specialized' procedures don't include sticking their face and hands between Christie's legs or shoving fingers inside his pants and butt crack.

They probably don't question his prescription meds, either.

Perhaps the TSOs used their cellphones to take selfies with the governor. Out of an abundance of caution, you understand.

petaluma1

That's nice that the armed LEOs were screened, but was Christie himself screened? I see no mention of fat governors running for president being exempt from screening in this document, page 4-21:

http://www.behindtheheadlines.net/se...ntDocument.pdf

jkhuggins

As various TSA employees have pointed out in various fights discussions in this forum, the word "screening" has multiple definitions.

"Screening" doesn't have to include a physical search for contraband. TSA claims that it "screens" its employees because of the background checks it performs as part of the hiring process. (Yes, we've seen how ineffective that is.)

In this case, I suspect (with absolutely no first-hand knowledge, but, hey, this is the Internet) that Governor Christie's "screening" consisted of verifying that his security detail was properly licensed (as noted in the official TSA reply), and therefore could testify to the identity of Governor Christie and that the Governor was not on any no-fly lists that would prohibit him from flying aboard commercial aircraft.

TSA says frequently that "identity matters". It sure does. If your identity is that of a famous government official, then you're trusted. The rest of us get ... well, what we always get.

Section 107

Petaluma, was it necessary to inject your personal politics into the discussion with a petty ad-hominem attack against a "weight challenged" person? I am no fan of the governor either, but, come on.

I am curious if you read the contents of either CBN42's response (post #6) which you quoted in your response (post #7) or the contents of the document to which you linked?

'Cause it clearly and explicitly states governors and a certain number of individuals of the VIPs entourage are allowed specialized screening. And so does the document to which you linked on page 4-20 (hmm, is the page number just a coincidence?) that governors are provided specialized screening (with no mention of a requirement to be skinny, just right or fat).

It also says the same on page 4-5 in a section that is highlighted no less.

And because I am guessing at your political bent I will add-in that I can guarantee you (because I have witnessed it) the Hon. Hillary Clinton has received EXACTLY the same level of screening on commercial flights as does Mr. Christie - and she was never a Governor.