Boggie Dog

Are you saying that TSA screeners are unable to do their jobs properly. Isn't putting the travelers lock back on the bag part of the process if one is there?

Maxwell Smart

Particularly for the bolded part, which is news to me, is there anywhere where this process is officially and publicly posted? And if not, WHY NOT?

Would be logical to have something like this printed directly on the inspection notice, or at least on the website.

(I'm sure if someone raise this issue with someone at TSA, "because eyecue posted it" isn't going to mean much!)

chollie

eyecue's a big boy and can take care of himself, but I have to speak out.

We've had TSOs post false and misleading information here before. We've had TSOs post here solely for the purpose of antagonizing and insulting.

Someone may be able to prove me wrong, but to the best of my recollection, eyecue has never claimed that the way the hidden rules are implemented at DEN is the same way at every airport - unlike what some TSOs post.

He has described what should happen, how the process should work, at DEN. Unless he's actually worked in other airports or knows someone very trustworthy who does, he can't say what goes on elsewhere - and he doesn't.

If you think I'm being biased towards eyecue, feel free to stalk my posts. I have disagreed with him on more than one occasion (SSI rules the public can't view about 'dual purpose assistive devices', aka, 'cool cane that looks like a light saber') and won't hesitate to do so in the future if I disagree with him.

JMHO.

That said, it is inexcusable that TSA doesn't bother to put locks bag on the bags. If a TSO doesn't relock my bag and a baggage handler subsequently opens it and steals from me, as far as I am concerned, TSA is responsible for leaving my bag unlocked.

I either carry bags with metal zippers or I secure the zip pulls so they can't slide - the baggage handler 'pen in the zipper' trick doesn't work with my bags unless TSA has removed the lock from my bag.

petaluma1

It would be nice if AskTSA told this to people who complain about missing articles and damaged bags, especially bags without notes in them.

This page says nothing:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support/claims

And instead, tells one to complete this form:

https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/fi...-08-15-508.pdf

knowing full well it is very intimidating and probably makes 95% of claimants give up before they start.

chollie

Keep in mind, what eyecue posted may only be applicable at DEN.

Every airport and checkpoint and screener operates according to their own personal, unpublished (or unavailable to the public) rules.

I wonder about this:

I send a claim form in an envelope and it takes three weeks to 'screen' it?

What special form of 'screening' is required that takes three weeks? Are the letters being xrayed and swabbed individually?

FliesWay2Much

Anthrax screening at a central location.

chollie

Every time I think I've heard it all, there's a new instance of a corrupt government boondoggle.

petaluma1

It's been going on since 2001 at least.

Section 107

Multiple legislative and executive offices on different dates in Washington (as well as other locations around the country) have been the targets of anthrax (and other chemicals/substances) attacks via the US mail. Other private sector entities have been attacked as well.

Is the cost exorbitant? Maybe. Is it an out and out "corrupt" boondoggle (al la TSA)? Most assuredly not.

chollie

I mean 'boondoggle' in the sense of someone got an exorbitantly priced government contract to provide the necessary materials and services, if the process wasn't outright outsourced (like so many background checks have been).

tanja

So what do they do if it is a foreign language? i travel with stuff in swedish.

TWA884

For what it is worth, the image is an AP file picture that has nothing to do with the subject of the article (TSA Audit Discovers Over 70 Air Transport Hires With Terrorism Ties). There is no information about when and where this photo was taken.

chollie

Nevertheless, it doesn't look posed or faked.

I would have thought that the best way to screen a magazine for hidden threats would be to hold it upside down while leafing through it. That way, the screener focuses on threats without getting distracted perusing content.

RadioGirl

Wait wait wait. My boss' wife's brand new expensive dress was HAZMAT??? Really?
Or a dress folded flat in the middle of a stack of clothes "fell out" and wasn't noticed? Pull the other one.
Ah, now we're getting somewhere. Except that I don't think "rare" means what you think it means.
They have to get someone else from another government agency to come over and help sound out all the big words. Although I hear that they're getting pretty good at recognizing a lot of the four-letter ones.

"Language barriers" = an ongoing struggle for the TSA.

eyecue

That actually depends on what it is. At DEN things that are left out of bags go to DEN lost and found. However DEN rejects a lot of things for hygiene reasons and so it ends up in the trash. There was a case where a bottle of liquor came down the belt system by itself, a TSO believing that it fell out of a bag, put it back in the bag, the bottle shattered somewhere later along the line and ruined the laptop and everything in the bag. TSA paid for that.

If a lock gets cut off it is supposed to be put back in the bag it was cut off of.

I am just saying that it happens...

It is not posted anywhere and the reason for the camera is to document any theft or damage that occurs during the search. OF course to make a claim it would have to be timely. If a person waits too long then there wont be a record of it. We also document any damage that we find that was present before the bag arrived, like a laptop with a shattered screen. Or if it was damaged by us.

But its so hard to see the center fold upside down!

Flammable! J/K


It would be incredibly hard to conceal something like that because of the way a baggage inspection station room is setup. On top of that there are multiple officers staffing the location.