Boggie Dog

I suggest GAO because they are already familiar with auditing processes. This would be right in their wheelhouse.

saizai

Honest question: have you ever gotten (or heard) feedback, revised orders, or the like as a result of someone complaining to @AskTSA or TSA Contact Center?

If yes, what form did it take?

chollie

Not to go OT, but we have a relevant real-life example referenced in this forum.

A few weeks ago, someone asked AskTSA about taking something - butter or cream cheese - in carry-on. AskTSA's answer was NOT the same as the webpage and the tweeter pointed that out. AskTSA said the webpage would be updated and corrected.

Weeks later, nothing had been corrected, leaving me to wonder if the website was the official 'right' answer and AskTSA gave out wrong information.

Or perhaps it's just another example of 'consistent inconsistency'.

T-the-B

Boggie Dog is 100% spot on. Most of my screening experiences are over quickly and painlessly and the TSA employees are pleasant or, at a minimum, business-like. However; as Boggie Dog says there are always a few "overbearing, authority asserting, loud mouthed TSA screeners." TSA's problem is not that these exist (in any large organization you will find some bad apples), but rather that nobody within TSA every appears to give a hoot.

I have witnessed screeners berate passengers, harass mothers travelling with toddlers about how much baby formula they are carrying, hassle handicapped travelers, and generally abuse their position with not a single other TSA screener, 2-striper, 3-striper or suit stepping in to offer correction, an apology or an attempt at de-escalation. The problem at TSA is not the minority of bad screeners, it is that those bad actors are tolerated by everyone else.

saizai

That's an external POV. I was asking gsolstso specifically about their experiences of how things percolate down internally (if at all). It would be nice to know if when @AskTSA et al say they're going to pass concerns on to the airport, it actually results in anything for actual screeners (rather than, say, just the FSD's report).

petaluma1

I don't believe for one minute that AskTSA passes on any concerns and even if they do, those concerns just see the circular file.

Why is the "butter" mixup an "external POV"? AskTSA said it would up the website, internal, and the website has not been updated.

saizai

I believe that they do notify airport personnel in some way; my evidence for that is FOIA docs on my own complaints, including TSA Contact Center.

In a way that makes a difference? That's a whole different question. I have evidence that SFO did get retrained about medical liquids. But nothing indicating that BOS got retrained for the much worse abuse I got from them.

It's a public-facing website.

I think it's more interesting to know what happens on the ground. If e.g. gsoltso has gotten actual retraining because of someone contacting @AskTSA or the like, I'd consider that rather more important than what the website says.

chollie

I hadn't thought of it before, but I agree, saizai. The website really is a fancy BS way of saying "you'll find out when you get there because it's all up to the screener and consistent inconsistency."

But some of the very specific issues addressed at specific checkpoints and even naming specific TSOs - yes, it would be interesting to see if that results in those specific opportunities for improvement are being addressed.

In fact, it would be interesting to know if there is any incentive for the FSD to push to make specific improvements happen.

BSBD

Seems like the only incentive is to fend off unwanted attention that happens when a pax has video of an "incident," and the incident is reported by national news organizations.

petaluma1

You mean like this:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/21/us/kri...tsa/index.html

chollie

No surprise. I believe she initially reported the appalling treatment on AskTSA, who forwarded her concerns to the same place they initially forwarded Amy Van Dyken's - the bit bucket.

Then the media got hold of both stories.

One of the most frequent complaints tweeted at AskTSA is abuse of LGBT pax. One recent tweeter called TSA out for lying and claiming it regularly consults with LGBT organizations. The tweeter challenged TSA to name the organizations, since apparently the organizations TSA claims to have consulted with deny it.

It would be interesting to see if the TSOs who deliberately went out of their way to try to humiliate someone who, unlike themselves, actually put her life on the line for her country - it would be interesting to see what their expensive 'academy' training taught them about treating LGBT pax. Considering the entire work force is going through 'academy' training, everyone should be up-to-speed.

Of course, 'screener discretion' and 'consistent inconsistency' mean that in order to keep the bad folks on their toes, sometimes you have to trash and destroy innocent handicapped pax and vets.

Way to go, TSA! Saving the world, one paralyzed ex-Olympian and one LGBT retired Navy Seal at a time.

saizai

TSA's statement re trans SEAL:

https://twitter.com/TSA/status/779345239374827521
https://twitter.com/TSA/status/779345315593793537

https://www.tsa.gov/news/press

“We regret that Ms. Beck had a negative screening experience and apologize for any embarrassment or discomfort this experience might have caused. We have contacted Ms. Beck to discuss her concerns and will continue to work with her and other members of the transgender community to improve training and protocols. Screening is conducted without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity, national origin, religion or disability. We are committed to ensuring that all travelers are treated with respect and courtesy. We continue to supplement standard operating procedures with training aimed at providing our officers with the tools they need to ensure they are sensitive to the needs of travelers and engage positively and appropriately with transgender passengers.”


Of course, they made a press statement about my liquids case too, saying I was right and they were going to work with me to fix it … and then did the exact opposite when it came to the actual formal response to an investigation (which, mind, I had to get a court injunction against them to obtain).

petaluma1

Same old crapola. This statement has overtaken "out of an abudance of caution" in the number of times it has been uttered.

Boggie Dog

Exactly why does TSA need to continue to work with the transgender community in order improve training and protocols? Seems TSA has had enough time to understand the issues and take action to create of modify current screening SOP's.

I sense an unwillingness for change at TSA.

petaluma1

Because screeners can't/won't follow either what training they receive or the protocols.

I believe one of the comments on @AskTSA alluded to protocols being set but not honored.