lg10

An elderly cousin of mine just emailed this story, in reply to my MIL asking him which airlines would have kosher meals to Israel (yes I know that was a rookie question, and he blames Delta rather than TSA, but it's a story worth reporting here nonetheless):

"Delta has decent service and extra kosher food. One time I got into an angry tussel with their security people while being security checked at JFK before the flight. The flight was very busy and very Jewish. One of the security personnel made the bad mistake of raising his voice and shouting "Macht Shnell!" in the manner of a Nazi camp guard. This caused me to go bonkers and I loudly rebuked him for his insolent, insensitive, offensive and highly anti-semitic display. He refused to show me his ID tag and the other security personnel refused to identify to me either the offensive inspector or themselves. They all had their ID badges hidden from view. It doesn't stop me from using Delta, but I did complain."

petaluma1

That's despicable and if it happened recently, I would hope your cousin would file a complaint with the DHS IG at: https://hotline.oig.dhs.gov/hotline/hotline.php

Speaking of which, there was just a post on @TSA, which has been deleted, about a group of soldiers returning home from overseas that stopped at BWI to drop of several people. While there, all the others were made to get off the plane and now the TSA won't let them reboard because their tickets don't indicate a stop in Baltimore!!!!

lg10

I'll tell my MIL that information! I don't think it was too recent, though. Thanks for the other story and the kind words!!

Loren Pechtel

As far as I'm concerned that means they were all cooperating with him and should all be punished.

petaluma1

Here's a link about the TSA giving returning military a hard time:

chollie

This is just inexplicable. TSA says its workforce includes 20% veterans.

Were there no vet TSOs working at BWI when this happened? Or, if vet TSOs were working, were they the ones perpetrating this nonsense on their fellow vets?

FlyingHoustonian

I had them take a US government issued "US" knife as we call it (like poor man's Swiss Army Knife) which I was required to carry since I was required to carry it when I was flying my military aircraft, but they let me keep my Beretta, granted this was ~15 years ago... hashtag logic

catocony

That sounds like BS in Baltimore. Of course the guys needed boarding passes for their flights from BWI to wherever since they had to go through Immigration and Customs at BWI and then reclear security. The fact that whoever was running that freedom bird flight didn't get correct BPs to the guys isn't TSA's fault. You show up at a checkpoint, you need a BP.

petaluma1

They had flown into BWI to drop off some men; the flight did not originate from BWI. They allegedly were told to get off the plane and then could not reboard.

zitsky

Really terrible. *No one* should be treated poorly by TSA, regardless of civilian or military status. Anyone shouting Nazi commands or defending them deserves to be punished.

catocony

It's a charter flight, not on a USAF plane. They operate like commercial flights. Everyone goes through Immigration and Customs at the first point of entry.

Boggie Dog

There are multiple problems here. Screener using inappropriate language, screener concealing identity, other screeners/supervisors concealing identity. Any involved should be fired. No other option would be acceptable.

There should be a publicly available ID for all TSA employees, could be nothing more than an assigned number. How else is the public expected to provide feedback to TSA?

lg10

I'm so upset to see that these veterans were mistreated as well! TSA agents are much too excited about their own negative power. And they hide this behind the aptly named "security theater".

Loren Pechtel

I'd like to see a simple law:

Government officials (including those under private authority--say, private prison guards) have no official power unless they have their name badge properly displayed. If it's not showing John Q. Public can simply ignore them as if they were just another person. (An exception would exist for law enforcement whose badge came off/became unreadable due to the incident. You can't stop a cop from arresting you by spray-painting his name.)

SpinOn2

Semi-rant here. Not an injustice like, but really ticked me off.

I am rushing into JFK terminal 8 yesterday with about 15 min before my flt closes. My own fault, as I was transferring from LGA, something I have done many times in 2 hrs, but today was unfortunate for delays.

Of course my bag gets sent to the side for manual inspection nonsense. Already irritating enough as a Global Entry Member with TSA Pre, and a security access level clearance for airport ramps/planes up until last year when I left the airlines industry. But regardless they have to do their job so it is what it is. I asked the TSA guy if he could check mine first as the lady before me did not mind, and I was going to miss soon. The guy looked up at me, and did not even reply. Then they start moving even slower. He definitely heard me. So now I am irritated, this time I said "Hello I am asking you a question at least have the decency to respond". Again, he ignores me and starts talking to his colleague like I don't exist.

Then I was livid. I know it's not their fault I was behind, but to treat people like you are their superiors, like they are below even a response when asked a simple question, that does not fly with me. I let my anger get the best of me and definitely had some words for them

Thankfully I did a dead sprint to the other side and made my flt with 1 min to spare.

I am sick of these TSA people who have an authority complex, especially considering how horrible they actually are at stopping things getting thru.