CrazyEddie

I fly routinely in and out of MIA and I've never understood why they close TSA pre check at 5pm (although one agent once told me it was a personnel issue). Ten minutes ago I made it to the airport in time to experience TSA-pre (via Clear) and the agent who was trying to organize bags going thru the xray machine was *berating* everyone in line, some of whom don't speak English. It was so bad that I almost took up for the guy in front of me, especially after she scolded him "don't take anything out of your bag! You don't fly much, do you?!" (Even though the rules on this point seem to vary among airports.)

I went to the supervisor's elevated stand to ask politely how to give feedback. When given a web address, I could not help to tell them in person how the lady was so horrible to the pax. "In blue? No! We have some contractors. That couldn't have been an agent!" As I turned to point to where the lady was working, she was almost behind me and I said "it was her". The agent figured out what was going on and she and the supervisors tried to ask me more info but at that point I wanted to bail for fear of some sort of reprisal, so I said "I'm through, and I don't want to get in trouble!" and ran for the Sky Club.

Next time I will be sure to skip TSA-pre here!

davetravels

One time going thru TSA at ORD flying Delta, several TSA peeps were horribly trashing people TO EACH OTHER in Spanish! I was SHOCKED at what I heard, although I can't remember exactly what they said, at the moment.

KDCAflyer

These moments are always fun. I know enough Spanish to be able to react with a facial expression. Gets them every time.

pvn

Do you think it's going to be any different in the regular line?

If you didn't want to "get in trouble" (whatever that means) why didn't you just get the name of the agent in question and report it on the website?

CrazyEddie

Possibly. At least now I know who to avoid.

"get in trouble" means getting hassled by people who have power to ruin my day, and kick me out of precheck. If I had forsesight as powerful as your hindsight I could have dine things differently. Maybe I would have asked for her name in a way that could have only flattered her. I did manage to report her.

flyerCO

T4 JFK on Saturday. TSA was closing a lane and I'D checker had been sending everyone after being told to other lane. Rest of us stayed in line since had been directed to it before they decided to close it. 2 stripe agent comes over when there's about five of us left to get through the glass doors. SLAMES the doors shut and tells everyone to go to end of line at other position. When one says but we've waited in line already, replied "you do as I say, cause problems you don't fly." Reported him after got through to manager, who happened to be up front. She actually cared and when I pointed out who did it, audible sigh was heard. Made it seem like she had already had issues with the agent.

sweetsleep

TSA Complaint line 1 866 289 9673

Boggie Dog

Like a complaint will do any good.

AdamATL

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

You should have spoken up and taken a stand rather than "[running] for the Sky Club" and "skip[ing] TSA-pre here". I would have.

petaluma1

File a complaint but don't use the TSA's form, file with the DHS IG: https://hotline.oig.dhs.gov/hotline/hotline.php Name names if you can. You can file anonymously if you wish but then you won't know if DHS has acted on it.

Filing with DHS accomplishes a couple of things:

1. You will know if DHS referred it to TSA for action if you receive, some weeks later, an e-mail from the TSA Office of Inspection. You won't, however, learn what action the TSA took, but TSA must take some action and report back to DHS.

2. It lets DHS know about complaints about screener behavior that I highly suspect they would otherwise never learn from TSA.

goalie

You had me with "TSA" and "MIA"

catocony

Two of the worst things a traveler can encounter. When I lived in South Florida, I always dreaded going to MIA for my flights to Latin America. TSA wasn't that great there, but the Immigration and Customs people are the worst. Worse than even at JFK.

CrazyEddie

This was just like JFK vs communism and his referring to (maybe misquoting) Burke. My failure to stay longer and confront the agent in addition to complaining and pointing her out to her supervisor will lead to the downfall of the country. Having been kicked out of TSA-pre for 6 months once before, I made my judgment on whether giving feedback is worth my time or the potential downside.

ne52

My recent favorite:

I was waiting for the bag to come out of the x-ray machine at CLE. An older couple is frantically speaking Spanish while touching their wrists to the agents who don't understand. I go over and translate enough to communicate that her watch got stuck somewhere inside the machine. They speak zero English, the agents speak zero Spanish.

Without any trace of sarcasm or irony, one agent just yells at the woman "WELL WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY SO?"

petaluma1

So typical of TSA.