I have a question regarding the secondary screening procedures. The other day I was going from SFO domestic to the international section, and passed thru the security there. I took my laptop out, had nothing in my pockets etc. I had sneakers on. I put everything on the conveyor and stepped thru the m.detector. No beep. I was then asked to sit on the chair and my shoes were run over with the wand. Then I had to stand on the feet markings and I was wanded. Two dangerous rivets and a button fly were discovered on my 501's. I was then released to watch my laptop get swabbed. What I would like to know is why did I get secondary search when I had already passed thru the frikken detector without setting it off? Is there a procedure for this unbelievable waste of resources? Tho I guess with probably 20 TSA agents and just me going thru one side they wanted to do something useful.

PW1P....the answer you'll probably get from TSA is that there is a secret formula for who gets "randomly" screened. However, I too find that when I approach a screening area with no activity and a score of TSA's folks standing around, I usually get the super deluxe strip search treatment. I think it's probably a way for everybody to look busy and for them to sharpen their frisking skills.

It's called "continuous screening" and is standard operating procedure for TSA. It happens, as stated, continuously so even during busy times if no alarms are set off these procedures occur. This is done so that those who might be scouring the airports for any sort of patterns in the screening process cannot establish one.

This is done to keep idle hands busy and for no other reason at all. Instead of having "Thousands Standing Around" we have "Thousands Playing with Their Wands". Plus, I am sure it helps to prevent "Try Staying Awake" syndrome. As soon as the staff cuts begin, hopefully we will see less and less of this.


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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

[This message has been edited by tazi (edited 03-29-2003).]

Even with cuts in staffing, the continuous screening will still be conducted.

Then let us hope that even more cuts follow until there is simply no personnel available to play continuous harassment or the TSA is disbanded.



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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

Spiffs disdain and unfounded remarks aside, there are some airports that do have too many screeners. Nantucket for instance has 2 flights a week, yet has 26 full time screeners. Orlando/Sanford has one carrier and it is pulling out soon, has 40 screeners. Thats where the cuts will take place, the large airports will not see any reductions as most of them are understaffed due to the constant turn over of employees. I suspect that those in "temporary" positions will be the first given the ax, and those are mostly the prior screeners.

I predict the screeners will slow down their work and make themselves scarce so they are not downsized even more.

Anyone wanna bet that's what we will see happen?

I doubt it. They have a job to do and they have their procedures that have not changed. I doubt any of us will see any changes unless we fly out of the smaller airports.

Here's a serious question:

I'm 12 for 12 this year on getting hand searched after I clear security with ZERO. It's tiring and frustrating. It's now part of the airport inconvience I face.

I've tried every permutation: From suits to shorts/sandals; from no laptop to laptop; from a bunch of stuff in my bag/carryon to no carryon. But despite that and having no metal on my person, I get searched again.

What is it that you look for when doing a secondary search even if there's zero items that would seem dangerous? Is it something you look for? Is it a way you act?

Me thinks it's just like getting mugged in a big city ... you just have to exude the aura, and stand out as, the biggest victim in the immediate crowd. Psychpaths and muggers don't usually pick on those who project humble self-confidence, but simply can't resist victimizing a victim persona.

Of course, the ego-trips here will definitely cry foul on this Freudian observation. Wouldn't it be shockingly big of them if they ditched their denial for a few moments and simply admitted the truth.

GMF

p.s. TSA folks, it begins like this ... "Hi, my name is xxxxx and I'm a victimizing TSA officer who gets personal thrills victimizing my fellow citizens who must travel extensively for business. I actually jealous that they get to travel for an exciting career, and since I hate myself and my job, I do everything within my power to make their travel experiences more miserable than my daily life." To which the response choruses ... "Hi xxxxx."

You speak the truth (at least in some of my encounters with the TSA). Not all, but certainly some of them.

I not be jealous.

Mr or Ms Spiff: I loved this comment of yours. By the way, am I the only person who suspects that all of the TSA-employee posts are the work of a single multiple-personality screener? It really seems unlikely that so many of this bunch would get off on the hostility they invite.

I think there's a fundamental problem with the TSA screener(s) that lurk here. Maybe I need to restate the obvious:

You are an employee of an organization that has caused great disdain among the frequent flier community. Instead of acting as a bridge and resource for the frequent flying public (which would be very constructive for both of our groups), you are merely proving our assumptions correct by acting in the way that you are: that TSA screeners are undereducated, immature people with power trips who enjoy providing harassment to individuals simply because they can.