According to screeners I've read on these boards, they can get away with anything they want, and they DO! It falls under the heading of SSI, and they are free to use it, hide behind it, and YOU are the very LAST entity they must answer to. Even the arcane and idiotic SSSS designation can be printed on your BP by an airline ticket agent who is as dumb as a bag of hammers. You are then forced to undergo the public humiliation of 2ndary as a Public Example, never able to know why. There are over 100 'reasons' on the secret list for you to be used in ANY WAY THEY WISH until they are satisfied, or become bored with the antics they put you through. If an airline TA can 'use' TSA this way (UA comes right to mind!!!), how much more can a screener do to you? For undisclosed reasons?

Makes ya feel, um... Dirty, or something, doesn't it...

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Name plates
 

Are the name plates with the names and badge numbers SOP to be worn?

To be fair, most in DEN and ORD wear them. It is sporadic at best at other airports.

Unless you are at LAS, where you will receive "additonal screening" for not removing shoes profile or otherwise. If you do not trigger the WTMD you will still get a hand-wanding and pat-down, but your (non-alarming) shoes will not be removed, swabbed or x-rayed. If you request an explanation from a supervisor you will be told that you were selected for "continuous screening".

Not much.

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But, but, but, The TSA'holes have told me they are Federal Agents and I must do what they say!

:sarcasm off:

Seriously, at any PANYNJ facility especially T9/9 at JFK, you ought to demand a Port Authority cop. They are the only sane persons of authority there.

OP, Please cc: that complaint to the PANYNJ and let them know why you are no longer willing to use EWR/LGA/JFK. Remind them that HPN is an option and that PHL has good train connections to the New York City area.

Tell em it is P.O. Box 1663, Santa Fe, NM and that your real address is classified. Given the current administration's reverence for maintaining secrecy... :rolleyes:

(Points to anyone who knows what I am referrring to!) :D

I do not believe that the TSA/DHS would concede that a flyer in the US has any rights. Posting information here (and on the TSA's own site) as to what should happen is, as I said, not much help so long as the policy is haphazardly applied. As to being a victim, perhaps so. This screening nonsense amuses more than angers me and there is no point in picking a major fight that I have no resonable chance of winning. So I'll ..... and whine until you ALL get your act together, or I die, whichever comes sooner. ;)

this is my complaint. I'd take my shoes off if all shoes where taken off. As it is right now i have to walk with my clean white socks on a dirty floor because airline and airport employees don't take off their shoes. I think it's disgusting and nasty to walk on a dirty floor with no foot protection.

If they would make the TSA dudes and the airline folks take off their own shoes i wouldn't care as much. if they would provide flip flops the way they do in japan i wouldn't care as much. But this system is just plain nasty.

...i'm always selected for the 20 minute long special screening when i refuse to take off my shoes (which i only do when the floor is particularly nasty).

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LAS is a problem
 

Bart, just FYI, Wally Bird was right about LAS.

I was there 3 times this month. Earlier in October, when I declined to remove my shoes, I was sent to secondary for that reason. My shoes did *not* alarm. However, they were unaware that there had been any change in the procedure (in fact, when I described the new procedure, to the screening manager, he denied knowledge but said he would check.).

When I was back there last week I spoke with a screening manager. I asked him whether they had yet located the new SOP regarding limited inspection of non-alarming profile shoes. As a poker player, I can tell you that he had no idea what I was talking about (i.e. - I may or may not be correct, because I don't always win at poker, but I *believe* he had no idea what I was talking about.) However, his response was that "It is SSI and I can't even be talking to you about any of our procedures."

That's the same address that Sears stopped sending catalogs to, isn't it? They thought they got too many requests for catalogs to the same address.
Manhattan.

TSA has law enforcement, as well as investigatory.

If you have done something very bad, you may recieve a fine in the mail.

Personally, never had a bad experience with anyone from JFK during travel.

And what, just out of curiosity, is the standard definition of "very bad"? Or is it like something else -- "I don't know how to define it, but I'll know it when I see it."

If you could please provide a list (preferably from the TSA's manual) of what "very bad" means, that would be great.

By the way, to clarify an earlier question, my shoes did NOT alarm and I was still given the full-body pat down. In fact, the supervisor said to the screener "Make sure she gets the full-body pat down."

I'm writing the letter now and appreciate all the comments I have gotten so far. Thank you.

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