thanks for sharing. i cant stop laughing a true classic example of what a sick time we live in.

The problem is this: How many of your co-workers would get the sarcasm and irony and perhaps us ethis as a reason to reconsider making up rules as they go along; and how many would get all fired up and be chomping for the end of their break to go and enforce their authoritah??

--PP

I saw one at STL Sat. night with his head buried in a book. My first thought was "six-figure salary".

At least he can read.

That's what is known as a "false choice". Your treated badly because your a visible sign of the latest bout of facism this country is going through, and frankly you deserve everything you get.

I just want to defend one thing the TSO said. Its the whole "do I look like a terrorist" thing. The whole point of it is supposed to be that we do not know who the next terrorist will be, so everyone looks like a terrorist. Remember their not allowed to profile, so everyone is supposed to be treated the same. I have to say that was the question that bothered me the most. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Thats where your wrong in my opinion. Your treating the screener badly because you don't like the rules imposed by the government. Your problem is with the organization, not the individuals. I'm not thrilled with the cop that gave me a ticket for speeding, but hey, I knew the law and broke it. He was just doing his job.

And screeners treat people badly because they can too. It's a cycle.

Also, in general most police officers know much better what the law is, what people's rights are, etc, so while there are a few that might be over the top, they are few and far between. TSO's are just on power trips. Have you ever heard of one being demoted a rank? Losing 10% salary for not following SOP??

Have any been hurt or worse in the line of duty yet?

I totally respect 99.9% of the LEO's I meet. Just a little higher than the % of TSO's I look at.

Actually, they do get injured. I used to see a lot of Workers Comp patients and the TSA had the highest rate of workers comp claims in the country.

It is worthwhile to note that there are two significant predictors for wokers comp incidence and prognosis:
1. Depression
2. Relationship with supervisor

So that tells me that we have a lot of depressed TSA employees who hate their supervisors. No surprise.

There would be a lot fewer claims if they were opening and inspecting fewer bags.

Perhaps some training on how to lift instead of how to harass would reduce claims as well.

If hthTSA wanted to actually be about security, they would require police intelligence, civil service, background, psychological and agility tests, make screeners sworn officers and go after the legions of cops who retied after their 20 years.

This will never happen.

Why? Becasue the TSA is not about security. It's a jobs program employing tens of thousands of oterwise near-unemployable people. Jettisoning these boobs and requiring everyone to pass police examinations just like any sworn officer would would cull their ranks by around 75 or 80 percent, and strike these people unemployed again.

Security would be far more wefficient, the efficacy rate of detecting test guns and bombs would skyrocket and people would be treated with respect, deference ot the bill of rights and the SOP adhered to. Because the TSA isn't about security but is about employing the dregs of society in larger markets, this will NEVER happen. People like Bart will have to continue to try to make silk purses out of sows' ears and the entire thing will get worse and worse until a terror attack thet gets throguh the porous joke of a TSA security net and Daschle has some 'splaining to do about federalizing guaranteeing professionalism.

--PP

Did those "two significant predictors" come specifically from the TSA ranks?

I doubt your findings as fact with the TSA, as other TSAers here have said here that the main cause of workman's comp claims at is baggage-related.

That's why, as I have said all along, that the TSA should have a physical fitness standard. Have you ever seen the screeners that appear to be about 300-400 pounds? There are laws that prevent hiring discrimination, but TSA is extremely proficient at trampling rights, both for employees and passengers.

Of course, it's possible for a 180-pound guy to throw his back out as well. If the TSA spent 1/100th the time it does on liquid nonsense and spent it on proper lifting technique (instead of "slinging" bags), those workman comp claims would go down in a hurry.

We get a lot of training on lifting and other aspects of the job related to injury.

But with all due respect, it ain't working if the claims are as high as they are said to be.

Assuming all claims are legitimate. Which would surprise me.