Dirty Bins
Apr 25, 2007 | 4:23 am
#47
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: ICN / 평택
Programs: AA, DL Gold, UA Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 8,713
Why do I do this? Because at the checkpoint, I am usually trying to remove
1) my shoes
2) my laptop
3) my plastic baggie
4) cell phone
all at the same time, and meanwhile the TSA rep is asking me for my boarding pass (that just got checked 5 feet back). I try to do all of this as quickly as possible, so as not to slow up fellow travelers. Last week, one of the TSA folks at FAY asked me for my b/pass while I was clearing in the middle of the above process, and when I didn't give it to her immediately (I was rooting through my bag pulling out my liquid bag), she asked me if my b/pass was in my bag. Have some patience, I've only got two arms!
Apr 25, 2007 | 5:24 am
#48
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: MCI ** UA Silver, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,297
Apr 25, 2007 | 7:33 am
#49
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Montgomery Township, NJ and Homosassa, FL
Programs: CO Platinum, CO Million Miler, Starwood Platinum
Posts: 43
What about the screeners that aren't aware that you are allowed to wear disposable footwear. TPA airport provides paper slippers, which I grab several of to use on future flights out of airports that don't supply same. I had to argue with a supervisor at EWR to let me wear them through. He said NO FOOTWARE, disposable or otherwise was allowed. When I tried to explain they were from another airport, his response was, "well it is not allowed here." I asked him to please recheck the TSA rules, and after making me wait for 10 minutes, said it was OK for me to go through. I just had a similar incident this morning at Las Vegas. They told me "slippers" are not allowed. When I said they were paper and TSA approved, I was finally allowed to pass.
Even TSA agents have no idea of the rules
Even TSA agents have no idea of the rules
Apr 25, 2007 | 7:44 am
#50
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,389
What about the screeners that aren't aware that you are allowed to wear disposable footwear. TPA airport provides paper slippers, which I grab several of to use on future flights out of airports that don't supply same. I had to argue with a supervisor at EWR to let me wear them through. He said NO FOOTWARE, disposable or otherwise was allowed. When I tried to explain they were from another airport, his response was, "well it is not allowed here." I asked him to please recheck the TSA rules, and after making me wait for 10 minutes, said it was OK for me to go through. I just had a similar incident this morning at Las Vegas. They told me "slippers" are not allowed. When I said they were paper and TSA approved, I was finally allowed to pass.
Even TSA agents have no idea of the rules
Even TSA agents have no idea of the rules
I've told my officers to make the offer, and if the passenger refuses, then don't make a big deal out of it.
Apr 25, 2007 | 8:58 am
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 10,034
all at the same time, and meanwhile the TSA rep is asking me for my boarding pass (that just got checked 5 feet back). I try to do all of this as quickly as possible, so as not to slow up fellow travelers. Last week, one of the TSA folks at FAY asked me for my b/pass while I was clearing in the middle of the above process, and when I didn't give it to her immediately (I was rooting through my bag pulling out my liquid bag), she asked me if my b/pass was in my bag. Have some patience, I've only got two arms!
I don't put the BP in my mouth, I always put it in my briefcase.
But I have had plenty of instances when TSAers get rude with me when I don't do things on their internal clock. When I ask them if I can actually have some time to do the procedures, most are nice and just cite "routine." A few (and that's what it really is) get snippy, and that's when I just smile and get their name and badge number (amazing what kind of awkward motions happen when you do that, BTW), and report them.
Apr 25, 2007 | 9:04 am
#52
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: MCI ** UA Silver, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,297
As in they back-pedal and apologize, or as in you get the SSSS treatment? I've always treated them the same way I treat Customs officials... I don't need the hassle of being detained and missing my flight over some stupid hoop they're making me jump through.
Apr 25, 2007 | 1:23 pm
#53
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Central New Jersey
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat 2MM
Posts: 698
Here's what I see at my job:
Passengers who come through the WTMD with their boarding passes clenched in their mouths. Then they hand it to me. While that's disgusting enough, they then place it back in their mouths after I hand it back to them!
Passengers with minor cuts or are otherwise bleeding who refuse medical attention. They may have used their own handkerchief to stop the bleeding or maybe even used some of our paper towels, but I don't know where they've discarded these items.
Passengers who place a foot on a chair to tie on a shoe in the screening area (or in any area for that matter). It should be pretty obvious that someone is going to sit in that chair, but it doesn't seem to matter to the people who do this.
And I've already covered the loose, uncovered toothbrushes inside of toiletry bags (with soap bars, colognes, shaving creams, etc.); cosmetics bags with the interior linings discolored or powdery; food wrapped in napkins placed inside of carry-on bags; etc.
The point to all this is that dirty bins are the least, or should be the least, of all worries. While theoretically possible to catch a disease or the transfer of bacteria from a dirty bin, washing hands is a simple and effective means of prevention. Putting the blame on TSA or suggesting that TSA provide booties is a lazy denial of individual responsibility. (Are there any guarantees that the table you dine at in a restaurant is truly clean? Where do you place your silverware once you begin to eat? I submit that you are more likely to catch a disease as the result of eating at a restaurant than handling a bin at the airport.)
Passengers who come through the WTMD with their boarding passes clenched in their mouths. Then they hand it to me. While that's disgusting enough, they then place it back in their mouths after I hand it back to them!
Passengers with minor cuts or are otherwise bleeding who refuse medical attention. They may have used their own handkerchief to stop the bleeding or maybe even used some of our paper towels, but I don't know where they've discarded these items.
Passengers who place a foot on a chair to tie on a shoe in the screening area (or in any area for that matter). It should be pretty obvious that someone is going to sit in that chair, but it doesn't seem to matter to the people who do this.
And I've already covered the loose, uncovered toothbrushes inside of toiletry bags (with soap bars, colognes, shaving creams, etc.); cosmetics bags with the interior linings discolored or powdery; food wrapped in napkins placed inside of carry-on bags; etc.
The point to all this is that dirty bins are the least, or should be the least, of all worries. While theoretically possible to catch a disease or the transfer of bacteria from a dirty bin, washing hands is a simple and effective means of prevention. Putting the blame on TSA or suggesting that TSA provide booties is a lazy denial of individual responsibility. (Are there any guarantees that the table you dine at in a restaurant is truly clean? Where do you place your silverware once you begin to eat? I submit that you are more likely to catch a disease as the result of eating at a restaurant than handling a bin at the airport.)
I can understand your points about taking extra socks, etc., but isn't that like relieving symptoms of the problem without addressing the problem itself?
Apr 25, 2007 | 8:04 pm
#54
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,389
Why not be both? Cope with the problem until it is fully addressed/resolved? If the heater isn't working in my house, I'm going to wear warm clothes until I get the heater fixed. Taking extra precautions such as having an extra pair of socks doesn't mean the individual is giving up on advocating change.
Apr 25, 2007 | 9:43 pm
#55
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: TX
Programs: AA Platinum, IHG Diamond, Hertz President's Circle, Enterprise Platinum
Posts: 1,309
The purse knows when to pick up and when to let go of the germs?
