Yes, but wise beyond my years, though by my choice of employer you may think otherwise.

It's not a "less sophisticated terrorist" that will be identified, it's the psychos that have been charged up by all the propoganda surrounding the idiocy that is a TSA checkpoint today. These are the same type of people that are now charging cockpit doors when they never considered that action previously.

You dream/talk it, it will happen or at least the fools that are running the government are hoping so they can tell the sheeple "see what a great job we're doing and its soooo necessary" :rolleyes: :td:

BTW, I do not consider the US to be an id-centric society or at least was not until the current foolishness took off ... Papers, please!

Acting without thought is exactly why organizations like the TSA concern me so much. How far will you go before you think for yourself and stop doing something that is wrong. TSA HQ says to tazer anyone with a bottle of water... that ok to you too?? Very extreme example but you get the point.

The idea that someone in HQ thinks its a good idea so I'll do it because they told me so has a LONG and ugly history of ending up in a really really bad place.

Someone told you that? That's terrible. :(

The same holds true for some of the TSA screeners encountered at checkpoints. They have no idea of who they are speaking with, or their backgrounds. Some of the people encountered may actually know more about the "game" than the screener, yet get treated like $h1t. Complaining to supervisors is usually an exercise in futility.

Until TSA accepts responsibility for its actions and becomes accountable to someone, we will continue to see biting criticism. It is great that screeners on this board want to defend their employer; they should not bite the hand that feeds them. They should also realize a great many of the posters here have been through the ringer with asinine rules and contradictory policies that vary from airport to airport. Those posters have every right to criticize and offer solutions, of which many have been offered.

Actually the barkers refer not to the announcements but to TSO's who continually bark orders at pax - over and over again.

My whole point about asking how many airports you have been to is that if you have only experienced your own or a very limited number (as a few of our other resident TSOs have admitted) you have NO CLUE what the average pax experiences at other airports. I haven't been through HOU in years so I don't presume to know how things are working there at the moment.

Comparing screeners to snakes and Nazi's, while feeling good, does nothing to address the main criticisms.

So 1 other besides HOU....... no I won't say you are biased I would say you are very naive.

Perhaps, or, I just don't believe TSO are jackbooted snakes.

And you got that out of my post??? Amazing!

No, no and furthermore no. That's a general observation. I agree, if they have a criticism, air it out. However, what's being solved by comparing federal employees to Nazis? Criticize the agency, criticize the policy, even criticize the individual that harassed you. Me, I don't know you from Adam and likewise for yourself, so don't call me stupid, a Nazi, a snake, or whatever other clever FT term you can muster.

And I'm using you in the general sense, not specifically towards you Vassilipan.

I don't believe ALL of them are either.....but I'm not naive enough to think they are all wonderful individuals either. Of the 25 or so different airports we've been through (1 or more times) so far this year most are fine - some are wretched and staffed with some of the most obnoxious people I've ever had the misfortune to encounter. BOS - my hometown is I'm sad to say the worst IMHO...followed closely by MEM, ORD, PHX and LGA... others aren't good but not terrible. Some are good - for us TUS is fantastic, SFO was excellent as well. As others say your mileage may vary.

Our experience is very limited compared to many others here at FT. Lots of folks here fly way more than we do and I read what they are saying as well. There is a wealth of info here on FT that you could use to be better in your job as a TSO and that we use to aid our travels. But you have to be willing to read what the experiences of pax have been in order to understand it.

I'm not a rigid individual, I'll do what I can to aid the pax and make an uncomfortable experience a little better. All I want is the same cooperation in return. Once the passenger gets irate or tries good old "civil disobedience" to put me in my place, then ironically, it's out of my hands as a Supervisor will come over and then it's downhill from there. Most of us want to get you through as quickly as possible, that way your time with us prodding and poking is limited. The more you resist the longer you have to deal with various TSOs.

Exactly....... recent posting experience aside I suspect on the job you may actually be one of the good guys. Reasonably polite and interested in getting us through without a hassle. And my husband and I are the same. However as I mentioned after one of your first FT posts...that is not the experience many people are having with the TSOs at other airports so don't go flag waving until you understand why people feel the way they do. Evidently your airport is not giving much reason for people to feel that way so you have not seen what the bigger picture is out there. Some of this stuff is really very bad. I honestly think you don't realize how bad which is why I have suggested reading not just thread but others. The references to jackbooted thugs are not without reason and when faced with that sometimes civil disobedience is necessary.
The fact that the TSA has become a focus point for many who are concerned with the general direction this country is headed makes this a much more heated issue than it probably would be otherwise.