I had the dreaded SSSS on my return trip today (first time ever). So I get to the airport extra early, go through security, get a special pat down, TSA signs his initials on my BP.

Great, that was not bad at all.... Time to relax in the Delta Sky Club for a bit.

All is well and boarding begins for my flight home to DCA. I queue in line with plenty of time looking forward to my cozy seat in 3D.

GA scans BP and says" You Need A RED Stamp To Board, Go Back To Security".

I'm like, what.... "Look, I made it to the gate and the TSA even signed my BP".

GA says, "doesn't matter, you need a RED "security cleared" stamp.

So it's T - 15 minutes and counting for dep time.... I said, I am not going to security as I will miss the flight and I did not do a thing wrong.... He says "the rule is the rule".

I said, call a Delta supervisor to the gate because if I go back to security, I WILL MISS THE FLIGHT. Delta Sup comes very quickly..... Calls TSA. 10 minutes later after everyone is boarded, no TSA (5 minutes to dep. time).

Sup calls again.... TSA is "enroute" to gate.

Sup is getting very frustrated.... she sends GA down a few hundred feet to the nearby corridor to watch for TSA and get them to walk faster. TSA is seen from a distance walking literally at a snails pace.

The GA & Sup are like OMG, I can't believe this guy, can he walk any slower.

He gets to the gate with RED "security cleared" stamp in hand. Puts on his rubber gloves and pats me down. Then stamps my pass. I strongly suggest that he finds his colleague (who he knows) and go through re-training.

Believe it or not it is exactly departure time and I arrive to my seat.

No place to store my bag nearby in overhead . Send it to the rear and head to my seat.....

Original GA comes onboard and profusely apologizes to me over and over (he was told by his sup that I did the right thing by not leaving the gate area).

Multiple people on board, both pax and FA's (who knew the story) were extremely sympathetic about what I just had to experience.

Well, I guess worst things can happen.

Moral of the story...... If you are not treated properly by someone and they don't seem to care about your particular situation, ask for a supervisor and be calm and polite.

At least you may still get home on time.

Good to know bout the special stamperooni.

Haven't have the sssssssssssss'es in a while, but in case it happens I now know enought to make sure i get it.

OP, are you by any chance a Diamond Medallion? I don't think they would have done all of this for anyone lower. Platinum, just maybe, but I think anyone lower would have missed the flight and made to go back to security. Just my 2 cents.

In which airport did this occur?

No I Am not. I do not think status had anything to do with it. I really think the way you respond to someone (tone and demeanor) has a lot to do with it.

MSP...... Why?

Interesting. They seem so VERY adamant about closing the door as early as possible! Just surprised to hear that!

I'm just speculating, but could it be the TSA agent's responsibilty to stamp the BP (as opposed to the customer's responsibility to ensure the BP gets stamped), and Delta was trying to get some points with the TSA?

Just my opinion, but the TSA are a bunch of boobs.

I guess another moral of the story is that if you see the ssss on your pass, make sure to get a stamp (I for one didn't know you need it).

Trust me, it's not just your opinion.

+1

Yeah, anyone with a vest and a name badge can get that power trip sometime, but they they ARE THERE for our safety and for that I am grateful. But, one time i was coming out of TYS (Knoxville) and I was told to go to the troft. (sp?) TSA told me to open my palms... guy swabed them with something and left. So I left... started to put my belt and shoes on... he came RUNNING over and told me that he DIDNT tell me to leave.... i told him YOU didn't tell me to stay! Mercy... After all... i'm "just a silver"... what do I know?

+2
This week, sat on the train from ORD to downtown across the aisle from a TSA Supervisor (according to his name tag) - during the course of the trip, 3 different women sat behind him at one point or another. He put the hard sell on every one of them, showing his special security ID badge twice - very pathetic.
Yesterday morning - I am getting my ID checked at ORD and the same guy is standing off to the side talking to his buddy.
I look over at him and say - hey, you sat across from on the train ride into town yesterday - he says Oh yea I remember, then he paused - probably remembering that he struck out 3 times - and I could see a hint of scowl on his face as I walked away.

File a complaint. And if the Bad Gate Agent had dispatched the flight, you would have been IDB.