Terminal 6 TSA staff are evil and mean... jetBlue staff saved the day.
 

Did anyone ever had problems with the TSA agents at Terminal 6 at JFK? I fly alot between OAK and JFK and never encounter any problems with TSA until yesterday when I was flying from SYR to OAK. I had a 3hrs layover at JFK so I went to TGI Fridays at Terminal 9 for dinner and when I got back, I cleared security than the female TSA agent cleared me and than just as I was leaving the security area (the one by Gate 7), this male TSA agent, kind of old with glasses, ran to me as if I was a criminal and with a mean tone of voice informed me that a skateboard is a weapon and than he took my skateboard and told me that it will be destroyed. Than he started questioning me on what was my intent for bringing on a skateboard on a plane, I told him that I always do it and every jetBlue agent that I had talk to me in the past said skateboards could be bought onto the planes. He basically treated me like if I was going to take over a jetBlue plane with a skateboard. He ended up taking my skateboard and I just walked off and I heard him muble unapproprate phrases about me that were compleatly rude.

I went to my gate and informed the jetBlue agent at the gate what had happened and she walked with me back to the security checkpoint and basically nogosiated and ending up gate checking the skateboard.

The point of my post is that TSA needs to be more uniform with their rules, you cant go around saying that one thing is allow at one airport while its ban at another airport. My post is not about weather or not skateboards should be bought onto the plane but instead TSA needs to get their act together.

In addition to harrassing me at the check point, they are also rude to poeple in line, I bet many of you have flown out of JFK in the past and notice how each trip to JFK, the lines at security gets longer and longer. Well before the conflict, I was waiting in line, I was about a few people behind the jetBlue agent that was checking tickets and ID, anyways, 3 TSA agent came over and flashed there ID card and pushed the people in line so they can get in and everyone just stoped and stared at them, even the jetBlue agent that was checking the tickets and ID.

Anyone else ever notice how rude TSA agents are at JFK?

Oh yeah, and if skateboards is a banned item at JFK, than TSA is bad at detecting banned items / weapons because last week I passed through the same security and my skateboard or "weapon" went right through the check point with no problem and onto the plane, I even spent 5 minutes at the end of the X Ray belt to put my laptop back into my bag and putting my skateboard back onto the skateboard holder thingie in my backpack.

I've never experienced at security what you did.

Frankly that TSA agent was doing his job. He has to be strong about safety. I'm amazed that an airline employee could explain away what this agent thought was a safety violation. Good for you.

I'm assuming you're talking about a generic skateboard with 2 axles & 4 wheels. C'mon people - that's not a weapon!

Although, just like Analise, I am surprised with the quick-thinking on the part of the JetBlue GA. I have a feeling that on almost any other airline -- you're skateboard would be gone.

At least you got it back. A quick note to JetBlue about the GA might be nice. I know for a fact that letters (can be submitted on the JetBlue website) are taken seriously.

Best!
Chris

Frankly, I think the TSA agent was a horses .... I would have asked him to show me, in black and white, where a skateboard was one of the prohibited items and if he could not and still insisted on taking it, I would have asked to see his superior. TSA agents attempt to enforce their own made up rules from time to time but they are not above the law - they can't just make the rules up as they go and you should call them on it if they do.

Actually, the TSA employees can make it up as they go along, and that's one of my main complaints about the stupid agency.

The TSA rules expressly state that TSA employees have discretion to prohibit items that, although listed on the "permitted items list," are deemed by the employee to be dangerous. Same thing for items not on the "prohibited items list."

For the text of the Terrorism Success Agency's ridiculous language concerning sharp and pointy objects, see:

www.tsa.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/permitted_prohibited_6-2003.pdf

Of course, their discretion is one-way only; the employees have no ability to permit items that are listed as "prohibited," no matter how harmless they are.

We will have moved forward substantially once Jackass Norm Mineta's sharp and pointy object search is abandoned.

I thought it was really stupid considering that I had traveled so many time with a skateboard as a carry on because jetBlue agents at every airport just told me to carry it onto the plane and I had checked the TSA site before and skateboard is not a prohibited item. And yes its the basic skateboard with a truck and wheels. No pointy object on the board.

I think the real question here is why the heck did you subject yourself to going through security in order to have TGI Fridays? To each their own.

This list is too funny! Theoretically, a TSA agent could take a walking cane away from a disabled passenger because the cane could pose a threat. Watch Back to the Future. Biff used his cane to hit Marty on the head! Imagine what an elderly, disabled person would be able to do to a flight attendant with a walking cane. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Toy Transformer Robots? How did that end up on a list like this? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

I suppose a TSA hall monitor could also take my laptop away because I could use it in the same way the walking cane could be. I could also use an umbrella as a striking weapon.

I think I'll stop here. I'm only ticking myself off about this, and I'm not even flying anytime soon. After this post, I expect a full body search next time I carry my laptop onboard. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Had you tried the food at that central park cafe? it's pretty nasty and as for the sushi, that never fills me up and i wasnt up for a sandwich. hehe.

The Fridays in question is in the AA domestic terminal outside of security.


About two months ago all food vendors have changed at T6. I have also been informed that they will change again in a few months. The new food is much better but still quite pricey. Try the salad bar at "Central Park".

Oh yeah, i forgot there were 2 TGI Fridays at Terminal 9, is that other one inside the secured area still open? I doubt it since almost everything on the menu requires a steak knife. Maybe just the bar is still open.

you know, i'd be happier if the small segment of bad TSA apples who seem to be "really good at it" would become "really good at doing it right." but then they wouldn't be the small segment of bad apples, they'd be along with the much larger group of good employees. i only wish the private security morons who often check tickets were TSA employees, too.

i've eaten at TGI friday's with a plastic knife. needless to say i didn't go for my usual sirloin stack!

what i really wonder is how Boston seems to have most of these truly misguided TSA sorts. JFK is fair to middling but i'm an AA loyalist (though i have loved JetBlue when i flew them...) and 8/9 is pretty good.

[This message has been edited by gwendolynaoife (edited 07-11-2003).]

I had one TSA employee at MCO absolutely insist to me that it is a new FAA rule that all pax must remove shoes.

Unfortunately, it appears that they just make it up as they go.

I say that TSA should make all their screener read the TSA website and make them pass some sort of test.

If they don't already do this, then we have a SERIOUS problem!