baliktad

Deparing from SEA today and had a mildly annoying TSA experience. One of my greatest pet peeves is the TSA agent stationed immediately in front of the x-ray in charge of "manhandling" everyone's belongings into conformity. I could see the agent today brusquely re-arranging everyone's belongings: items being removed from or shuffled around in bins, etc.

I arranged my single bin as I normally do: 10" netbook lying flat, shoes on end, and kippie bag vertical. Everything fits comfortably this way and I only have one bin to deal with on either side of the x-ray. Efficient and still allows for full scanning of all my dangerous shampoo.

When my bin arrived in front of this TSA agent, she immediately removed my shoes from the bin without so much as a word to me. I immediately stated "please don't touch my belongings" and replaced the shoes where they were. I think she quickly realized that she could not continue physically adjusting my property, so retaliated in the only way she could: by demanding that both my shoes and my kippie bag be placed in another bin because "they must be flat."

Fortunately the passenger behind me was clued in, saw that the TSA agent was unnecessarily escalating the situation, and by the time I could even turn towards the stack of bins, she had grabbed one and handed it to me. (Thank you, clueful passenger!) I transferred the shoes and kippie bag to the second bin and waited to proceed through the x-ray.

Now comes the kicker. The passenger in front of me had left a bin and a backpack sitting on the rollers before the x-ray belt and had proceeded through the WTMD. At this point the belt is spinning but everything is at a standstill. The WTMD TSO noticed the problem and asked me if I would push the belongings forward, to which I replied, "No, I don't touch other people's belongings." He then entreated the "manhandling" TSO directly in front of the stationary belongings, to which she replied "Nope, I don't touch other people's belongings either"! Yes, the same agent who was literally pawing over every bag, purse, and pair of shoes less than 10 seconds earlier was now frozen in inactivity due to a personal policy of not touching others' belongings! I shot her a look but she couldn't even look me in the eye.

In hindsight, I probably should have just shoved the shoes in my carryon, since shoes in bags obviously present no threat no matter what orientation.

Has anyone else ever heard any ridiculous requirement that even the kippie bag must be "flat" in the bins?

Night Owl

The whole Shoe Carnival is such a joke. What's the difference in the shoes someone is wearing and those in their carry on bag? Does putting them through the scanner mean some shoes are more closely scrutinized than others, or potentially more dangerous than those in a bag?

jbdk

It is a joke.. I just got back from Cabo last week.. I did not have to take my shoes off and got on a plane into the US. 3 for 3 not having to take my shoes off on an international flight into the US.

Last I remembered, back in 2001, the some bombing attempt was on an international flight into the US... hmm

Boose

And in BOS... jacket has to be on the conveyor, not in a bin; shoes have to be in a bin by themselves...

Vecturist14

SEA is also where not less than 2 mins. after yelling at mwe that my laptop needed to be in a bin by itself, the TSA agent decided it was ok to dump the sweater and fleece of the pax ahead of me in line on top of my computer.

SATTSO

I know I will be attacked for saying this, but....

The shoes do have to be flat. No, as far as I can see we almost never enforce it. The jerk of a TSO the OP was correct about the shoes, however, I have not seen anything about LGAs having to be flat. I'm pretty sure he/she made that up. Sigh.

To another poster here: actually, and EMPTY jacket, coat, sweater CAN be on top of a computer. It specifically states that in the SOP. But not a jacket/coat with the pockets stuffed with other items.

To another poster above: you coat/jacket CAN be in a bin. Throw a royal fit if someone tries to dump it out. And if they do when your not there, demand to see a STSO or manager and file a claim for dry cleaning.

Ok, attack me on the count of three. One, two...

Vecturist14

The thing is they tried to put the items of a complete stranger on top of my laptop - the pax was halfway through the wtmd when the tsa agent had him take the items off and the tsa agent decided my bin was the bin to use rather than getting a separate bin - luckily the made the pax go through behind me so I could grab my laptop before he grabbed his things and possibly my computer.

SATTSO

Oh, I agree, what they did was wrong. It should have gone in it's own bin. However, I'm just pointing out that per TSA SOP such items can be on a computer. If that happens again, complain to a STSO or manager that your property was mixed with that of another passenger. At least to bring it to someones attention.

Wally Bird

And this news because... ?

Seriously, I feel your pain. SEA is my home (well, close enough) airport and the proportion of a****** screeners there is well above average. Not the worst in the land, but not far behind.

My coat goes in a bin, my shoes go on top soles up. Never had this 'flat' nonsense but that's the thing with the TSA - they never run out of new ways to exert authoritah !

FriendlySkies

But what about shoes in a roller board?????? I can have them in the bag any way, and never run into issues..

Boggie Dog

How can a traveler know these things since TSA refuses to tell us what we need to know to transit a TSA dragnet checkpoint?

A very good discussion of TSA fail!

dlflyer2

Rules poorly thought out, poorly disseminated, administered with poor training and lack of oversight with added power tripping and you have the definition of the Tsa which engenders neither security nor respect.

Global_Hi_Flyer

Not at some of the stations at IAD. SOP be damned.

JSmith1969

Of course not. That's because TSA, its and its apologists' lies to the contrary, does not actually think shoes are dangerous.

MisterNice

It obviously confuses the would be terrorists too <cough cough>.

MisterNice