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Let me start by saying I think its rude that people are on the phone when they get to a counter to be served. At the bank, the doctor, the deli whatever.

OK, I am on an important call, running late for my flight (what else is new) & I get to the TSA guy to show him my ID. I hand him my BP & ID and he hands them right back! He tells me when you finish your call I will help you. I end my call, annoyed I ask his what's up? Why can't I be on the phone while you check my ID? He said I have to look at your face to check your ID to which I answered "so look at my face while I'm on the phone". He said I may have to ask you a question so I said "ask your question". To which he said it more respectful to me & you. Ahh, that I understood and he is right. It would be more respectfully.

BUT I was late to my flight & couldn't hang up!!

Can the TSA officer refuse to serve me?

The answer is yes.

Now what has this topic got to do with AA?

Please continue to follow this thread in the Travel Safety and Security Forum.

dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator

They have never served us.

Has nothing to do with face recognition and more to the fact that you infringed on a TSAers ego.

sure....it is the threat of being told d-y-w-t-f-t and yes, i am using the word "threat" even tho the corporate tsa bozo's will swear up and down on a pile of confiscated tubes of toothpaste, hair gels, lip glosses and other assorted evil items that passengers are never threatened by the tsa

<giggle>

It may be a dog and pony show, but I'm voting with the TSA guy on this one.

There is no policy or part of SOP that I am aware of that says you have to be off your phone, but they do have to see your face to compare it to your picture. So you may have to pull your phone away from your face, but thats not too hard to do. Nor is it hard for a TSO to ask a question of you while your on the phone.

I see no problem with people being on the phone when a passenger comes to the TDC. It may be considered rude by some, but as a TSO I have no idea of the importance of your call. Heck, I have even told people to send their phone through the x-ray while connected, so they can pick up right where they left off, and most do this and actually enjoy that freedom of not having to reconnect (if they don't alarm and the x-ray is moving rather quickly!).

Nah, as far as I can tell the TSO though you were being rude, but there is no policy against what you did. Just so you know.

I've done it several times - frequently on a conf call - and never had a problem. This was a TSO on an ego trip.

By your own admission:

... your behavior was rude. I'm with the TSA guy on this one. ^

"Rude" is in the eye of the beholder, and more importantly the eye of the TSA person wasn't very good or competent if they couldn't even deal with identifying someone just because they're on a cell phone.

My personal feeling is that I heartily approve of someone yakking away on a cell phone being refused service by a TSA employee.

Or by a waitress.

Or by a hotel desk clerk.

Or by a guy behind a delicatessen counter.

Or by St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.

^^^

At the gate once a woman next to me was on the phone with her wounded soldier son, who was apparently calling from the recovery room after surgery, in another country. If she'd been showing you her ID during this call I'm certain she would have appreciated your consideration.

Also, TSOs who can perform this duty with common sense, empathy for actual pax experience, and ego intact, retain my confidence they would be capable of handling more demanding problems.

This policy has more to do with airline revenue than safety, but as long as we're stuck with it, this is how.

Hmmm, I'm looking at this a little differently. Rude or not, the TSO was out of line - or is this another part of TSA scope creep - he is not Miss Manners, his sole responsibility is to check the id. So do it and shut up otherwise.

I engage in conversation with the GA, the deli counter, etc ... I have no desire or intention to engage in conversation with the TSO. Therefore, its irrelevant if I'm on the call or otherwise distracted when I hand over my id. BTW, they rarely look long enough to truly compare a face to the photo and I never look at them while they do so. It was pure power trip.

I think its OK to be on the phone at this point - as folks have said, its not like going to a counter, etc...

If the ID checker had been drinking the spot cool aid though, I could see him thinking that being on the phone is a good way to avoid showing anything SPOT looks for. Not that I believe in SPOT, but that's what he may have been thinking - though I really think he was power tripping.