Batmanuel

I'll quote myself to eliminate any confusion.

I do not believe that TSA has in writing anything about enforcing carryon bag sizes at the checkpoint. If it is unenforced, it is because it does not exist. Please check your checkpoint SOP and find this policy in writing. Cracking open your checked bag SOP does not count for the purposes of this exercise.

If people like SATTSO are this adamant about enforcing non-existent rules, it's no wonder the OP had problems. And it highlights one of the principal complaints....rogue agents making up / enforcing their own rules at the expense of travelers.

Pharaoh

Well, what you say makes sense, for a given checkpoint configuration. No need for any attacking.

But say a checkpoint was at capacity and an airline decides to add a few flights. It would then necessarily be incumbent upon TSA to increase capacity (somehow and maybe in conjunction with the airport) to accommodate the traffic rather than TSA saying the airline could not add the flights. The latter would be the tail wagging the dog.

chugger1

Come on SATTSO, show us the rule. Otherwise, what happened to me in FLL means that the TSO took it upon himself to commandeer (steal?) one of those carry on measuring devices and use it at his discretion (for retaliation as he deemed fit) at the end of the TDC line.

camerawork

Here we go again. We regulate the size and number of bags but we can't tell you what the size is! As a photographer, after the UK went through that crazy period of 1 carryon only, we were forced to buy ($700) compliant bags with a laptop sleeve in the front. We still use them (ThinkTank Airport International), as they work very well on all flights except CRJ's and ERJ's. But do we now have to change again? What is the mythical "TSA Approved" size. I say, if we can't have the dimensions then if flies and anyone who says otherwise is full of bs. This is way out of control.

SATTSO

This is kind of funny - from my point of view. I never said it was "SOP", did I? Perhaps read my post a little better?

There are regulations not included in SOP - you know this, correct?

Yeah, right

Hmm and where would this extra space to increase the size of the checkpoint come from?
Sure, TSA could hire mire people - and everyone here wants that - but if there is no more space to add lanes, it will not really speed things up much, would it?

And I have to admit, I am very surprised my your response. Big thumbs up to you.

And to tell a story how I came upon the info, it was given to a group of us one day by a very high ranking TSA employee who has been here from the beginning. He asked us, the TSOs, LTSOs, STSOs and TSMs why we limit people through the checkpoint, we didn't know why, so he explained how that policy came to be. And it does make sense to me (just wanted you to know who gave me the "answer" to why we limit people through the checkpoint).

Batmanuel

I never claimed that you personally stated that the regulation was in your SOP, I just called BS on your claim that TSA has a written policy on enforcing carryon bag dimensions. I'm military, and I have a friend who just happens to be a terminal manager.There is no such thing as a National unwritten Regulation on carryon baggage dimensions. If it exists, you can name the document, and I can have her independently verify it. Even if you don't have a copy of the actual document, I guarantee you it has a name. Every government regulation has a name/number. Especially if it was a national policy. Local policies tend to have names too.

Not only do I say that enforcing bag dimensions is not an official policy, I also say that TSA has no authority to enforce such a policy (if it existed). TSA's authority is limited to administrative searches. Bottom line - if it has nothing to do with looking for or preventing threats to transportation security, you can't do it. Enforcing airline's various bag size allowances has nothing to do with aviation security.

Read up on US vs. Aukai and various other precedent case setting rulings. The less "badge-heavy" / "make-up-my-own-rules" types the better. TSA has no such regulation on enforcing checkpoint bag dimensions, and citing an unverifiable fictional unwritten regulation just panders to everyone's suspicions that TSA is out of control.

SATTSO, if you or any other TSA employee, can stand by the claim that enforcing carryon sizes at the checkpoint is authorized...please cite your references and I can have it checked.

VH-RMD

additionally, if there is such a regulation (which I also doubt - but always happy to be proven wrong) then there is no choosing whether to implement subordinate legislation as policy or not - if it is there, the legislature had said you must do it, end of story.

Now if TSA wants to develop a policy and choose whether or not to implement it, that is another matter altogether, but the policy must accord with the purpose of the organisation.

SATTSO

So your friend the terminal manager will reveal SSI to you? Strange. However, if you must know it is a security directive (SD) actually shown to me and others my our DAFSD who found it himself when asked my the airlines if TSA has such a policy. Have your friend the TSM ask their DAFSD it AFSD to look it up for them. And no, before our DAFSD shows us, we didn't know about it either (as several of us have specifically stated we don't enforce it), nor did our TSMs know about it.

On another note what the heck does US vs. Aukai have to do with this situation? I am very familiar with that case - the 9th Court ruled in favor of TSA...

mozgytog

So you're actually saying that you have an arbitrary limit on the number of people who are allowed in to the sterile area, that you have some way of tracking how many people are in the sterile area at all times, and that you can and do deny people entry into this area for no other reason than that this arbitrary numeric limit has been reached without regard to whether or not the people being denied entry have a valid boarding pass for travel?

You are saying that?

Global_Hi_Flyer

So what you're saying is that TSA bag size limits are SSI?

Gimme a break. That would be misuse of the "classification" and akin to "double secret probation".

Unf'ingbelievable.

N965VJ

So are the bag size limits real and SSI, or is there some other level of obscurity to confuse the traveling public?

DevilDog438

Well, we already figured out one thing - it is not a "regulation". SATTSO said that he was advised about it via viewing a "security directive" (SD). Security Directive ≠ Regulation, hence he cannot provide any regulatory information about it. Given the fiasco that surrounded the SOP release, I am sure TSA is considering all SD as SSI, even if that is a bogus use of a non-existent classification.

PhoenixRev

That is exactly what SATTSO said:

Because if everyone knows the TSA policy regarding carry on baggage sizing, the terrorists win!

Despotic, thy name is TSA.

Scubatooth

I just love it when TSA employees make that comment to me especially when its in regards to something they just pulled out of there posterior because that was a fatal mistake. 1.) SSI is a BS made up classification by TSA that is laughable to the rest of the government and because 98%+ of its employees couldn't pass a security clearance check. 2.) My DHS clearance for FEMA & NDMS is higher then personnel that i have to deal with at the CP that is unless the AFSD or FSD is there.

Its always fun to watch someone squirm when there BS has been called and they have to cough it up and admit to there BS.

n4zhg

Incarcerate? Heck no.

Spay/Neuter, weld an iron collar around their necks, sell to the highest bidder.

Enslavement is a valid punishment. Read the 13th amendment. The ENTIRE amendment.