SYD Security vs. TSA
 

Flying back to SFO today, I was once again amazed at the professionalism of the screeners in Sydney. To start, there were no barkers when I approached the checkpoint, instead the screeners were calmly helping people. I was also able to keep my shoes on. The screeners even told me to have a nice day, and a safe flight

SYD Security: 10/10

Of course, when I get to SFO, I'll unfortunately have to clear through Team SFO. The calm environment will disappear, and the barkers will return. Shoes will have to come off, and nobody will be very friendly.

TSA: 0/10


My question to the screeners on this board, why can't your employer teach you some people skills? Perhaps say things in a calm voice, rather than yelling loud enough for people in China to hear you? TSA might have a little better reputation if you were a bit nicer to the people paying your salary..

I'm a friendly screener at SFO =P

And since nobody knows the rules (since we have like 124321789313464515 rules), we tend to make sure passengers can hear. I wish there was an easier way to do it.

There is an easier way to do it than screaming at people.


~~ Irish

Yes people can hear you loud and clear. But what one thing that is forgotten is that a lot of people dont speak or undrestand limited english.

And the only thing they get that is that some people are screaming on top of their lungs.
And then they get it trouble for not understanding.

Someone screams at me. I scream back.

Oh yea? Do elaborate then.

You pick a position near the front of the line, and you speak to each individual, quietly and politely. By doing so, you appear to be professional, calm, and relaxed. Otherwise, you simply appear to be an out-of-control, screaming maniac, and set the expectation in the traveler's mind for quality of the next interaction he'll have with a blue-shirt.

Take your choice.


~~ Irish

A smile. That goes a long way. Understanding peoples fear of all this security.

Security is supossed to make people feel safe not make them feel like criminals.

Nobody ( almost nobody) wants to be seen nude by strangers or being groped by strangers. To me is that I feel raped on command.

And of top of that to be screamed at. That is so odd and wrong.

I know one screener at my terminal who is like that, screaming at the top of his ....ing lungs for no reason. Pisses me off.

At SFO, I've heard word that we may have a TSO greet passengers as they come in, and do exactly as you said. That might work at domestic terminals, but would probably not do so well at an international terminal, where many passengers don't speak a lick of english. I do agree that we shouldn't exactly yell, but maybe talking a little higher for people to hear us. You see, in the checkpoint itself, it can get REAL noisy. On each lane at SFO, we normally have a TSO outside each land that helps passengers get ready, so that's a plus.

I try to smile when I can, except when i'm working real fast at TDC (checking tickets), unless it's slow. I agree. Smiling does go a long way sometimes.

I'm sure it's not what you meant, but it sounds like you're implying that speaking loudly in English to a non-English speaker is an effective cross-cultural communication technique.

[QUOTE=senseker;14958896]I know one screener at my terminal who is like that, screaming at the top of his ....ing lungs for no reason. Pisses me off.

At SFO, I've heard word that we may have a TSO greet passengers as they come in, and do exactly as you said. That might work at domestic terminals, but would probably not do so well at an international terminal, where many passengers don't speak a lick of english. I do agree that we shouldn't exactly yell, but maybe talking a little higher for people to hear us. You see, in the checkpoint itself, it can get REAL noisy. On each lane at SFO, we normally have a TSO outside each land that helps passengers get ready, so that's a plus.

Perhaps it is time that the TSA higher some bilingual persons for those as you say "don't speak a lick of English" Some that may in fact have a good education and able to speak in a calm and friendly tone. Again, having a good education could bar you from becoming working for the TSA as nobody likes to be shown up.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Either way isn't going to work. International passengers do understand "shoes" at least ;)

It would be nice to have more bilingual. Also, higher education doesn't mean speaking multiple languages. I've heard of many drug dealers who can speak spanish and chinese perfectly.

Maybe if TSA stopped doing things that make no difference (ie, no shoes off, no liquids out, get rid of TDC etc), they'll be able to provide useful 'customer' assistance.

The only issue I have with security in SYD is pulling people aside for extra screening (ETD and sometimes a patdown) merely because they have to meet a quota of giving extra screening.

Just my take. Disney can manage massive crowds of people of all nationalities without any yelling. Hire Disney to setup TSA checkpoints.

Loud environments only get louder when people are raising their voices. Using quieter tones will actually lower the noise level across all areas of a checkpoint.

Signage placement at TSA checkpoints must have been decided on when no people were present in the checkpoint. I have notice that signage is often blocked by the lines of travelers. Get the signs up high, use video displays to show what people should be doing.

Again, get Disney to to setup the checkpoints, they know how to handle people.

Remember, it's not what people should be doing, it's what paranoid insanity demands they must be doing. It is quite a large difference.;)

I've always been boggled as to why the TSA doesn't go out of their way to hire multi-lingual employees for checkpoints for the more busy international terminals in the USA.

In some parts of the world, at major airports, it's common to encounter screening personnel that speak many languages (typically the most common languages seen at that airport/checkpoint).

International Terminals should be International when it comes to personnel, IMHO.