Security fail at PHX.
 

I don't believe this happened!

A co-worker is headed thru security at PHX this morning. He puts his ba, shoes, etc on the belt and gets in line for the WTMD.

As he approaches the WTMD the screener points at him and tells him he can go thru but instead of sending him thru the WTMD he is directed PAST IT!

He walks right past the WTMD instead of thru it, gets his stuff and continues on his way!

I have no idea what they were thinking, but they sent a completely unscreened passenger right thru!

You're a Police Officer, right?

From other threads, I gather he is.

I think we need him to expand on the LE status of coworker and what the purpose of the visit to the sterile area was.

His LEO status has no bearing. Traveling on a personal trip, only showed TDC a boarding pass and a drivers license.

Im not talking about flying armed where you go completely around the checkpoint, Im talking going through the checkpoint on vacation. Everyone else in front of him went thru the WTMD.

I think the screener accidentally thought he may have gone thru the nude o scope to the side of him.

Is this what the TSA refers to as random procedures to keep the terrorists guessing? ..... They just need to guess if they are getting screened or not! :)

Only if not carrying. If carrying, LEO's (on or off duty) are either instructed to go thru the exit or are sent around the wtmd

Well that is messed up then. My only thought is somehow your coworker let it be known that he was LE. However, if was traveling unarmed, he should have been screened.

Nope, not flying armed.

The gun he had was safely tucked away in his luggage where it hopefully makes it on the plane..... and not into some baggage handlers collection.

Will the screening manager shut down the terminal tomorrow morning instead just to be sure? :rolleyes:

Well, assuming your friend followed the proper procedures and it's in a locked case where only he has the key it will probably be fine. They rarely take whole bags - too easy to track.

Did either you or your co-worker call this to the attention of the supervisor or any of the employees at the screening area? Wouldn't this have been the appropriate/ethical thing to do based upon your sworn status? I'm assuming your co-worker knew that he bypassed the WTMD entirely.

OP: I posted a few weeks ago that the same thing happened to my brother in law and his girlfriend. In their case it was at the Nashville airport.

In light of the abject failure of the TSA to detect any real terrorists, maybe they decided to just skip the theatrics and push a few people through.

That's OK, BillinAZ.

To make up for it later in the day, the PHX TSA wanded several bald men's heads and several girls' bare feet.

Thus the average was restored.

Do you know what was used for I/D to enter the secure area? If the PD I/D was used, then I have a feeling he was allowed to bypass based on that (and a possible screw up on the part of the TDC and/or WTMD gatekeeper thinking he was carrying when in fact he was not)

And this I'll never understand. The TSA has such a burr up their butt about even pilots getting screened, but armed individuals are allowed to waltz right thru. In reality it take waaayyy less to become a LEO in some areas than it does to become a pilot. In some small towns all you need is a high school diploma and make it through academy. You will have a background check, but I doubt it is anywhere nearly as thorough as what the Feds put commercial pilots through. Also, how do they know the person is really a LEO? So many of the TSA apologists were demanding that flight crews be screens "just to make sure they weren't imposters". How is a LEO any different?