Today's IAH experience
 

Hi folks - I hope all is well.

I just went through Terminal A security at IAH. I have made an entry at tsastatus.net as well. Here is my overview:

1. Document clerk immediately asked for my full name which I expected after having read the Houston thread. My exact words were "I usually pronounce it as {name} for those who have trouble reading." She replied in a very friendly manner that some names are difficult and how she hates to mispronounce people's names. I responded in a sarcastic tone "Yes, I'm sure that's exactly the case". She then smiled and said in a friendly tone, "Some people just hate it when their name is mispronounced". And I responded, "Some people just hate it when they are asked for information that is clearly right in front of them." She then decided the lies and smiles weren't working and said in a less friendly tone "It's security protocol, sir". I replied "Maybe your lies will work on someone else", snatched my BP, and walked away. I think she was shocked. Older woman.

2. Very few people in line but all were sent to the MMW. As I was moving my belongings toward the X-Ray a clerk said "do you have anything in your pockets, sir" to which I replied "I don't go through the nudie machines so call one of yer buddies over here to touch me". I stepped through and waited about 1 minute or less.

3. Extremely friendly guy came over and seemed to go out of his way to want to help. He smiled, asked which bags were mine, told me how quick this would be, carried my things to the chair, etc... He talked non-stop and I got the impression he was somewhat nervous. Before he said another word at the grope station I said "I wanna see new gloves right from the box". He graciously complied and even sterilized his hands first. He said "you seem like you've been through this before (laughing)" and I said "Sure have and I know the entire routine." He said "So you don't need the whole spiel?" I said "Not unless you plan on touching my testicles." He looked shocked and decided he better give the spiel to cover himself. I hummed and looked around while he talked and made it a point of ignoring him.

His grope was fast and pretty simple but that does not make it OK. He said "I'm pretty good at this cause I must have done thousands of them by now." I replied "If everyone loves the scanners so much as your agency constantly claims, then why are you doing so many gropes?" He gave some lame answer and realized he'd said the wrong thing.

After the swab was negative he asked if he could help me organize my bags as I got my stuff together. I replied, "Sure, might as well work for yer $10/hour." He organized by bags on the table and said have a nice day to which he did not get a response. I gotta hand it to him, he was good at staying calm because I can be a total prick-er when I wanna be!

Some of my best TSA stories are from Terminal A. Quite often there is a barker there who looks a little like Dave Chappelle with a fuller beard. He doesn't like it when people bark back, but if you bark louder he eventually backs down and looks for someone else to pick on.

Give 'em hell.

+1 LOL You whacked him. ^

Sounds like you were being a jerk just to be a jerk. :td:

Were you looking to procure an incident, trying to get on their nerves, testing their professionalism-- or what? This disugusts me and gives those who object to the TSA's policies a bad name. :td::td:

In contrast to TSA workers who act like jerks because.., because.., err someone help me out here.

...because:
1. They are
2. They think they are supposed to
3. They know that they will probably get away with it
4. They have learned this from their peers and supervisors
5. They are bucking for promotion
6. All of the above

What time did you fly out and which airline? I have to fly out of IAH again on Friday morning.

I agree with Ari. I am vexed by this action you took.

I am someone who finds the feckless incompetence of the TSA beyond compare but I normally do not "take the first shot" when it comes to checkpoint experiences, nor do I find the need to act foolish and uneducated in public useful. You actually got a TSA clerk who offered to help you with your bags, something many of us punish the TSA for not normally doing, and you acted small and provencial. Also, like it or not a TSA pay band E clerk makes more than $10 an hour (The "whether they should" debate is for a different thread).

Had the clerk been rude, flippant, or otherwise a "jerk" I might understand responding in kind but from your story it seems you had the best possible experiance given the unfortunate TSA circumstances we are dealt today.

What you did solved nothing re:policy, other than possible taking one of the few courteous TSA clerks and making them possibly hate the next pax a little more (granted that is something they shouldn't do but we all know the history of the TSA).

I understand your point. But, the TSA is getting getting what they deserve, and really what they asked for with the abusive policies, procedures and environment they have created. Without any change, this has nowhere to go but down.

+1zillion.

The OP decided to go through security in a way that just demonstrated that he was a jerk.

By his own admission everyone he came into contact with was pleasant and professional. The only one acting like a two year old was the OP.

There are lots of policies that I don't agree with. I'm often annoyed with company policies but I don't take it out on the poor guys on the front line who (at least in this case) were doing everything right.

On the upside, the OP was acting like a typical forum member and ultimately is making life more difficult for the rest of us.

By the OP's own statement, the people he dealt with weren't jerks. He was the only jerk there.

Can you possibly find a wider brush to tar with?

Preemption then ;) .

+10. You lose legitimacy if you act like a jerk. Same with people that start screaming / yelling at minor provocation for any customer service blunder. Simple front line abuse is makes it actually *easier* for the TSAH to dismiss you as a crazy man. You made yourself feel better but did nothing for the community.

I'm professional if not courteous, and offer them my feelings / advice / complaints in a kind of professional mode -- I have noticed a good fraction, probably 10%, of TSAH's actually really listen to what I'm saying...

I'm hoping to foment revolution from within. Better conversation topics in my opinion with the agent:

- Do you REALLY want to stand next to a radiation source without a badge all day? Wow, I sure wouldn't. I don't even want to go through it once.

- Do you REALLY think you can detect bad behavior by looking at somebody, and do you want to be blamed when you can't?

- Do you trust your boss to tell you the truth? I don't.

- I work around radiation. We wear badges and always keep it to a minimum. Our sources are calibrated monthly.

- Public opinion really is against you. I sure wouldn't work for the TSA. How is the morale with you guys? (I've had some almost get teary-eyed.)

The OP needs to get over himself. People wonder why TSA Agents seem apathetic and are rigid. It's because people like that are just testing their limits. Imagine that happening to you 20 times per day. By day 3 you'd be ready to quit or just start treating everyone as if they are jerks. I'm don't like TSA just as much as the next person but they are just trying to do their job and people like you make it increasingly difficult. What's wrong with making $10/hour? I make way more than that but I'd never stoop to that level of being derogatory. You may feel like you stuck it to TSA but you come off as pretentious.