Gate Inspections by TSA make a comeback
 

On 4/9 I got pulled from the line boarding DFW-PDX at the boarding pass reader by 2 TSA folks and got the old gate check - wanded and bags pulled apart. I had to remove everything from my pockets, including a paper receipt. Behind me, they had at least 7 more people waiting to have this done to them. No explanation of why they were doing this, how I was selected, or if I could expect this to happen more often.

Is this a new event in DFW or is this just a random check to see if they can start the gate checks all over again? Has this happened to anyone else?

I know I certainly feel much more secure after this. :rolleyes:

I certainly hope it's not making a comeback. At YYC (Calgary, Canada) I recently got chosen for the dreaded gate check. I mentioned to the person checking me (who likely wouldn't have even found a lit stick of dynamite in my bag) that in the U.S., they had stopped this ridiculous process some time back. The screener had no idea that U.S. airports were no longer doing it.

At my home airport, I was chosen at random while passing through security for an additional screening. I asked the TSA agent if they had ever caught anyone trying to actually pull off something illegal. He quite happily told me he himself caught a man trying to hide his pocketknife behind his belt. When I continued discussing it with him, he admitted that the guy had no intentions of doing anything bad, simply wanted to no lose his knife that he hadn't packed in his bag.

I think it had to do with security being "increased" due to Easter weekend. Didn't you feel safer? :rolleyes:

The same happened to me on 4/8 at Tampa.
The idiots had the nerve tell me " you were selected by the airlines" which is pure BS since nothing was such as the SSSS was printed on my boarding pass etc.

Did say too much to the clowns, but couldnt resist telling that I thought it was a waste of money and peoples time after they me told "its neccessary for the country's security.." and one guy got a bit bent out of shape when I told him they need to send experts over from Europe to teach them about security.
mike

I really, really hope we are not starting with this silliness again. i had to laugh about a year ago when the gate agent at PHX "randomly" selected everyone in F and EXP, PLT and GLD. Give me a break. :)

Let's keep an eye on it though - if anyone gets searched at DFW, let's post date, flight # and routing if we can.

i got this treatment in Belo Horizonte, Brazil last Sunday and saw that in Sao Paulo there was at least one guy ready to do the gate check on AA 906 to MIA.

866-289-9673 TSA Hotline (Toll Free)
 

Report each and every instance of this unnecessary, un-American harassment to the TSA hotline, to the airport manager where it happens, to the airline you fly and to your elected representatives.

This stupidity is just disgusting harassment, protecting no one. Those airports who harass passengers by these means have FSDs who are pathetic little sacks of dog crap.

Just over a month ago, boarding F on CX, HKG-LAX, and bam!! it was my turn. This was a first for me EVER!

What made it interesting was that the plane was at a satelite ramp, so busses were involved. By the time they were through with me, the F and J bus left, so I boarded with the unwashed :D . Anyway, the bus pulls up to the back stairs, and here is me, breaking the ranks and walking to the front stairs. Some CX security guy/gate keeper starts running after me and yelling. Let me tell you, nothing works like the moroon bordered BP :D . He apologized and allowed me to keep on walking.

We're not the only ones stuck with this nonsense.

It's our fault!
 

The reason we're stuck with this nonsense is because we blackmail other countries into harassing travelers on flights into the US.

Try flying intraEurope or intraAsia. You will see none of the disgusting passenger harassment that is reserved for those passengers on flights to the US.

Now you got me started...

On my last run, I had three things going into the scanner, plus my shoes, and my shoes weren't in a container. I wanted to get my hands back on all my possessions. So I go to step through the metal detector, and the TSA guy stops me. He absolutely insists that I find my boarding pass and hold it chest height and towards him as I go through the metal scanner. Just like a mug shot. I wondered if they weren't tryin a new photograh technique to match names (off the boarding pass) to faces. Anyway, he did it to EVERYONE. And he wasn't pleasant about it at all. He didn't care to see the government ID. Just the boarding pass held chest high. This, while I am trying to rememeber what stuff I had in the scanner, and how many items I needed to pick back up, etc. What an unnecessary distraction at a difficult time.

I would be careful about your statement, and I agree with you about 75% of the time ;)

Last June, BA, London-Edinburgh - gate check, not me :D
The previously mentioned trip, CX - HKG-SIN - gate check, not me :D
Although the total security to get to the gate was a joke, BA Regional - at the gate it was the same as above mentioned trip - NBO-JNB - gate check - this time everybody, that's the only reason I don't consider it the same as the posted report, becuse everybody got it, and frankly, I was looking for something myself at this point.
The HKG-LAX was the first personal :(

Why would you get into an argument with a gate screener?? Do you think that person is in charge of the whole system and could change whatever procedures they were following?? Overall, these TSA people are quite courteous and trying to insult or intimidate them will only cause them to become hardened and less polite, as so many other people in customer service positions become after putting up with attitudes like this over a period of time. If you have a complaint about the procedures, address them to your Congressional representative or to TSA headquarters.

My, so eloquent!

Just so you know I really did not get into an argument with the TSA personnel as per se. I just made my comments perhaps in less than three sentences after he thought it necessary to inform silly old me as to the merits of the whole process.
Why I did i respond? Because it made me feel better.
Is that OK with you?
mike

Indeed!
 

So inciteful!

Do you follow me around from Thread to Thread, adding nothing to the discussions other than pithy one-liners? :D

I'm flattered.