TSA questions.

Hello All,

I fly PHL-LAX/SAN each week and each time I go through the "shakedown process" at TSA (no matter the airport or terminal) it's always different. Some times they demand I take off my shoes and others I can convince them they won't set off the alarm (same pair of shoes mind you). Some times I have to give them my belt and/or disrobe others I do not. My question to all you frequent flyers is, do you know of a place that I can get a hard copy of my rights so that I'll have something to go to bat with a disgruntled TSA agent with in the future? I feel so vunerable not knowing the rules and "ignorance is no excuse for the law!"

Thanks.

P.S. I thought this was mileage realted as I need to gauge how much time it's going to take me to get through TSA on Friday evening flights.

There is tons of info on this in the Travel Safety and Security forum. The TSA's website has info on the rules. But recently screeners are saying "the rules have changed" (changed 9/20/04) and they just do what they want to do. Good luck.

The answer is unfortunately no. This is a contentious issue, and there are people trying to see these rules. A disctrict Judge was denied viewing of them in regards to this case: http://www.papersplease.org/gilmore/

Interesting case. it seems that he will follow it all the way to the supreme court. Here's hoping he wins. (Although, I believe his point is to bring public scrutiny to the issue... still, I hope he wins) ^

You can look for wait times at:
http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/index.html

The Human factor that comes into play here. Its called discretionary application or interpretation. It is different from person to person and screener to screener. You have the right to not remove anything. If you choose to excercise that right and you do not alarm the metal detector then TSA may excercise its right to send you to secondary screening. That is the rules in a nutshell. IT is our goal to make getting to the airplane as quick as possible with a minimum of infringment on your personal rights. ( OH I CAN SEE IT COMING FROM THE FF'S NOW.) The fact of the matter is that if you are asked to take off a belt it is because we dont want it to alarm and slow you down. Some of us can judge a belt buckle as to whether it will set off the metal detector. If in doubt we ask you to remove it. The shoe thing has been beat to death here. IF the shoes are thick in the sole area we ask that you remove them for x-ray screening to determine if they have explosives in them. It is your right to keep them on. If they are deemed to be thickness of criteria we have then we have to inspect them for explosives. This means that you keep them on but go to secondary screening where you get the works. Whole body wand and pat down as well as ETD on the shoes.As you can see from thisexample that you had the option to avoid all the big infringment by complying with the request. If you dont then the infringment gets more and more intrusive. So you have to decide what battles to fight. If you are requested to remove something in all fairness if you do, you will be sent on your way. If you dont then you run the risk of getting secondary. Hope this helps.

The problem is that it's sometimes very obvious that the additional screening is punishment for not following the "suggestion." E.g., the poster that had his/her bag searched because he/she refused to remove her shoes, the people who get a pat down because they don't remove their belt even though the belt doesn't alarm, etc.

If a WTMD screener says "please remove your cell phone from your belt," (this happened to me; we all make mistakes.) I say "Oops" and "sorry" and "thanks" and am pleased that that suggestion/requirement saved me an annoying secondary.

If a WTMD screener says "we suggest you remove your belt," I don't, and then I alarm, I deserve a secondary.

If a WTMD screener says "please remove your belt or you'll get a secondary," then OK, at least I was told and the screener was honest.

If a WTMD screener says "we suggest you remove your belt," I decline, I don't alarm, and then I (or my bag) get a secondary anyway for no other reason, then it was most likely punishment, and I'm unhappy.

I think a few briefings to screeners on wording between the last two scenarios would greatly reduce pax/screener frustration. Any scenario which creates the appearance of punishment screenings is bad public image for the TSA. As screenings get more physically intrusive, it's more important that this appearance of punishment is reduced. Unfortunately when complaints of punishment screenings are made, the administration always seems to side with the screener using some excuse. I do wonder though if, privately, habitual punishment screeners are corrected by their management.