I think you are right Bart. I will now include this in my statement. It's nice to let them know who owns what. I feel bad that we can't hold things, but that would open TSA up for problems if the item is lost or damaged.

There is another option we give. It's a storage company in Baggage that will store items for cheap. It is obviouse they are private because of there name. Nice option, but a pain that it is not on the airside.

If it were airside there wouldn't be a need for it, now would there? :D :D :D

Advising passengers of a "service" to mail common household objects is completely missing the point. Passengers should not be compelled to choose between paying $6 to mail a household object or throw it in the garbage.

If I robbed a stranger at gunpoint and offered a 5% instant cash back rebate for giving me cash rather than a check, am I really offering a service or am I just adding insult to injury?

Good and Bad with respect to pointy items
 

Bad first: missed my flight in early 2002 because of the huge security line at IAH and the fact that I had manicure scissors in my carry-on. I would have made the flight if it hadn't been for the manicure scissors.

2nd Bad: Because of the restrictions on what can be carried on, I, a frequent flyer who always carried on, now check my bag (despite the fact that Continental has never been able to find a bag I checked from Houston to Los Angeles in the early 90's).

Good: I went through screening many times after 09/11 with a leatherman tool that Continental had provided me for being a beta tester on their new website. I didn't even realize that it was still in my bag, because I had not had the need to use it. It was just something that stayed in my bag all the time. However, it was caught in IAH Terminal C, and the guy was nice enough to hold it for me and watch my bags while I went to get an envelope and postage to send it back. It has Continental's logo on it, and I figure it may be a collectors' item in the future (because I doubt many airlines will be handing out leatherman tools post-9/11).

The "point" is that these items are prohibited and are not allowed past the security checkpoint. The "point" is that you should know this by now. The "point" is that it is not theft. The "point" is that these items are allowed inside your checked baggage and better planning on your part would have prevented this from being an issue. The "point" is that we are only obligated to tell you that you can either leave the security checkpoint and find a way to dispose the item or you can surrender it to us. The "point" is that you don't have to appreciate the services available to make it just a little more convenient for you to dispose of an item that you shouldn't be carrying with you past the security checkpoint.

The manicure scissors are the overkill part of the prohibited items list, and I hope that these will soon become permitted items. Same holds true of the baby Swiss Army knives with the small blades.

Disagree about holding anything that belongs to passengers. I never do it. Seen too many people get burned either holding something that was never reclaimed and/or the passenger come back and claim either that wasn't the item they left behind or that there was some imaginary damage to their item. I try to be as courteous as possible with passengers in many areas; however, when it comes to prohibited items, I play it strictly down the center and give them the option of either leaving the checkpoint to divest the item (check it in baggage, mail it, give the item to a non-travelling companion or take it back to their car) or surrender the item to us. I never offer to hold it for them even if they aren't travelling. The liability is not worth it.

To fellow TSA screeners: when you hold an item for someone, you have deviated from the SOP and assume full personal responsibility. TSA is not going to back you up should anything occur to complicate the situation because you simply are not supposed to hold prohibited items for anybody. The options are quite clear. It's all your choice, but even holding the item and not having it stored inside the amnesty/prohibited items box already puts you in violation of standard procedure. Something for you to think about.

Please tell that to the construction crews at ORD. In more than one occasion, I've seen open, unattended tool carts INSIDE the so-called 'secure' area. Please, feel free to pick your tool of choice. Would that be a crow bar? Or perhaps a hammer? Maybe a large scredriver? How about a cordless drill? Nails ???? Sorry, no nail gun, as it requires compressed air.

Cheers,

J

Always difficult to explain to people that construction crews fall under a different category as they are performing work authorized by airport authorities.

A saw an open tool box at MKE about 3 weeks ago, inside the secure are - concourse "E" with no one around. I could have walked off with a hammer or screwdriver no prob!

And onto the watchlist you go for evening THINKING about this!!

;)

What's the verdict on this thread topic? Was there some news that was supposed to come out?

You are probably correct
 

I'm sure you ARE correct about SOP. I'm just glad that this gentleman gave me the option. It was a couple of years ago, so maybe the SOP was not as clearcut as it is now. I think those courtesies sometimes depend upon the airport and cities. Even though Houston is the 4th largest city in the US, and many parts of it have been overrun with Yankees (kidding, kidding :eek:), I mean people, who don't understand courtesy, most of the people that the TSA has hired at IAH and many other southern airports do understand courtesy. I expect that a screener at Newark or LAX would not have provided me with the same option that this gentleman did.

FWIW, I disagree with many of the TSA's policies, but I have to say that, in my experience, TSA employees are better trained and more polite than those that previously manned the metal detectors.

Yeah it can be bunk when your just escorting someone and you forget about your tiny pocket knife, however I agree with Bart 100%. While I do sympathize the huge liability a TSA screener opens themselves up to by holding a prohibited item for a person is not worth it. I've seen passengers make BS claims against screeners before and doing something like that is opening the door even wider.

What's the verdict on this thread topic? Was there some news that was supposed to come out?

Some news did come out. Unattended construction tools inside sterile areas are no threat because construction crews and their tools are in a separate category. Any enterprising terrorist would realize that because of this separate category, he (or she, in deference to Chechen black widows [who are not necessarily whores]) would refrain from using a hammer or screwdriver. This is a very good thing because eventually said terrorist could breach the secured cockpit door, while the FAM has his Bose headphones on and is blissfully typing his secret report on his laptop in first class. Meanwhile, somebody is trying to break open a Bic lighter to start a fire on the plane. But because the person with the Bic lighter went through the shoe carnival, he could not have ignited the explosives packed into his soles. That should bring us up to date.