I keep telling you folks, a BIG part of the TSA is a GIANT JOBS PROGRAM!! The jettisoning of the private screeners left so many without jobs that there was HUGE pressure from cities, unions and other worthless hangers-on to create jobs for these reprobates in the new TSA. Those that passed the background checks largely got hired on.

It is this stupidity, along with the grunters, the gum-crackers and the complaineres that gets my ire up at the TSA. There **ARE** a few thinking, breathing intellects that really are trying to do well, a couple of them are members of thos forum, but I have met precious few of them and a lot of the jobs program types.

How do you determine a jobs program type? If that person would get FIRED from ANY private sector job for their behavior as a TSA screener, that's a jobs program type.

--Paul

if one disagreed with the policies of the agency as a whole, added to that some "local" policies that some airports put in place... would you notice a hard working and respectful individual screener or would that be lost in the general perception?

i've experienced a few bad experiences with some screeners, but overall my experiences hasn't been as gut-wrenching as some have eluded to.

like the previous thread(s) before this one, hold on to the boarding pass and regardless of the "NO STANDARDS" that should cover all the bases.

not hard...

or not check them at all.

gate screenings!

At my airport Primeflight checks the tickets, then we check them one more time, the gate agent checks them at the gate and that is it. If it is check more than that it is because sometimes we might have a person out front that has looked and didn't tell the walk through person. It is not for just the dreaded ssss, you should see how many people try to sneak through with OLD boarding passes. The primeflight guys are good but there are a few that get by even them during busy times. Pilots can be some of the worse, they want that jump seat and will flash thier badge and not show a boarding pass that the airlines has issued then making them ssss, if you are a pilot for another airline and want to fly on another they select you sometimes. People will try to sneak a dog or cat on without paying, they will put it right through the xray in a regular carry-on bag. Baby in arms is suppose to be checked, they will try to get a kid on that is over two, seen it all.

So TSA is now doing the revenue protection for the airlines. Now that's a security enchancement. I feel so much safer now!

Your job is security and that is it! Now you are checking toddler ID's to make sure they can be lap children?!?! That is none of your business!

Your pilot story is plausible (but checking pilots is discussion for another thread), but the TSA is not the toddler or pet police. You guys are supposed to make sure no prohibited items get on board an airplane. And now, instead of checking cargo, you're doing the airlines' job by making sure Fluffy is a paid passenger. That's just great.

If that's a mandate set by your FSD, he/she should be removed.

Further, don't blame the Primeflight folks, even you guys let some people (and items) "get by" as well.

it would be logical if they look like they're older than a certain age, and the people are checking tickets-you would check their tickets as well.

no one has to agree with it, but it's not hard to understand why the tickets are being checked.

what's the rule on lapchildren again? what age is the cutoff?

.....

And how does the TSA know if a small child -- who does not need an ID, remember -- is over 2? Is that part of TSA training now? Don't these idiots have anything serious to do?

Bruce

Primeflight checks to see if it is a baby in arms and if the the pets carrier is ticketed, NOT TSA, we check for the date, ssss, departure and destination, geez, we don't care if you want to sneak on your dog, cat, rat, ferret or bird. WE DON"T want to xray a live animal. We don't care how old your kid is that you are trying to get on a flight without paying for. The ticket checker, in our airport it is primeflight, checks that and the size of your bags. can I be any clearer, just trying to explain why it is checked twice at our checkpoint.

We are not the toddler police nor the pet police, we just don't like people putting LIVE animals through the xray PRIMEFLIGHT checks that on the boarding pass. We work great with our ticket checkers and they with us at our airport. We check dates and departures at the checkpoint and make sure the mark has been put through the ticket so a passenger can board.