Jello, if there is one terminal that I would make my stand at, it is T6 at LAX. I have walked through the detectors at T5 without a problem and then with the same exact shoes been subjected to the show carnival at T6 on the same day.

Except for one problem: Such request are at times met with threats and more intimidation.

As we have already agreed, it is a leadership/management issue. Until the cleaning of the ranks starts at the top, changes at the checkpoints are unlikely.

Worse yet, I am afraid there are some in the TSA "leadership" that see value in mistreating and intimidating passengers - along the "we'll show them who's the boss here!" line.

Hear, hear, PoliceStateSurvivor! Even the long arm of the Law can't reach back into the dark cave far enough to bring these predatory folk out into the same format with us "regular" saps. They answer to no one; most certainly not to you and me, despite anything we may try.

Try to keep your Dignity as you roll the front of your pants back into place and walk away barefoot. And listen to them wish you a 'nice flight'. Dear lord, momma shoulda slapped 'em just a few times more often.

Eccos with Plastic Shanks
 

My fussy feet adore my black Eccos which are the only shoes I travel with except for something slightly dressier if necessary. They have a plastic shank and never beep. Ask when you buy--not all have them. When I go through security, I just say: I paid extra for non-beep shoes....and they check the size of heel and test me. This has worked every time but once at JFK when the woman seemed offended and wanded me in the "naughty" seat and asked for her supervisor to check me out as well. She said I had "refused" to take off my shoes. (I would have removed them if requested at the machine.)

Last week, though, I was wearing toe-revealing sandals as I picked up an unaccompanied minor in Tampa and they asked me to remove those. I did have a creepy feeling on the carpet. They did let a child in flip-flops go through with her pilot father! I hate that shoe bomber guy!

While Richard Reid is a despicable, attempted-murder terrorist, those in the government who came up with this harassment in response to Reid's sloppy bomb are far more loathsome individuals. These individuals should be sharing a cell with Reid, or better yet be shipped off to North Korea.

Oh pleeeassee......Yawn. :rolleyes:

It is "mis"managers like this that should be terminated. I believe it is possible to maintain security with a high level of customer service. I've always heard the phrase, "You must sacrifice one to have another" when it came to security and customer service.
I always stress to the screeners to remain calm regardless of the passenger's demeanor, unless the passenger begins to threaten you personally. Then call me over and I can handle the situation. Luckily, it has never escalated to that level.

No arguments from me on this one.

However, managers, especially in the public sector, are usually very well entrenched in their positions. Chances of them getting fired are not very high.

Definitely, no argument here.

Dear TSA Super. Despite what you may have heard and expect paxs to believe, paxs are NOT TSA "customers", nor does TSA give ANY of them "customer service".

Despite best wishes and beaming faces, TSA provides anything BUT a service to its individual paxs. Although I have never been a TSA "customer" and never will be, as I have stated before TSA is definitely servicing innocent paxs. With a smile. Shameful and disgusting.

And in a sane America, illegal as hell.

I have "airport safe" shoes that never set off the magnetometer. Nevertheless, on several occasions the shoe nazis have sent me off to SSSSS hell for not taking them off.

Why can't the TSA get rid of the sadists who get off on humilating people? It must be obvious based on complaint patterns and onsite behavior who they are.

The TSA is expert at shutting barn doors. I guess we need to see a few more escaped horses (or whatever) before they start working on prevention of NEW threats.

The airlines learned how useless the security questions were and stopped asking them. The TSA still insists that everybody has a boarding pass, yet anybody can get a boarding pass by buying a ticket or mocking one up. The place to check bp/id is at the gate.

I keep seeing that you are unhappy with TSA. I'd suggest travel via bus, car, train, boat, private jet, ect. All of which keep you out of TSA's hair. Flying is voluntary, you don't have to do it and contrary to your belief, they are not picking on you. Most of TSA's officers are at work making a living, and like anyone else, they have rules to follow to keep their job. Blaming them is silly. Are there bad employees at TSA, sure. There are bad employees everywhere, many in places you do not have a choice in visiting. If you don't like it, don't fly.

The worst case...
 

I was traveling with a little girl who had lost her hair for a medical reason. We got selected for the "puffer" machine and it required her to remove her hat. She burst into tears. I went to the TSA guy (who was bald) and quietly explain the problem. He started to get testy, but the child kept getting more and more upset so he said, "We can hand check her, but YOU have to go through," in a mean voice. I said that was no problem. I kept my eye on the child who was very thoroughly checked while sobbing away from me. Really, this was too much.

I can understand the emotional content of this, I can. I've got 2 people I know going through cancer treatment right now, one is 8 and the other is 23. However, what is an officer supposed to do about policy he has no control over. They are following their training and their SOP while trying to make people safe and accomodate the thousands of passengers an hour that clear some of these checkpoints. Many checkpoints are understaffed and officers are doing mandatory overtime in many airports. Morale is low in many places and turn-over is high. The pay is marginal for a job that is characterized by administrators as the point of explosion. Most (I wouldn't say all) officers only want to get you and the 100 people behind you through their area and on your way in the most effective way possible. Do you think they really have the time or energy to fight with everyone. Will it inconvience people, sure. Should we really make security at an airport nice and gentle and totally accomodating so that no one gets offended?? People get angry, they get rude and trite. So do Officers after the 100th person that day is in their face being angry, rude, or trite to them. Would extra courtesy and understanding go a long way?? Of course, from both sides of the fence. Security is a partnership of all participants, not just the officers. Try asking an airline agent what they really think of their customers some time.