Leaving JFK to LHR last night as i went through the security, had my computer in the bin, put my shoes in the bin, took my blackberry out of the holster, put it in the bin and began to walk through.

"Stop"

"Stop"

I look over - didn't know the TSA agent was talking to me.

"Take the holster off"

Me: It never beeps

"What don't you understand about following instructions?"

Me: It never beeps

"TAke it off now Sir"

I put it in the bin - walk through - dont buzz

"Sir, you have been selected for secondary screening"

I wait several minutes till an a TSA agent comes over.

"Sir you seem to have a problem following instructions, so please listen closely"

Me - "I don't have any problems listening so please go ahead."

As he is telling me how i am going to be wanded and patted down another agent swabs my briefcase and suitbag.

The TSA agent wands me like he is cutting a diamond. Incidentally, im shoes off in bare feet and he goes over my bare feet several times.

As I am in the stand up wanding process nothing beeps - he feels the bump of my watch - "Are you concealing anything under your sweater?"

Me- "It's my watch"

"Please roll the sleave up so I can see it"

I do

He now is doing a pat down and feels the buttons on the arms of my shirt under my sweater

"What is being concealed under your sweater right here/"

Me - "The buttons on my shirt"

"Take your sweater off so I can examine them."

As i am taking my sweater off - halfway over my head - "Stop right now - you are trying to conceal what I am look for." My shirt is coming off with my sweater. "I told you only take off your sweater"

Me - "That's what I'm doing" I keep my short on and let him look at the buttons on my shirt.

He begins to swab the bags

Me - "Excuse me they have already been swabbed once"

"I can inspect them as many times as I want - this is about security"

Me - "Exactly, and by spending your time harrassing me you are depriving everyone here of the security we deserve. May I see a supervisor"

The supervisor comes over and I explain why I think I have been singled out - I didnt want to take off my blackberry holster.

I explain that swabbing my bags a second time seems excessive.

"Unless you can demonstrate to me they have been swabbed once I can't do anything."

Me - "Who can I complain to"

"I am the only one here"

Me- "Have a nice night" and I get on my way

Does anyone have an address or email hopefully I can provide TSA details about this. To me, the sad part of this isnt the extra 10 minutes they spending showing me who the boss is, it's the 10 minutes they lost doing their job and putting everyone at risk -- End of Rant

Hey, you weren't arrested or "seriously" detained, so you're doing better than some. Trying to equate the TSA with something rational is usually a futile exercise.

Knowing how they arrested the woman in ATL for the non-reg bag via FT I knew to not loose my cool even while being provoked --- thanks FT ^ Still shame on TSA

This is the problem right here. There is no record of anything that goes on with the TSA.

There is no written rulebook of what TSA agents are allowed to do and there is no record of what they actually do. So they can basically do whatever they want without any accountability and without recourse for the passengers.

For all the good it's likely to do you....

[email protected]

1-800-289-9673

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a reply, though!

[QUOTE=swei0009]For all the good it's likely to do you....

[email protected]

1-800-289-9673



Still waiting for the call back I was promised by a supervisor at the national call center that I askd for in AUGUST. I called back in September and was told that they would be calling me back within 48 to 72 hours. It's November now...

THE TSA IS NOT ABOUT SECURITY, IT'S A FEDERAL JOBS PROGRAM!!

The TSA seems exempt from several articles in the Bill of Rights, the requirement for equal protection under the law, the rules of due process, and the rules of evidence.

VOTE ON TUESDAY!!!

--PP

You'll never get a response from that TSA e-mail address. I e-mailed them a complaint over a year ago when I was prevented from watching my personal belongings (the agent started screaming at me to come over to his position, from which point I wouldn't be able to see my bags) and I haven't heard back yet.

Most always, the TSA doesn't care to respond in any substantive manner. Why should they care to respond substantively to concerns when they really aren't held accountable for failings?

I totally agree that the scenario you related was senseless and nothing but a power trip, but do you TRULY believe that anyone else was put a risk as a result of the actions of the screener?

Did you get names/badge numbers?

You should have opted for the private screening. They should have offered that to you when they asked you to remove your sweater. I would capitalize on this aspect of the issue.

[QUOTE=VideoPaul]Do you really think voting in new leadership will change the TSA? I don't think a single thing would change. Nobody elected wants to offend or frighten the once-every-five-year flyer.

Yes, apparently they only feel compelled to respond to the taxpayers that fund them and whom they work for is when CNN shows up with a camera rolling.

VOTE TOMORROW!!

--PP

Re-electing the incumbents (and supporters of incumbents) who stand with the DHS/TSA "leaders" and the current DHS/TSA idiocy is a reward for supporting nonsense.

I'd rather gamble on a change in personnel than gamble on wishful thinking that the status quo advocates will change their course if re-elected.

[QUOTE=RichMSN]
I'd rather not vote for somebody who is afraid to act to stop the nonsense.
Billions of tax dollars are wasted on measures that are counter productive.
Keeping them makes no sense at all.

[QUOTE=RichMSN]The idiot Democrats are the ones who pushed for the TSA in the first place. No one has looked closely enough under the rock where Tom Daschle and wife are hiding the payola they got for creating this nightmare.

Not only would the Democrats keep the TSA, they would probably fund it and loosen its reigns way beyond what the Republicans would tolerate.

Elected officials are not going to stop the TSA until their constituents have totally gone to war with the agency and its screening force, all hell breaks loose at the airports as people fight back en masse, and the politicians see no other choice but to change the status quo.