A Good Word for TSA
 

:) I join with most of you in finding the TSA shoe carnival and liquids look-see a time wasting joke, and finding the general attitude of TSA'ers frequently less than curteous. However, yesterday I saw TSA go above and beyond duty. My parents (mid 70's) were on their way from EWR to MIA for the week. At about ten yesterday morning my cell phone rang, showing an incoming call from my father. When I answered an unfamiliar voice identified herself as Newark TSA (my first thought was that I would have to bail my folks out for having lost patience with TSA antics). She said that this cell phone had turned up, and asked if I knew the gate its owner was leaving from. I didnt know the gate, but could tell her their names and that they were on a Continental flight to MIA. She left me the number for Newark TSA lost & found, and I thought well that's ok, they can pick up the cell phone on their return next week. When I called my parents later in the day to share the good news --- TSA had the phone and was holding it at EWR -- I learned the rest of the story. As my parents sat on the plane waiting for the doors to close, someone (not sure if it was TSA or CO GA, at this point) walked up to them, addressed them by name, and returned the phone. Then the person left, the doors closed, and they were off . Someone had inadvertently picked up the phone from screening, leaving behind another, and had returned later to swap them. But the main story here is that TSA took the initiative to track me down, apparently by calling speed dial numbers until someone answered, and to walk the phone to the gate and onto the plane ready to close doors and push back. Kudos to Newark TSA for this one. :)

Just to chime in with a travel tip: please don't turn off your phone or turn the ringer off. We often have people who think they've lost their cell phones at the checkpoint. A solution I use is to call their phone from the checkpoint. Nine times out of ten, they can either hear the phone or feel it vibrate in their carry-on. Other times, we've heard the phone ring from a bin on the conveyor belt or at one of the screening tables. I've also had it when the rental car agent, where the passenger dropped off a rental car, answer the phone.

Best travel tip of all: put your cell phone inside your carry-on rather than placing it separately in a bin. People rarely forget to take their carry-on but will forget to pick up any loose items placed in one of the bins or small bowls.

Well my 2 cents worth about TSA at IAD:

The last 2 years i have been in and out from IAD airport about twice a month or even more.I have never faced agressive behavior nor bad treatment.
Once flying with my family we all got SSSS it was a nice and fast search even went through that puff puff machine our hand luggage was searched all in all it did not take longer than 5 minutes.

As i always carry my CPAP with me, the TSA always has it swipped but that also does not take long. Every time this is done i was asked very politly if they can open the bag. I really find that TSA at IAD are efficient and polite.

And i forgot to mention that i am a Saudi and a Muslim.

On the other hand i found TSA in Paris to be rude. In FRA i found them not smiling nor friendly but efficient.

Bart,

Folks turn off their phones before security if they think they won't need it in the concourse, and fear forgetting to turn it off later, and an incoming signal getting through mid-air, landing them in deep doo-doo.

I make sure to leave EVERYTHING in either my carryon bag, or in my jacket pockets - nothing loose through the x-ray ... the ziplock goes in the bin with my jacket.

Points