I know that black racism exists. In fact, I think that on average blacks are MORE racist than whites. [/Omni]

That said, that this gal would have been called a white biotch repeatedly without provocation doesn't make sense to me. I don't believe the story happened as written. Either there was some provocation that was conveniently left out of the account, or it simply didn't happen.

When I saw the title, I thought that the TSA agents were on strike...

That was my first reaction too, following on the union approval vote. Did seem a tad precipitate (next day !), but then this is the TSA.

A real strike (labor action) will come, no doubt about it. I give it 6 months, tops.

I'm pretty sure that they wont be allowed to strike ... they could try, I guess, but would probably end up being escorted in to work by Federal Marshals ... or fired and banned from future government postions.

There are other job actions unions use without going to strike, e.g., sick-outs, work slowdowns, equipment sabotage, etc.

No doubt. I just think that the current administration would shut it down pretty quick.

Better hope not.

Remember PATCO? And the mess that was air transportation afterward?

If the TSA did strike, be prepared for 4+ hour long lines, or no flying at all. There is no "Plan B".

And I'd expect the strikers to get fired ala PATCO.

SAYETH NOT THIS DISASTROUS TALK!!

If they fired the crew they HAVE, can you inagine what we'd get as a REPLACEMENT??? Fast food and gas station convenience stores from sea to shining sea would close from a dearth of counter help!

Allow not these thoughts to cross your lips again, sir!

"Plan B"? "Plan B"???

This is the TSA we're talking about.

After 5 years, there still isn't a "Plan A".

Especially since they did their initial hire during a recession and the initial unquestioning "Ask not what your country can do for you ..." phase of the War on Whatever.

Unless of course housing sales slow and they can restaff it with surplus cobol-programmers-turned-real-estate agents.

If you aren't impressed with what they were able to hire in 2002-03, be careful what you wish for.

Neutralizing a TSA strike would be easier than the PATCO strike, I think. You can replace a TSA screener much easier and faster than you can replace an Air Traffic Controller I would think.

The Reagan administration was pretty heavy handed in dealing with the PATCO strike ... I can only imagine how heavy handed the Bush administration would be with a TSA strike.

Well at least they couldn't stage a work to rule. A lot of them apparently have no idea what the rules are.

One might observe that they try pretty hard to work to rule already! They can't quite get it right because many of the rules are nonsensical and many of the screeners are idiots or power-trippers. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

Bruce

As long as they work for private contractors with accountability, they'd be a-ok by me.

Any striking TSA worker should be fined and fired. Their agency shouldn't even exist, let alone have the ability to strike.

Despite having flown out of BWI many, many, many times, and having no particular love for the TSA folks there, and being a regular Post reader of many years, I also find the story somewhat incredible. I fully believe the writer may have encountered a bad, even racist, attitude from workers at BWI, but I've also gotta believe there is some artistic license being taken.

One reason is that there is almost always an airport police officer stationed just inside the checkpoint as well as at the exits adjacent to the checkpoint. If the screener had truly been yelling racist insults at the writer even as she was leaving the checkpoint, these would have been loud enough for this police officer to hear - and presumably do something about. I also question why the writer didn't get the police to intervene - if in fact everything happened just as described.

However, I am probably flying out of BWI Terminal D later this week, and just for the heck of it I will be sure to ask my screener which one of them is the "black girl with the big hair"