What does you handle mean again, We Will Never Forget? The Constitution? The Bill of Rights? Common courtesy? I forget. The Barkers represent none of these things.

Last month I arrived at DFW at about 5:00AM on a flight coming from OGG. I am a smoker and went outside to have a ciggarette. I had a short, but informative conversation with a TSA agent.

She asked me if she could borrow my matches. I then asked her when the security line opened closest to where we were. She then asked me if I had my freedom baggie ready. I told her that I knew the drill after many flights. She actually used the term "Nit-Wits" to describe the people going through security. She said no matter how much they tell people to have their liquids in the baggie, they don't listen. I explained the story about how our white honey was taken away at OGG because my husband, behaving like a Gomer thought it was food and put it in my carry-on. She said that was nothing compared to what some idiots have in theirs. She said it was like talking to a bunch of babies.

This told me what they think of us, the flying public. I have a feeling that the Barking has more to do with the things she said about us, the flying public than trying to help people understand the ever changing rules.

She didn't seem to bad talking to her one on one, but as I said in another post, it's when you get them in a group that they turn into Jekyll and Hyde.

9/11

The Golden Rule

Why we are the best nation in the world and how we got here.

If I am reading your post correctly, you have excluded yourself from the described "nit-wits". Thus, any "barking" probably isn't directed at you.

She said no matter how much they tell people to have their liquids in the baggie, they don't listen.

Again, how would you propose to gain cooperation while still keeping the lines moving?

By any chance have you read any of the MANY posts in this very thread that clearly and specifically answer your question?

Yes, and there is not ONE answer that will work for all. Obviously, some airports can be more laid back, but what about the others? For example, those with Ma and Pa Kettle who haven't seen a plane in 20 years?

I'll give you 9/11. Fine.

The Golden Rule? Do unto others as you'd have done to you? A noble goal. But are you seriously trying to tell me that all TSA officers are so ridiculously masochistic as to want others to yell at them at the top of their lungs all day? That's reaching a bit far, IMHO.

Again, the idea is to follow the example of other countries around the world. Let's take the example of Frankfurt, because that is an airport I am very familiar with.

The security check is layered - first, you have someone checking boarding passes.

Next, you have some people standing at the beginning of the line with a baggie, asking people if they have liquids on them. If they do, they are asked if they have bagged them already. If yes, they're told to go on, if not, they are pointed to a fairly big sign detailing the ruled and asked to read it, and to prepare themselves accordingly.

You go through the line, which has never taken me more than 10 minutes, and then you get to one of the multiple X-ray machines. The checker there politely(!) and at a reasonable volume asks if you have 1. liquids, 2. a laptop, 3. anything in your pockets that might set of the metal detector, like a cell phone, loose change, etc.

You go through, pick up your stuff at the other end and you're set.

You never hear the screeners raise their voice to the passengers, the noise level is acceptable, and the line moves at a pretty good clip. Wait times are minimal, and you get people through the system with a minimum of stress and ill will.

And before you ask whether such a system could work in the US, please take a look at this statistic about passenger levels worldwide. There are only 4 airports in the US that handle more passengers than FRA - ATL, ORD, LAX and DFW. It is possible to move large numbers of passengers through the system without barkers!

See my example for FRA above. They catch the "nitwits" early and explain it to them before they get a chance to hold up the line. And they do it in a friendly fashion.

Ma and Pa Kettle may be inexperienced, but they're not necessarily stupid.

I'm sorry, but this is absolute hogwash. Let's take the 15 countries that were in the EU prior to the latest round of expansion towards the East. Or Australia and New Zealand. Or South Africa. Or Singapore. Or Hong Kong. Or Canada. This list could go on and on and on. There are plenty of countries worldwide where a fairly large chunk of the population flies only occasionally, but still regularly (like every two years, or something along those lines).

Other countries also have to deal with Mr. and Mrs. Fly-once-a-year, and they manage to do it just fine. WITHOUT YELLING!

Let me add a few European airports to your list of professionals, Alex:

MUC, HAM, CGN, DUS, STR, CDG, LYS, LEJ, TXL. The list goes on and on...

Fast, efficient, thorough security and everyone is polite. I left Heathrow off the list because they have done some barking in the very recent past.

I pass through Heathrow once a year, and I find the agents very human. They smile, engage in a word or two if you speak to them ,and still get the job done.

The current TSA agents are nothing compared to the Yahoos who manned the gates just after 9/11. I had to travel the week after the 9/11 through Logan, you could not gather a worse group of agents if you tried: think young men who had taken too many steroids and had the bad complexion and attitude to prove it.

At Heathrow a week ago, I encountered some barking. Not quite as bad as I've seen in busy US airports (EWR, ATL), but not what I was used to at LHR. Granted, it is usually much more tame than the US airports (except at the FCC).

I'll agree that the majority of TSA folks I encounter are considerate, friendly people. The smaller, less frenzied airports tend to be much better (for obvious reasons), but as a whole, there aren't THAT many bad apples. But there are some.

My point to add here is that in mainland Europe (and India), I have never encountered anything but polite and competent screeners.

If you go with the assumption that the water carnival is a valid security measure, then I can see your point.

However, those that see this as a waste of time and resources that does nothing to enhance security will think that removal is the only way to fix this mess to a point.

TSA created the problem, they need to fix it and deliver on its promises on its web page. So far, they're 0/2.

Oh please. Go look up RyanAir. Do you think CEOs fly that airline?



No, it's called a COURTESY. Respect is something that is earned.



See what I mean? Respect has to be EARNED.

There are many TSAers who do earn the respect. Then there are the ones, like you, who find crying children amusing.