As many of you know, Monday mornings at O'Hare is a zoo; this past Monday was made worse due to weather delays, etc. I was dropped off at the First class entrance as it is usually less crowded but when I approached the self-checkin machines, I noticed the first class security line was incredible long. I checked-in, had my bag tagged by the agent and proceeded the drop my bag off at the baggage check area. For those of you familiar with O'Hare, the middle security check-in area has a section for elites. The elite line was long but not as long as the first class area.

As we got closer to the TSA agent who checks your ID and boarding pass, I could see there was a lady (she was 3 ppl ahead of me) who did not belong there and the agent was trying to get her to go back to the normal line. This lady would not budge even after several requests by the agent and after the agent had unhooked the rope barrier so she could step aside. I was getting a bit annoyed at this time because this lady would not leave the line and my flight was boarding within minutes. Long story short, the agent let the lady back in line - but I noticed she did more than stamp her boarding pass - seemed like she wrote something on it. I thought it was weird that the TSA agent kind of gave in and let her though, but oh well.

The agent checks my ID and I'm in line to go through the screener. As the other lady was going through the security screener, she was pulled aside. This is where it got funny because she is now whining about how she's going to miss her flight and all that, and they're telling her she was flagged for additional screening.

I did not stick around long enough to find out what happened, but the agents looked like they were going to make her wait for a little bit longer.

Maybe it's just me, but I have a problem with a service employee inflicting "punishment" on the traveling public, simply because they can. This is not even remotely a "security" matter. ID checkers don't even work for the TSA.

So, if it's not security, then what is it? It's simply a minimum wage employee who, for the first time in his/her life, is in a position to boss others around under the pretense of "security". Some folks cannot resist such a temptation.

Was this a Kettle that was in the wrong line?

Actually, I don�t like to see additional screening doled out as �punishment�.

EDIT: The poster before me stole my thunder. Anyway, how badly did the lady in question behave?

I'd like to have seen security called and the woman forcibly removed.

I wonder if she had a French accent and was bumping people with her cart.

Cheers.

All, you can follow this thread in the Travel Safety & Security forum.

bollar
Moderator, AA

I thought the lines were under "airline control." Why is a TSA agent enforcing elite lines?

This is something Comrade Chertoff is trying to (and in some airports, already has) change(d).

Correct, the person checking your ID is NOT a TSA employee, rather a contractor of the airline/airport.

TSOs are checking ID's at BWI.

Agreed.

FWIW, I was at O'Hare Sunday night. Average flight was delayed about two hours in T3 and there were many cancellations. On top of that, add in the mis-connects from late arrivals as a result of a significant ground-stop at ORD. Flow control held me up for about 3 hours on my inbound.

In addition to it being a Monday morning, I'd be willing to bet many of the pax in the security line had spent the night at ORD as well. The end result was likely a mess (and I understand the weather was still ugly on Monday).

I'd like to see the integrity of the FC and elite lines kept; it is one of the benefits of having status and/or travelling FC. At the same time, I think common sense needs to be used if it is extremely busy. I'm not saying open the floodgates to the elite line, but apply common sense.

Marking the pax for additional security was wrong and just strains the existing resources.

Just out of curiousity, how long did the OP have to wait to reach that point in the security queue? If it was a long wait, I'd say send her through as an exception -- if it was short, the ID checker (line control) should have stood ground and sent the pax to the proper queue.

Sometimes you have to do what is in the best interest of everyone to keep the line going and punishing someone with additional screening is not the answer.

IMHO...

Then why are they doing the TSA's job: selecting people for secondary inspections (for example, no ID = secondary is part of the TSA's job)?

If they are a TSA employee or doing the TSA's work & have the "powers" of a TSA checker, then they should not be enforcing elite lines. (BTW: I'm "elite" and use elite lines).

Same thing at PHX.

While I agree with the sentiment that security personnel and other people in authority positions (no matter what level) should not abuse their powers, it goes against human nature to expect this will never happen. This is especially true if you are trying to do an unpopular job and are constantly being criticized, ridiculed, and belittled for trying to do it.

A friend of mine was a traffic (police) officer. He was and is a consummate professional. I never saw him lose his temper, even in situations where it required saintlike patience not to do so. One day I was covering him (providing stand-by assistance) on a traffic stop. The violator had been stopped for speeding, but had a number of other non-moving violations with regard to his vehicle, driver's license, insurance, etc. The officer handling the stop had considerable discretion as to whether warn the violator for these, or issue citations. Each violation required a separate citation form. While my friend was preparing the citations, the violator delivered a running stream of invective on our personal, professional, and organizational incompetence, capriciousness, lack of ethics, immorality, inferior intelligence, etc. My friend merely nodded and kept writing. After several minutes, the light bulb went on, and the violator asked my friend, "You're just going to keep writing as long as I talk, aren't you?" My friend nodded. The violator shut up, my friend completed the citation he was working on, documents were signed and returned, and everyone was on their way.

Yes, these people (traffic cops, ID checkers, TSOs, etc.) can be petty and officious, but so can the passengers they are dealing with. Most of the workers are just doing the job that they are paid to do. The way that they do it is largely determined by someone higher up in the pecking order, and they can't do anything about it. They want to get to the end of the day and pick up their paycheck, much like most of the rest of us. If you want to change the system, complaining to or about the working stiff is unlikely to do much except make both of your lives more difficult.

The same trafic officer I spoke of had a little sticker on the back of his citation book: "Do not [expletive] with the alligator until after you have negotiated the swamp."

.....

^^^