This morning at TUS (our home base), the TSA agent checking IDs through the metal detector realized that I had handed her my wife's boarding pass. She looks at me, figures out that my name is not Diane, just about the time I realized I had both of our BPs.

She smiles, makes a joke about not looking like a 'Diane' and then says, with a grin... "Oh, we'll give your wife a little heart failure this morning...."

When my wife finished putting the assorted shoes, bags, etc into the bins, she starts to walk through the detector...only then does she realize that I have her BP....

The TSA agent, standing next to me says something akin to "Ma'am, you are going to have to go back to the counter to get a boarding pass..." The look on my wife's face is priceless.... well, okay WE thought it was funny.... My wife... after a panic stricken moment... figures out the joke is on her...

All of this to illustrate one point: not ALL TSA folks are mindless automotons on a power kick...

As always TSA at TUS is almost a pleasure to pass through....

So, I know that there have to be other 'good' TSA checkpoints that folks regularly pass through. There has to be other TSA people who professionally do their job, while maintaining some sense of humor...sanity...

I know, I know... not to discuss WHAT they do.... but HOW they do their jobs....

So, with all of the bad TSA bashing, how about a little praise... there have got to be postive TSA stories... TUS can't be the ONLY place....

I will start it out by saying it once again.... TUS TSA.... good folks... doing a job that no one likes....
but maintaining their humanity.... WAY TO GO!!!

My wife and I were headed out of DFW, and I showed the ID/BP to the agent first. As I was putting my stuff on the belt, I hear the agent ask my wife, "Is that your dad?" I look over and he's pointing at me, and they're both laughing. My wife is actually a year older than I am. I'm still not quite sure I get the joke to this day, but at least he had a sense of humor.

Re the boarding pass thing....I am all for laughing even at my expense but...and yeah say I have no sense of humor but the airport experience is the last place I want people screwing with me...that added moment of stress might be enough to fire up a migraine or something...

Now joking around in a way that doesn't stress me out more than I already am there...no problem.

I fly out of SNA with some regularity. Even though it can be very crowded, the people working there seem to be reasonable and often you even get a smile. Certainly a step up from the mindless, clueless automatons I seem to encounter every time I have the misfortune to fly out of LAX. *sigh*

My experience is the opposite. Not that LAX TSA are the most cheerful bunch, but they are polite and do get you through pretty fast.

I find the SNA TSA to be a very mixed bag. Most are kind of rude and really act like they think they are cops. Conversely some of the nicest screeners I have ever dealt with are in SNA.

Also SNA is the only urban airport where CPAP machines need to be out of baggage like laptops. I have always wondered why

I went through security at DCA a few weeks ago. The guy checking the paperwork at entrance to the security line looked at my passport, at me, then said, "You know, you look like Mr. Bean" (it happens to me occasionaly). I responded "I don't look like him, I am him".
He did a quick double-take, then realized I was having him on.
We both laughed.
Yes - even at DCA, there are some normal people.

I find LAX to be very efficient--not chatty or all that friendly, but efficient. Same with MSP. The worst I've seen, personally? MCO and IND.

I N D...those three letters send shivers down where my spine used to be before they had to remove it for a secondary screening. What a Charlie Foxtrot that place is.

Screeners at IND had me carry my shoes through the WTMD, then place them on the conveyor belt. Truly a cluster ****.

Probably because they bother to follow the rules. That came out shortly after the liquid ban.

Yep. The fact that I have to get to the airport 2 hours early for a 2 hour flight puts me in a foul mood. I'm not in the mood for jokes until I'm past security.

I fly from MSP every week and I can agree with that assessment.

As for MCO, well while I wouldn't apologize for or excuse them, I can certainly UNDERSTAND why they would be a bit grumpy down there. Can you IMAGINE the ignorant-family cr*p they must put up with on a daily (hourly, "minutely") basis? (And I'm sure many MCO flyers here can do more than just imagine it!).