This maybe a minor issue but little things can leave lasting impressions.

I was on a MR through LAX last week. I went landside and recleared security through the upstairs security station near door H. This station has never been busy in my experience so I always use it. Last Tuesday was no different. I was the only person in line but the TSA agent was still scanning some stuff belonging to people who had already passed through the WMD. I travel light, no laptop, just a soft briefcase with my reading material and Sennheisers in it. Just as I was about to send my stuff into the scanner a UA FA comes up, pulls my stuff back, and without so much as a "May I?", forces me to wait while she piles her personal stuff into a bin and sends her 2 bags through.

Now I'm not rehashing the old argument of whether or not flight crews should be allowed to cut lines, the point here is that there was no line - this FA appeared to jump in front of me for the simple reason that she could. And by the way, I watched her after she cleared and she did not take off runing as if she was late and the 10 seconds she saved cutting in front of me was critical.

I would have looked behind you and just said "no."

Wow, pathetic. I have no problems with them cutting the lines, but at the same time they need to be logical and courteous. I don't believe they should be able to cut once one is in a particular lane and already putting stuff on the table. They should be next after that, and this is just bad PR!

Back in my Ski Patrol days, we were allowed to cut whatever line we wanted. THE POLICY HOWEVER was that unless we were on a call or the hill was very short of patrolers, we went to the END of the line. If we did cut, the policy was to ask and explain to the people we were cutting. Very bad PR on the FA's part.

I can understand the need to allow working staff (F/As and cockpit crew) to skip to the head of the security line.

But what I've seen several times are F/As who are no in uniform and who have even said that they are going on vacation, flashing their airport badge and still jumping to the front of the line. That's unacceptable!

I was in Florida recently and a bunch of commuting crew members decided to cut in line. One hung back immediately behind me, even when other crew tried to get her to move ahead. "I'm not working. I don't need to cut," she said. I immediately thanked her and we talked during the 10 mins. or so we were in line, mostly about how some people understand service and some don't. Anyway ...nice person with a great attitude.

Truth be told, I might have said something except that my 1.5 hour layover was enough to make it to In-N-Out and back, so I was a bit sluggish suffering from a Double-Double and well-done fries buzz.
...who used the opportunity to make a positive customer service impression.

Why is it that so many people, who choose service type jobs, just never get it?

I hate to break it to you folks, but the well over 60,000 f/a's in this country alone are....sit down....HUMAN!! Just like some of you can be real jerks as passengers, so are some f/a's. You hate them. So do I. An employee on vacation should never break line...period!! I use a 5 person rule. Under five people, I wait. Over five and I kindly excuse myself and proceed. Most people are very kind and I usually end up chatting with that person. I have a knack for choosing the slow line. My only exceptions are families and the elderly, both who usually require more time and I can be on the ac brewing coffee before they get thru security.

The best managed TSA security airports have seperate lanes for employees. That's the way it should be. I know I would get a tiny bit stressed had I been waiting 30 minutes and right as I was putting my bags on the table, a crew of 6 break in. The good thing? We are use to it and usually get thru quickly.

Since this is not really a United-specific issue, I am going to move this to Travel Safety/Security where others can weigh in.

iluv2fly
Moderator, UA

While jerks are never good, its worse when one is paying to be treated badly, especially when your essentially paying the person who's being a jerk.

You say you hate them as well. One question: You ever reported a poorly behaving fellow FA? You are either part of the solution or part of the problem.

I'm okay with FAs cutting the line. I'm not okay with strangers handling my stuff. I would have told her, "Get your hands off my bags!" (though not if she was an FA from the airline I was flying that day -- no point in looking for trouble).

...........who, nonetheless, are still your customers and thus are paying your salary.

I simply don't understand biting the hand that feeds you.

It is a matter of common sense and courtesy. I have to agree with the OP: I would wait the extra couple of seconds for my turn rather than cut in line. There are certain situations when I will wait my turn. For instance, if there's a family that just started processing, I'll wait and even help them out (load the stroller onto the x-ray, etc.), and then I'll cut in front of the person right behind them. It's a matter of timing. If someone has already started to load the x-ray, I can wait.

I was at the front of the line at LAX T2 and a crew of Air New Zealand FA's came in. Nicest bunch I've ever seen. I was about to put my luggage through when they came to the front of the line, apologizing and excusing themselves all the way -- and they queued up behind me. I offered to pull my stuff back so they could pass and they couldn't believe I was so polite and understanding.

Well, I took credit for being a super human being, but it actually started with them not being pushy jerks showing off how entitled they are to cut the line. Had a great chat with them about visiting New Zealand some day and if all New Zealanders are this nice and pleasant I'll have to make that trip.

While you sound like a reasonable person, unfortunately, as others have pointed out, your colleagues in the friendly skies aren't, by & large. I've been hip-checked out of the way myself, even under the exact same circumstances as the OP (only person going thru the line) & then had to stand there twiddling my thumbs while I wait for the crew 'who are used to it' unload everything but the kitchen sink from their various pockets & then remove watches, cellphones, beepers, & all the rest of their electronic doo dads-seems to me that someone 'who is used to it' would have stashed all that stuff IN their carryon before ever heading out to the airport.

If I can do it, no reason why flight crews can't do it, too!