He won't answer just like he never answered my question in the other thread.

Belligerent in the face of stupidity, you betcha. And that is exactly what has been displayed in this thread AFTER the first post. Now, as for what videopaul said, yes I have concerns with that. Those types of forms are supposed to be out of the public�s view, and someone screwed up. It happens. In every walk of life, at every level, in every job, screw ups happen. I hope he brought this one to the attention of the screening manager. Or at the very least called that 1-800 complaint line.

Now, as to the whole cash thing, I have already answered that one, more than once. But for those in the cheap seats I�ll do it again.

You may carry any amount of cash you like, all around the country, anytime you like. Its when you buy a ticket for a destination outside of the United States that you are going to get questions and be required to fill out paperwork. The TSO in SL (or wherever it was) that questioned the man about his $4700 failed to follow SOP. He also used inappropriate language with the passenger, and that is never proper.

Any further questions? Did I make that clear enough for you? If not then please let me know, I can try again.

If I have offended someone here then please take a deep breath. I am not what some might consider a normal TSO. At the checkpoint I am probably the nicest guy you will ever meet, but in forums like this where someone claims that they have been wronged when it is obvious that they don�t know what they are talking about then I am going to call them on it. When faced with stupidity, I�ll call it stupid. When faced with (one of my personal favorite terms) intentional ignorance, I�ll call it stupid. I get it that some don�t like me or my job, tough. Get over it. The TSA is here, so are the rules. Either learn them and comply with them or deal with the consequences of your decision. You ALWAYS have the choice of taking some other form of transportation.

There was a stretch of time when my laptop bag would get searched about 1 out of every 5 or 6 times I traveled. During this period I would occasionally later notice that items were missing (things like a nice Montblanc pen or similar).

In self defense I started locking the zippers together before placing my bag on the in-feed belt. Oddly enough, in the 2 years since I started that practice my bag has not had a single hand inspection.

It seems to me that TSA screening practices are just as predictable as the behavior of pickpockets.

But...but...that is not how the TS/S Forum works.

Here, the posters get to use all kinds of insults about the TSA, ranging from the mild "idiots" to the more vile "perverts", but as long as they are venting their spleens because they were required to walk through a metal detector that is perfectly acceptable.

As a TSA employee, you are expected not to wipe off the crap that is dumped on your head in TS/S but instead to ask for more. You certainly are not allowed to brand a remark as "stupid" -- even when it is incredibly so.

Yes, I have had some minor problems with the TSA -- anyone who travels enough has -- but I have also had problems with other government agencies, department stores, educational institutions, hotels, and journalists. That is life -- nobody ever promised that everything in life will go just the way that we would like it.

Children learn that. Adults know that. Those adults who were incapable of learning it go to bulletin boards and complain, over and over and over again, giving themselves the excellent opportunity of showing how "superior" they are.

TSORon, you make it too easy.

Who was stupid and failed to learn the rules and now must face the consequences? :

It is your job to know the rules, as murky and SSI as they may be, and you not only got the rules wrong, but you back it up with stupid belligerence, such as: "The fact is that I am correct."

This wasn't even one of them tricky, intentionally unpredictable screening "general rules and recommendations"...this was an actual, printed law that a person seeking to follow the law can look up and study and get right.

It is impossible for any pax to follow the law correctly when it comes to a TSA security site, because there are no laws in that unconstitutional hellhole, just whims of the TSOid who confronts you that day.

Your belligerence is unearned by you and uncalled for toward pax, particularly pax who question the interpretations of super-double-secret rules or just ask, "What are the rules so I can comply," or "Am I legally required to answer that question." You have displayed your own ignorance of the actual law too often now to get away with barking at the pax about "learn the rules or suffer the consequences."

You may not be the Great Satin, but when I think of your employer, I see chintz, chintz everywhere!

That alone would be an improvement as it touches upon two related problems that are at the heart of the TSA. It's not just the TSA's lack of consistency with set, publicly available policy, there's also the problem of set, publicly available policy being just a part of the body of government policy that is impacting travel.

I will ask you again so I can learn your rules - what are the rules at your checkpoint regarding metal butter knives? And that attitude with the Hobson's choice is one of the reasons that issues exist with the TSA.

This is NOT meant to be a personal attack so please don't take it that way:

It is people like TSORon(based on his posts) that make me never want to fly. And yes I do travel by other means everytime possible to avoid the harASSment at the airport.

And it's notable (in my opinion) that coach is former law enforcement. The fools running the TSA (and its abusive screeners) would be wise figure out how/why their behaviour would cause such a reaction in a former LEO.

I couldn't agree more. Amtrak is more expensive, and has a bit of a hassle with ID, but it is so much more relaxing and the TSA hasn't really destroyed that feeling yet.

Just so I know, what's the SOP when you mention something blatantly false as saying it's illegal to take $10k across U.S. borders?

Great Satin... Good one

Coach, I don�t take anything personally. I consider the source first.

Feel free to travel by any means you choose. Personally, I enjoy flying, but I also enjoy the relaxation of traveling by rail. The person you think of me as here is not the person you will ever meet at the checkpoint. Here I am faced with intentional ignorance, people who claim knowledge that they obviously don�t have, and some people who will never be happy with someone telling them to do things. Infants with access to a computer.

Yes, I am occasionally offensive here. When faced with this level of intentional ignorance from people who think of themselves as adults how can one not be? I don�t sugar coat things, that can be a bit rough for some peoples sensibilities.

Fly, drive, ride, skate, scoot, crawl, whatever, you must still obey rules or face the consequences of your actions. And whining about it will make absolutely no difference.

And this is different from a TSA checkpoint in what way?

Funny, I thought I had heard you making the bolded complaint previously.

You seem to believe, and capably express that belief (albeit it in a haughty, superior manner) that TSA and its policies as they currently exist are unworthy of exasperation.

My perspective is that you're woefully incorrect, and might be more sensitive to how damaging the oafish behavior of the TSA at all levels is to the freedoms and liberty we used to have in the USA.

Would I lower myself to lecturing you about narrow perspective or immaturity because I hold different things dear than you do? Um, no, I don't think anyone on this board has the right to castigate others for their beliefs. Attack a factually incorrect statement I made, and we're in a totally different area.

Will I continue to remind a TSA spokesweenie/blogger that he has yet to retract a patently wrong statement, delivered with absolute wrong-headed certainty, at the risk of being dismissed as venting my spleen? Absolutely. Get used to it.