Everybody FREEZE!!!!!!!!!
 

I was reaching for my bag having just passed through the scanner in ATL when suddenly....one of the security agents SCREAMS,"Everybody FREEZE!!! Nobody MOVE!!!"

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Oh my GOSH I about had a heart attack! Everyone froze as commanded (I was momentarily taken back to 1969 when we'd play freeze tag on those hot summer nights in the south)

"I said FREEZE!!!! NO ONE MOVE!!!!," again he screams. (someone had moved...probably lowered a mid-air foot as this instruction had come quite out of nowhere and the body truly hadn't had time to weight-shift)

Surprisingly, I had a sudden urge to run. My brain had dumped every available adrenalin chemical into my bloodstream and this intense self-survival mode was trying to force me to remove myself from what was about to be (or seemed to be) a scene of explosion and bloody body parts.

Juuuust as I was sorting out the ramifications of sprinting (a shot in the back perhaps?), the agent said, quite casually...almost too casually as if he were ordering pancakes at IHOP..."Thank you for participating in an emergency drill. You can now carry on."

And where might we find the clean underwear aisle? :D Has anyone else had the pleasure of TSA's version of freeze-tag?

A drill? For what? A drill is supposed to be followed by a debriefing to let you know what the purpose was for and how things worked out.

My guess is Mr. "Security Agent" has let his uniform and badge go to his head.

Please report what happened to the TSA at https://contact.tsa.dhs.gov/gotfeedb...tFeedback.aspx There is no need to scare passengers like this.

I have not had the pleasure of participating. In addition, if this had been "commanded" by a TSO, and my belongings had already cleared the X-Ray tunnel without being advised of a need for secondary inspection, I would have continued on my merry way with repacking and moving on.

TSA doesn't have the power to detain. I'd just keep on walking.

Seems like the TSA detained a bunch of people without cause or the legal right to do so.

A criminal compliant seems in order to me.

That's not a drill.

Passengers require no training to learn how to stand still, and thus do not require practice.

A drill is an exercise for a complex and critical task. In the hospital, we sometimes have code drills, as a chance to ensure that everyone knows the steps to follow in critical events. It does take some practice, proficiency, and comfort to get all of the lines in the right place, the monitors on, the drugs pushed, etc. In a best-case scenario, the drill ensures that the choreography works.

A drill also means that those involved in the drill would be present should the critical event occur. In this case, participants in the drill were travelers, not necessarily from Atlanta, and only at the airport for a brief (but ugly) moment in their lives.

Yelling "freeze" is a power trip. Regardless of who came up with the idea, this is merely a chance to inconvenience, annoy, and humiliate the traveling public, while giving uniformed "officers" a trial run at their inflated authority.

PLEASE, write down as many details as possible. Tell the TSA, the FSD, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. You might also wish to tell the Atlanta Airport Police that emergency drills were taking place at their facility--were they aware of this? I think it's always worth asking the question, "What was the goal of the drill?"

right or wrong aside, you could still get fined, couldnt you?

For what?

and the family of the pax who dropped dead of a heart attack as a result of the drill is now contacting their attorney

interfering with a screener?

... ?

Except during breaches. Even if they had cleared the tunnel, they cannot leave the belt, doing so, makes that another breach.

While we can't detain or attempt to physically stop you (nothing about verbally attempting to stop you), it's not recommended, because any breach will be reported to the operations center and the airport police. And they can stop you/detain you.

And if you don't stop for them, you will most likely be arrested for failure to obey a police officer and possibly resisting arrest.

As for the drill thing? :confused: ATL isn't my airport, so I don't have anything to say.

Muggers, robbers, and other criminals say "FREEZE! Nobody move!" too. If this drill isn't part of the TSA SSI SOP, maybe it's a drill for when the TSO goes postal.

So I have palsy. Your saying that I am subject to a fine from TSA for interfering with a TSO if I don't freeze?

Lets give it a try!

I doubt it. The more interesting question is: What happens when someone ignores the instruction and just keeps walking?

This is about the TSA. No one has said anything about not obeying a police officer.

If the TSA is going to pull stunts like this, they need to notify the LEOs beforehand in order that someone with real authority is present at the time.

Just another way to add to the stress of the checkpoint.

OP says nothing about police doing that. I'm bright enough to know that if someone identifies her/himself as police and demands a I stop, I'll do it.

Again, TSA has no power to detain. If their ego gets bruised enough to report to police, I highly doubt the police would want to waste their time with me beyond a couple of questions. If the TSA wants to get into a legal pissing match about that, I'm sure I can find an attorney who would be happy to go to court over that.

TSA has "implied consent" to search, not the power to detain. Big difference there.

I think we we should have a declare a holiday on 9/11 2011 to commemorate 10 years of shitting our pants in this country.

The inner child in me thinks the best thing to do during a game of freeze is to make a "raspberry" while it is quiet.

The grown up in me is ticked that the TSOs would cry wolf. What happens during a real emergency like the one Dean had with the tornado evacuation?

TSA's entire mission is to cry wolf. Why would you expect a TSO to act any different?

In a real emergency, TSA steps out of the way and lets LEO take over.

Excuse me, but what do you think happens during breaches? TSOs become deputy sheriffs? TSOs are not law enforcement officers and have no power to arrest or detain. Any TSO that tries to physically interfere with someone has committed assault and battery.

I have been in airports, post security, when TSOs have started this "Freeze!" nonsense. What, exactly, do you think the charge would be if I ignored the TSO and kept walking to my gate? Once again: TSOs have no power to detain or arrest.

In order to resist arrest, you have to be subject to arrest, which requires probable cause. Refusing to freeze when a TSO yells, "freeze," doesn't constitute probable cause. I cooperate with LEOs because they perform an important safety function. If a LEO asked me why I didn't stop when a TSO yelled, "freeze," I'd say, "Because I don't have to. Am I free to go?"

This might be the flip side to SSI secret rules/regulations. Do you have to comply with something that you have no rights to read? That would be an interesting trial to follow.

This is the first I've heard about this "Freeze!" business. Is it common? Are screeners free to shout like that whenever they feel like it? (The proverbial shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater comes to mind.) What is the point - as mentioned upthread, passengers know how to stand still, so why is a "drill" necessary? What provisions are made for palsy, for hearing impaired, for non-English speakers?

"What provisions are made for palsy, for hearing impaired, for non-English speakers?"

Perhaps they would have to yell "Freeze" in a different language or have a colleague yell it for them after they signed it.

I don't understand the purpose of this type of "emergency" drill. Had there been an actual emergency at the screening point, what is accomplished by having everyone in the area freeze on the spot. If there was an emergency (fire, smoke, bomb, angry guy with a gun, etc.), would it not be more prudent to evacuate the area?

No doubt this "Freeze" (it's BRAVO at LAX) nonsense came from all the retired military war heroes and washed out cops employed by the TSA.

I agree. I think a jury would understand a pax saying "When I heard the shout, from the tone of his voice I figured he might have found a b*mb. It scared me, so for my own safety, I decided to not stay in the vicinity, but immediately remove myself from the potential blast zone."

Only a TSA SSI procedure written by an idiot like The Kipster could be so stupid as to require people to stay next to a found b*mb. :td: Sigh.

:D:D

oh my GOSH these responses are hilarious!! As for foreign passengers...someone made an excellent point!

What they SHOULD have done was yelled, "FREEZE!"....then had someone with a clipboard yell, "NO SE MUEVA!", *sound of page turning* "Nicht Bewegen!" *again, the page* "Не перемещайте" and "Không được di chuyển"....and that's just a start.

No wonder someone moved.....twas probably some poor Lithuanian wondering why all the white-tennis shoe wearers suddenly froze in motion.

Wish I could remember the day when this happened. I think too much time has passed to do much about it. DANG....that raspberry suggestion was a classic! :D Wish I'd thought of it!

You know, I have some mild hearing loss, I wonder what would happen if I didn’t hear the order to freeze?

If I did hear it, my first honest reaction would be to say in a loud enough voice for everyone to hear “What, are you practicing holding up a bank?” or some similar comment to make everyone start laughing at the TSA clown.

I have always been a lurker in these forums, but after reading this and what the original poster witnessed in ATL, it prompted me to come out of my "exile".

This is yet another example of the stupidity that seems to exist at all levels of this organization. With DISrespect to the TSO's, where do they get these creatures from?

I just returned from a trip, went into our director and told him I was finished traveling if it involves flying.

I have had it with being groped, molested, and treated as if I have done something wrong just because I need to fly someplace, all by screeners who lack even the most basic level of common sense, and then have to repeat the same treatment on ocassion when I get to the gate.

It is the increase in gate screenings so that TSA can justify the screeners existence, that finally pushed me to this point.

I wish I could figure out a way to LEGALLY make screeners lives as miserable as inhumanly possible^ , although the higher ups that allow trash like this to be hired in the first place to enforce the window dressing, useless, hassle filled procedures should be made as miserable as possible themselves.

If any of the airline employee lurkers should read this, you can send a thank you note to TSA for losing another of your frequent flyers.

If you have a legitimate complaint about a screener and his/her actions, make sure you write the Federal Security Director at the airport, plus copy airport management.

TSAers have this thing called a "PASS score." PASS scores are a sum of scores based on (summarizing) competency, courtesy, interaction with others (among others). If it's low, they're less likely to get a raise and/or promotion. That, to me, is the best way to "give back" to the TSAers who deserve it.

But only do it if there's something legitimate to complain about, saying you didn't like this person won't cut it.


Send a note to the airlines yourself. Tell them why you're not flying anymore. It's one thing to say "TSA sucks" to the airline, but when you stop giving the airlines money because of the TSA, that will get their attention.

What qualifies as "legitimate"?

Is it legitimate to say a screener is EXTREMELY rude, or that a screener while molesting, er, patting you down touches you in a way that only my girlfriend has?.

I believe the closest I have ever came to being arrested was in CLE last week. Got to the gate and seen that 3 of the TSA snakes were waiting for their victims, sure enough I got nabbed, and when one of them opened my wallet the first thing they go for is to take out the money, I instantly grabbed it from his hands and told him in a LOUD and clear manner "keep your hands off of my money!". I grabbed my carryon, and without bothering to see or listen to anything he said I walked away, went down to the Presidents club, changed my itinerary to the next flight (1hr 49mins later) and made a promise to myself that I will not submit to any more of this s*it

I was so p*ssed off at that point I made up my mind if the TSA twits were at the gate for my next flight I would find another way home, even though it would be a LONG drive from CLE to IAH.

I wish that I could run into some of these TSA idiots outside of the airport, I wonder how they would act towards people when they are not wearing their tin badges?, I would guess they would be like the school yard bully, they act tuff and mean on their own turf, stand up to them away from their domain and most of them would probably cringe and cower and act a lot differently.


I did not file a complaint form, I honestly believe that it really does not do any good to file a complaint with TSA about another TSA employee. I have sent letters and emails to my Senator and Congressman maybe if enough people would complain to anyone other than TSA itself it might do some good, I really dont know:confused:

I intend to send an email to my hometown airline about this, like you said if enough of their most frequent travelers would stop flying and complain about TSA maybe it would do some good. Considering the airlines need to keep their most frequent flyers in these trying economic times, one might think they would be more vocal than they have about this.

That's terrible. I've not been nabbed by the gate snakes yet. How did he get his paws on your wallet? Did he say, "I need to inspect your wallet, hand it over?"

Sorry for your bad experience. I hope you do write the airline.

I hope your hearing loss is in English so you can understand the order you don't hear. ;)

"Excuse me, is this a Bank holdup or a Bull**** holdup?" :p

Did you miss Gillmore Versus Gonzales???

http://www.papersplease.org/gilmore/legal.html

You forgot the wannabes and the others with a vastly inflated opinion of their own importance.

I would have ignored the "order" and if challenged say that I didn't hear and the brave warrior should shout louder next time.

This "exercise" was as smart as the photo shooting of the Airforce 747 above New York was.

Next time TSA will do some exercise with some unidentified white powder at the check-point to see who remembers the Anthrax scare.

This person has to be reported! I think there are somewhere some rules about drills and emergency exercise.

Unfortunately, RoadVeteran, not very many of us coddled Americans (and others) are willing to give up getting from one place to another VERY FAST while risking our dignity and being treated like trash.

At any rate, hope you can stick by your guns, as I have for four years.

I'll be damned if TSA or the airports will get any more public humiliation out of me until things change.

The rest will just keep lining up and complaining about being made public examples.

*****