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No, that's not wrong. They're not a customer service organization. They do security screenings. By your rationale, anyone who deals with any other person anywhere would be in customer service. They don't serve you food, clean your room, mow your lawn, etc. Neither the TSA, local police, customs, FBI nor CIA are a customer service organization. Someone had tried to use this as a basis for some statement in their argument. The argument didn't hold because he had presumed this.

I've read that several times. Bringing a firearm to work certainly could get you fired. It depends on where you work. I'm not sure what your statement has to do about anything though.

I fully understand the sentiment behind things. I highly doubt that either of the screeners felt that they were doing anything ethically or morally wrong. The only person who did anything wrong, from what I can tell, is the OP who was acting like a 5 year old in public.

I PM'd the OP. I can't see anywhere where he even so much as asked for a supervisor. Yet we have a 10 page thread about it. The police offered to hold it for him. It meant so little to him that he passed on it. Yet again, meant so little as to not matter, but he writes a post on the internet about it.

Really. What's that black grainy stuff inside? Hmm, perhaps you might want to go to your local gun shop and ask them what's inside of a bullet.

A bullet is usually lead, partially or completely surrounded by a layer of copper.

The "black grainy stuff" is not part of a bullet. It is propellant, contained in the brass cartridge behind the bullet.

Bullet has fallen into use to describe the whole cartridge.
From Merriam-Webster

So OP's keychain held a "bullet" by the more limited definition. It was no danger to the aircraft—as the many previous TSOs who passed it must have understood.

Perhaps this TSO believed OP capable of throwing it really, really fast? :rolleyes:

But as the link showed, customer service is important to the TSA's mission (at least via lip service).



TSO Alvin Crabtree, who is still standing as our first line of defense against terrorism at DEN.



The screeners made an idiotic decision in not permitting an item airside that was not any threat to aviation security. And that idiotic decision triggered OP's comment.



It is the nature of the decision by the TSO's that triggered this discussion, not the value of the "prohibited" item. Would the TSO's decision have been any more idiotic if they had said that a five carat diamond was not permitted airside?

Both items are not a threat to aviation security (well, perhaps the diamond could cut through the cockpit door :)). The difference between the two is how one deals with the item after it has been declared prohibited. I may not care so much about losing an expended bullet, but I would care about losing the diamond.

I’ll pass, because they would laugh at me.

A bullet is the projectile itself, and is inert. The complete component is a round or cartridge. The cartridge casing is generally known as brass. The brass contains the powder and a small cap known as a primer that ignites the powder (rimfire cartridges such as the .22 have the priming mixture in the rim of the case). The cartridge for a shotgun is referred to as a shell.

But hey, what do I know? Back when I was shooting a lot, I thought about reloading my own ammo to save money.

Maybe the General needs go back to boot camp and learn about ammo.:D

LOL!

Once more for TheGeneral: As the original poster who started these 10 pages of comments I thought I was fairly clear on all that had transpired but maybe you just don't get it. I don't think I acted like a 5-year old. Yes, as I stated in my post back on page 8, I could have called a supervisor. I readily acknowledged that fact. I chose not to because I thought catching my flight was just a tad bit more important and did not want to be delayed anymore than possible. And yes, if I truly thought that the key chain was really worth the hassle, I could have taken the LEO's offer on getting it back. In the grand scheme of things, I decided it wasn't worth it. My choice, right? Also, the key chain has a lump of lead attached to an expended or empty cartridge. No trace of gun powder left and the only thing I can do to with it is to throw it super fast to cause any harm. Since I lack that ability, it is totally useless. Once more, for those that don't grasp the concept...the key chain, like the toy 2" GI Joe gun confiscated by TSA agents in LA...totally nonthreatening and useless. Let me re-emphasize why I even started this thread. It was not because I lost a key chain or I was handed over to an LEO. It was to ask the opionion of other flyers (whose experiences with TSA are much worse than mine) what they thought of my particular experience and if I was wrong to call these particular TSA agents idiots. I thought I had the right do that. You may or may not agree with my actions. It's still a free country so more power to you to disagree. I did get your PM and instead of answering it with another PM, I clarified my actions on a post on page 8. I thought I answered all the points you had brought up. The bottom line to all of these 10 pages is that some of us are frustrated with some actions by the TSA. We use this forum to voice our experiences and sometimes ask what other people think. Just like there are 1000s of forums on the web discussing the studipity/ hipocracy of a certain southern governor, what the President is doing about Iraq/Iran/ DADT/health care or the death of Michael Jackson. I am not advocating for arbitrarily calling TSA agents idiots. It is totally my opinion that these 2 particular agents were idiots and I had the right to voice that opinion to them. I voiced my opinion knowing full well that I am accountable for my words/actions just like others are accountable for their words/actions. I hope now I have further clarified my position/experience (again).

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Geez, I actually agree with some of what you stated!;)

I do not agree that calling TSO's idiots is childish, esp if their interpretation of a TSA rule or their actions warrant that description. The GI Joe action figure incident at LAX is one of my favorites.

When I was still traveling several times a month, I observed TSO's that were good at their job, courteous and even nice to deal with, however those were the very few, the large majority of the TSO's are idiots, and although it is a guess, I would imagine a large majority of the posters in this thread would probably agree that the majority of TSO's are indeed idiots.

I do agree as you state "it accomplishes nothing" and "May make you feel good"

"And that pal, IS my opinion":D

I'm not so sure that calling a person an "idiot accomplishes nothing".

An intelligent person after hearing such a comment might consider why they were called an idiot and perhaps after some reflection realize that they were in fact an idiot during that encounter.

Of course one would be required to have "intelligence" for this process to work and in the case of TSO's.... well you know!

Hey Bart:
It makes me feel good anyway:D:D

I'm going to get down your way one of these days.

Good point, and unfortunately most of us do know (about TSO's:td:)

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