Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > Travel Safety/Security > Practical Travel Safety and Security Issues
Reload this Page >

Majority of TSA workers at BWI, Dulles fail recertification test

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Majority of TSA workers at BWI, Dulles fail recertification test

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 25, 2009 | 10:37 am
  #16  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 222
Those numbers are unacceptable. Travelers at BWI and Dulles are lucky that the screeners are going to be retrained, well maybe not that lucky. The x-ray tests are going to be another story though, you fail you're fired.
Crazyace718 is offline  
Old Jun 25, 2009 | 12:14 pm
  #17  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
10 Countries Visited
20 Countries Visited
30 Countries Visited
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,684
Originally Posted by RadioGirl
Half of the screeners at BWI passed???
Unfortunately, that was my first thought. This thread would have been a lot more surprising if it had been "80% at each airport passed."

Mike
mikeef is offline  
Old Jun 25, 2009 | 12:27 pm
  #18  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 232
Originally Posted by Spiff
"TSA employees believe that many of them are being intentionally failed on the Practical Skills Evaluation recertification test so that the agency doesn’t have to give them raises and bonuses. A letter send by the American Federation of Government Employees to Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano and House Homeland Security chairman Bennie Thompson calls for a nationwide investigation into test standards and the training of TSA screeners."

Awwww! The test is SO hard!!!

Fire them!!!
It's all a joke.

If people failed, they aren't even told or shown what they missed. Simply that they failed. There is no repercussion for it, because they retest you a few days later, and if you pass that, you just take a hit on your PASS score for the year.
Of course, you can go as slow as you want in the test as well, so you can take 30 minutes in a pat-down and no one will bat an eyelash.

No matter how you slice it is all a joke.

Last edited by Cholula; Jun 25, 2009 at 4:30 pm Reason: Inappropriate language for TS/S Forum
Iworkhere is offline  
Old Jun 25, 2009 | 3:18 pm
  #19  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,389
*****

Last edited by Bart; Sep 18, 2009 at 9:16 am
Bart is offline  
Old Jun 26, 2009 | 10:34 pm
  #20  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: New York City
Posts: 761
Robotic

Their job is repetitive, same as robotic. If they talk long enough in their sleep, the person lying next to them should be able to figure out that job and pass with flying colors.
Coralreef Lover is offline  
Old Jun 26, 2009 | 10:37 pm
  #21  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,006
Originally Posted by Coralreef Lover
Their job is repetitive, same as robotic. If they talk long enough in their sleep, the person lying next to them should be able to figure out that job and pass with flying colors.
That is why I am suspicious of the 50% fail rate.
Trollkiller is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2009 | 5:11 am
  #22  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: ORD
Programs: CO PLT, HH DIA
Posts: 1,461
Originally Posted by Spiff
"TSA employees believe that many of them are being intentionally failed on the Practical Skills Evaluation recertification test so that the agency doesnt have to give them raises and bonuses. A letter send by the American Federation of Government Employees to Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano and House Homeland Security chairman Bennie Thompson calls for a nationwide investigation into test standards and the training of TSA screeners."

Awwww! The test is SO hard!!!

Fire them!!!
Time to go back to the local Wendy's at shift change and recruit new "officers".

--PP
VideoPaul is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2009 | 5:16 am
  #23  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: ORD
Programs: CO PLT, HH DIA
Posts: 1,461
Originally Posted by N965VJ
Interesting. So the labor union thats trying to organize the TSOs, and claiming the tests are unfair, just basically wants to lower the standards.
That's what labor unions DO, dude! The goal is to make as much as possible for as little as possible for as long as possible. They exist to lower standards, protect incompetent workers and get MONEY for themselves.

Welcome to organized labor.

--PP
VideoPaul is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2009 | 6:17 am
  #24  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 10,034
It's all so mind-numbingly ridiculous.

On one hand, the TSA wants to put on this face to the public that they're this organization that wants to eliminate every single possibility of something passing by the checkpoint.

Yet the people being paid to seek out such prohibited items, whether it's on a person or in a bag get multiple chances to make up for their errors (including GAO tests).

Does the TSA realize you don't get "do-overs" or "remedial testing" in real-life?
LessO2 is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2009 | 7:06 am
  #25  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 843
Originally Posted by LessO2
Does the TSA realize you don't get "do-overs" or "remedial testing" in real-life?
Well said. ^
Good Guy is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2009 | 7:19 am
  #26  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
10 Countries Visited500k30 Nights20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, National Emerald Executive, TSA Disparager Gold
Posts: 15,180
Originally Posted by Good Guy
Well said. ^
Unfortunately, though, Kippie thought it was ok that TSA's failure rate was so high because those tests are hard. Welcome to the real world, Kippie.
Superguy is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2009 | 7:29 am
  #27  
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
10 Countries Visited
1M
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 29,078
Originally Posted by LessO2
Does the TSA realize you don't get "do-overs" or "remedial testing" in real-life?
y-y-y-y-you don't?
goalie is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2009 | 6:54 pm
  #28  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: NTEU (LGA)
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by Bart
I encounter this with TSOs a lot. There are two measures for thoroughness. One is a matter of judgment (i.e. did the TSO apply sufficient pressure to theoretically detect a hidden item?). The other is pretty straightforward (i.e. did the TSO find the hidden knife?).

It is not unusual for a TSO who found, say a hidden knife for instance, to still fail the evaluation. If they found the knife strapped to the upper torso but never bothered to pat down the legs, for example, then the overall performance is a failure.

The evaluation process isn't perfect. There is room for improvement, and I'm putting together a set of recommendations (may be pissing in the wind with that, but I think I've established a degree of credibility within TSA). However, it is a fair process. TSOs fail because they did not follow procedures correctly. I have absolutely no uncertainty, doubts, second-thoughts or question about the officers I failed. Conversely, I have no uncertainty, doubts, second-thoughts or question about the officers I passed.

It is what it is.
How about including a video recording of the of the whole Recert test scenarios? That way Tso's can at least see what their doing is in fact correct/in-correct according to the SOP.

Also when it comes to the IMA's' there should be (through sheer common sense) a report of the assessment shown to TSo's, That way if they fail they can at least see what areas to improve on.

Just food for thought
Taks12 is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2009 | 7:42 pm
  #29  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,389
*****

Last edited by Bart; Sep 18, 2009 at 9:16 am
Bart is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.