Nightmare in Atlanta
 

Today my direct flight to Cleveland was cancelled, so I was rerouted through Atlanta and had an awful experience. I complained to the TSA in Cleveland on my way through. Their response was basically "They have a right to do that." Another passenger heard me complain and referred me to your fine web site.

I have been reading it in my hotel for the last few hours. You guys are awesome. I thought I was the only one who felt this way! I am still mad as heck about TSA, but at least I now know that Flyertalk is out there.

Basically what happened is that I am sitting in Atlanta reading my magazine and I get the feeling that I am being watched. Two TSA guys are trying to pretend to be paying attention to something else, but are watching me. I get my stuff together and plan on going somewhere else. Then a guy in a suit approaches me, flashes a badge and asks me if he could talk to me.

I point to the restroom, and he says "I really need to talk to you now." I say "About what" in an agitated tone. He steps in front of me, and says that they need to look in my bag because he was concerned that TSA might have missed something.

We get into an argument, more TSA guys show up. An airport police officer shows up. He asks to see my ticket, and when I put down my bag he hands it to one of the uniformed TSA guys. About four or five of these guys start looking in my bag. The airport cop says that they have video of me going through security, and I tell him that I never went through security in Atlanta. I ask if they have the right to search me at the Gate, and the cop says "They can search you anywhere for any reason in an airport. They are just doing their jobs, and you are going to cooperate with them. If they say jump, you say how high."

I shut up. They search my bag. Then they pat me down. But they do it very slowly and pat me down roughly. They find nothing. The cop has me sit down and lectures me for several minutes in front of TSA and everyone else.

Everyone leaves. I get angry but I need to get to Cleveland. When I get to my flight, more TSA guys are waiting. As I board, they pull me aside. I give them a dirty look, and complain didn't you already just search me. They say we have to do it again. More guys in suits stare at me, I shut up. These guys take their time, and make me stand with my arms out feet spread while they search my bag.

I get out of Atlanta as fast as I can. Land in Cleveland and grab the first TSA guy. He points out his manager. I tell my story. The manager guy says basically you have to do what we say.

My problem is that I don't know what I did in Atlanta to make these guys mad. It was pretty clear that if I complained any more that the cop was going to make my life miserable.

At least you guys are here to listen to my story.

Frank Webber

First of all, welcome to Flyer Talk.

:td::td::td: on your experience, consider posting it to tsa.gov/blog and do use the complaint form.

Welcome to FT, I wish it were under better circumstances.

Were you profiled? (i.e. flying while brown)

Where were you sitting in ATL when you noticed the TSA? Since you were re-routed through ATL I'm assuming you had cleared security somewhere else in the US.

Have there been any recent reports of roving TSA goon squads? The gate search sounds like the same spectacle that they've been producing for the travelling public in the past few months but it sounds like you got another retaliatory screening due to your interaction with the first group. Of course there's no such thing as "retaliatory screening" when you ask the TSA.

Sounds like you ran up against a BDO trying to make the big catch.

Were you sweating? Given that Atlanta is both hot and humid this time of year, probably so. Were you adjitated? Probably so given that you had one flight cancled and were rerouted on a connecting flight through Atlanta. Were you fidgiting? Probably so and weren't concentrating on your magazine.

Yep, you fit TSA's profile for being up to no good.

Please do file a complaint and make sure you write your congress critters as well. Be as specific as you can. Did any of the TSA types identify themselves as LEOs?

"Private screening!" would be an appropriate response at the moment. Ask them whatever question they ask you. Make it absolutely miserable for them. And yes say "private screening" when they search you at the gate.

This will not get better by itself, the actions you do not do today means it will be worse for you and others tomorrow. Also take photos so their names/faces can be on the web pages.

^ for coming to FlyerTalk - welcome! (and ^ for the passenger who referred you here.)

:td: x 1000 for TSA at ATL. In addition to complaining directly to TSA and to your congressional representatives (which may not do any good, but it's another point on the graph), also contact the Federal Security Director (FSD) at ATL and the Ground Security Coordinator (GSC) for your airline at ATL. These may also not do any good but at some point if enough people speak up, they may start to take notice. Somebody here who knows ATL may be able to give you the names/addresses for the FSD and GSC.

Stick around (and see the rest of FlyerTalk, too.) :)

Start with your congress critters. I'd also complain to the Atlanta airport authority and the Atlanta city council. I don't know who controls the cops there, but that cop needs to be put in line, too.

There is no justification for the brown-shirt tactics.

Technically TSA can search you anytime they want in the sterile area. All the more reason to talk to you congress person to get them gone.

I recently have been seeing a ton of TSOs just walking individually around various airports. sometimes they are talking to airline staff, other times they are watching the TVs that some airports have throughout. I wish there was an easy way to tell if they are on break b/c it really just gives the impression of thousands standing around.

On further thought, I'd also write a snail-mail letter to Delta's CEO. Delta doesn't really care, but you should point out that this experience does not make you want to come back through their main hub.

What right does the cop have to touch your stuff? The second the LEO touched my stuff I would start screaming bloody murder.

Unfortunately, the TSA has the right to search anything and everyone inside the sterile area. You can refuse the search and request to be escorted out - if the cop demands you be searched, you can demand he get a warrant since you are choosing to leave the sterile area and not fly. It will get ugly, but you can always hire a lawyer to go after the cop after the fact.

I have to commend the OP - if the cop gave me that kind of attitude (you ask how high :rolleyes:) I would have likely lost my temper at that point and told him to pi** off.

Depending on how nasty you want to get, you could have interrupted his lecture by repeating 'am I under arrest', followed by 'am I free to go?' and kept repeating same until he gave legal cause for your detention. Giving you a lecture designed to cause embarrassment is not legal cause for a detention. He could, however, arrested you for disorderly, but then you would have a reasonable case to sue the cop and department.

Writing Delta is a waste. They have their nose so far up the TSA's behind, there isn't anything the TSA would do that Delta wouldn't support 100%.

I would write a fairly terse, yet factual complaint letter to the Airport Director, copying both the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center if you feel there was even a smidgen of a chance you were singled out because of your ethnic appearance. The Director will likely forward your letter to the FSD for comment and should remain in the loop until you get a response.

Did you get the cop's name? If so, I would copy the Airport Police Superindentant as well, providing the cop's name and commenting on his rude, threatening and unnecessarily obnoxious behavior along with pointing out that his detention of you to provide a clearly inappropriate lecture was outside the bounds of a legal detention and you may consider pursuing legal action. If you have the resources to do so, I suggest talking to your attorney about this. Having he/she send the letter on your behalf might stir things up a little more than you just sending it on your own.

Some of your key contacts are:

Department of Aviation
6000 North Terminal Parkway Suite 4000
Atlanta, GA 30320

Benjamin DeCosta
Aviation General Manager

Robert Kennedy
Assistant General Manager for Operations, Maintenance & Security

-----------------------

Shawn Jones
Airport Police Commander
Atlanta Police Department
Airport Precinct
6000 North Terminal Pky
Atlanta, Georgia 30320

They're just using you for their entertainment. :td:

Also emphasize in your communications that they search was conducted under the false pretense that you had done something suspicious going through security in ATL when in fact you were connecting. They lie to people & then can't understand why they are distrusted & disliked?

I'd also suggest you send a letter to the ACLU. They pick their battles carefully and are unlikely to take up your particular case, but the more info they have, the better.

Were they wearing gloves? If not, you should insist that any person searching your belongings put on a clean pair. If yes, insist that they change them.

So what's the deal if you insist on a private screening at the gate? Has anyone done this? Do they have to haul you off somewhere, almost certainly causing you to miss the flight? Or would they just drag you into a nearby corner for a "semi-private" screening? Can you insist on a truly private screening somewhere else?

If you get held up at the checkpoint and miss your flight, I can see them falling back on the argument that you should have shown up earlier, but if you're sitting around the gate for hours and they decide to start messing with you 15 minutes before departure, what obligation do they have to make sure you board?

TSA? Obligation?

I don't think those words belong in the same sentence.

What is your basis for making that statement? The TSA has the right to search at an administrative checkpoint. Two guys walking up to you are not an administrative checkpoint. It's just a consensual encounter. The TSA can't arrest you or detain you or eject you; they are not police officers. As for the police, I also believe that the police have no right to eject you if you refused to consent to a random search inside that area. You have just as much right to stand there as all the other passengers, including arriving passengers; using the restaurants, shops, etc. What would be the justification?
Now, the TSA could stand at the gate and probably order the airline not to let you board. What would the police say if you then decided to do some shopping (like many of the other people there?). Perhaps the airport manager could demand that you leave, and invoke a trespassing charge if you do not.