Terrorist at the Gate
 

I flew OAK - DEN on Sunday, and saw something I had not seen before. It was sort of a passive gate check - 5 TSA screeners stood in various corners of the gate and watched all the passengers, all the while making little "signals" to each other.

It was as if they were a special ops insertion team, sneaking up on the enemy, except it was as obvious as signs the catcher gives to the pitcher.

Stone faced, they stared at the passengers for any suspicious behavior, it was the most amateur effort at playing bounty hunter I could imagine. Two focused on the jetway gate, as if to assure nobody barged it, four stood in opposite corners and scanned the audience.

All wore gloves, and acted as if immediately ready to pounce on the terrorist. Except that immediately after calling the last boarding group, they responded as if the play was over and headed off as a group to the terminal - exactly like an actor might change personality when the scene was over.

Logistically I though it was interesting - unlike the gates, they had no LEO available to address escalating issues. They did not have radio's to call for an LEO and I imagine depend on one of the team to do such in another manner. And a single distraction would cause the house of cards to fall down.

Is this new or am I just noticing?

You should have yelled.... Bunt Bunt!!

^ :D

and look here for more on the attack of the gate raping blueshirts:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...rrrhhhggg.html

That's the thing - it wasn't a gate search, it was a gate stare-down.

They made no contact with the passengers while they were at the gate, they just made little finger jesters to each other and moved around the perimeter of the folks waiting.

Surveillance like behavior - except obvious as an elephant in the living room.

It sounds like you didn't feel safer after the experience. I'm sure Bart or Ron will straighten you out.;)

Sounds like clowns at work. :D

I suggest putting those cell phone camera's to work.

Get the evidence of TSA's effectiveness published in every available area possible.

i've seen that exact behavior as well and it's the pre-cursor to a gate search based on "spot" analysis :rolleyes:. if they don't "see the big catch", the blueshirts stand there and do nothing but wasting their own resources and then move on

I would have made a few choice finger gestures of my own every time one of them looked directly at me.

That is SUCH a power trip!

It's like something out of fifth grade: "we're going to come up with secret code signals to talk to each other! Then everyone will be scared of us and respect us!"

Do you get a secondary if you smile and them and say "you guys are hilarious!"

And while passengers are backed up waiting to go through security because six TSAs are playing around at a boarding gate . . . :mad: :td: :mad:

2 TSA Spots on the jetway of my flight out of JFK Su. afternoon. I didn't see them harass anyone just a waste of tax dollars:td:

I saw this at ALB yesterday as I deplaned. 2 TSOs were lurking at the podium, and 2 more were on the opposite side of the gate area. One of them even had a 2" 3-ring binder labeled as "TSA ALB PLAYBOOK" - I wonder if it was SSI, and if so, why it was out in plain view to the public.

Found on teh interwebz! The source of the TSO hand signals:


http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/a49699e2.jpg

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8830/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

...as if harassing someone ISN'T a waste of taxpayers' money??? :-)

What you get when the inmates are running the asylum.

I have questions about the legal basis for this type of screening.

We first started out with screening at the checkpoint. All passengers are searched so that the requirements for an administrative search can be met.

Then we had searches at the jetway. They are to be completely random (which in reality doesn't appear to be the case), so that would help meet the administrative search requirements. And, in fact, the TSA set it up to be completely random and not arbitrary to avoid additional legal problems.

But now, we have multiple TSO's hanging around gates for what purpose? To search based on what a person looks like? That doesn't appear to pass the smell test. So what am I missing?

Next time call the police and report suspicious individuals relaying covert signals to coordinate some kind of mischief.

If you see something, say something.... isn't that what we are taught.

Their education stopped around fifth grade. Which is why they are doing what they are doing.

Don't expect the TSA to answer them. They are not constrained by legal bases; unless you are prepared to sue them. You won't win even then, but what the hell...

I've experienced this twice ex-ORD so far this year. Both times there were 2 TSA personnel just at the gate stopping random passengers and patting them down and searching their baggage.

(Same happens ex-DUB every time)

For that particular MO, you can review the gate searches thread.

It makes me wonder how the subjective observation of someone's facial expressions or they way they carry themselves constitutes probable cause for a search of that person.

I almost peed myself with those. Thanks for sharing! Much more entertaining than watching the TSA guys watching me, watching them, watching me.....

Ever get stopped at a DUI checkpoint? They rarely catch anyone either but they expend a lot of resources doing so. And they are legal, as long as they are pre-announced.

They don't have to be pre-announced, they have to stop everybody.

Award!
 

This has to win "Best Blog response of he Decade! :p Many Tanks!

Or they have to stop every x number of cars so that the person stopped is not singled out.

911...

911 Operator: Whats your emergency?

Caller: Yeah, I'm at gate XX here at the airport and I think some terrorist are hanging around the gate.

911 Operator: What kind of terrorist?

Caller: Some really strange creepy guys, I'm really afraid something bad is about to happen. Please send help now!!

911 Operator: OK, I've got people on the way......

What ? You don't believe the super-secret spotnik program works ?

Report to the nearest DHS office at once for adjustment, Citizen.

Yep, because if I were a terrorist I would make, buy or steal TSA uniforms and use them as a cover to carry out my dastardly deed. Oh wait that could never happen.

You should have walked up to a couple of them and tried to start up a conversation, and try SPOTting them (i.e. "What are you guys doing here? Where do you live? What is your favorite color?") Maybe point at one and laugh hysterically.

I guess they'd try claiming you were "interfering with the screening process" or something equally ridiculous.

Pseudo Adults at Play
 

Some friends & I did that in 3rd grade only we used weird noises instead of hand signals.

TSA gets more bizarre by the day.

Don't forget to mention that you know they're working together 'cause they're all dressed the same. ;)

To N965VJ - you are the best, that is exactly what they were doing.

The Cell-camera idea is the next step - I watched this time, I am going to take pictures next time. I am simply taking the picture of the sign at the gate announcing the flight.

They might get a driver that had something to drink but the real goldmine for local law enforcement at these things is the many other citations (and the resulting revenue from 'court costs' and fines) such as no insurance, expired registration, no tags, etc. They do checks in Omaha but it's always in more affluent areas. Why not set one up in South Omaha and turn the illegals over to ICE?

how about?
 

take a position similar to theirs and then making similar hand signals to theirs.
then ... enlist other passersby to join you in mockingly imitating them in a sort of impromptu vigilante flashmob taunting/outing.

^x4

That's racist. And besides, they don't have any money.