ID incident at MDW
 

Yesterday, I was flying out of MDW and encountered an incident with an ID checker. As he was checking my ID with a spotlight, he started singing, "beautiful girl" (not to me, but out of boredom) and ended up stamping my passport's official signature page with his big TSA 28 red circle instead of on my boarding pass. He clearly was not paying attention to what he was doing.

When I noticed what he did, he said, "just wipe it off". I told him, he stamped it on paper and that he was marring an official government document and that wiping it off wasn't an option. He asked whether I'd like to speak to a supervisor. I responded in the affirmative and was directed to the side.

The person sitting down then walkie talkied a supervisor who looked at my passport, asked who did it and then after some minutes "tapped" him out to question him. He told me that he would make a note of it as it would influence his performance reviews. I didn't file an official complaint form as I took the supervisor's word that he would make a note of it

Perhaps I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill considering some of the other outrageous TSA offences reported on this board, but to me, this is not acceptable. He had a job, didn't do it properly because he was too busy singing and as a result, I now have a marred passport for the next 4 years.

For others, what would you have done?

Same as you.

^ to the supe.

Good for you to complain

Should the OP notify the state department about his/her passport being defaced (vandalized)?

Wow, some people have entirely too much time on their hands.

Was it the INXS version of "Beautiful Girl" he was singing? You know, the one with the piano intro, the lyrics, "Stay with me...", and now running over & over through my head.

Depends. I'd put up with TSA's defacement rather than have a propagandized e-Passport.

Is there any record of the incident? I'd be concerned that someone might not accept the passport with the stamp and would want TSA to pay for a replacement.

I was unable to discern whether it was the INXS version on account that he was entirely tone deaf and his rendition bordered more on unintelligible musicality than anything. Had he actually sang well, perhaps I would have been in a better mood. The best I can describe it is a man mumbling the lyrics without any sense of rhythm or tonal melody.

Presumably there's no written record. I do have the names, though not badge numbers, of the ID checker and the supervisor. I suspect that the supervisor would remember me as he probably thought me entirely too anal retentive for being angry over the red stamp. I admit it. I am incredibly anal retentive and see the stamp as an ugly mark on what otherwise would be a lovely passport.

I was also uncertain as to whether a red stamp constituted damage. I'm Canadian and was returning to Canada. So upon my request, the supervisor checked to ensure that the stamped passport was not damaged for Canadian customs and immigration. He told me if anything it "would be fine as it said TSA and that it didn't cover the signature"

Sounds like he was used to TSA stupidity.

Well I would file a formal complaint and request the passport be replaced

Well I would file a formal complaint and request the passport be replaced

Twice?

If this is a foreign passport it could cause the US immigrations to turn it down the next time he / she comes into the US therefore it serious. Now I bet this poor person is going to run into some other TSA busy body in the near future who is going to insist that this piece of ID is now no longer vailid or a fake.......

Wow, nothing says competent like damaging government documents.