An exercise in frustration
 

I flew Delta for the first time in a long time today.

Flew at 6am to SLC without too much ado.

I left SLC tonight to go to LAS, and was unpleasantly screwed by Delta and the TSA.

Having zero status on Delta, I didn't expect much. As I checked in at 4pm for a 5:50pm flight, I found out I had a middle seat in row 10, on a Boeing 737. No big deal, I thought. It's only an hour and half flight.

Well, Delta had pre-selected me to be screened, and had coded my boarding pass with "selpx" for secondary screening.

Delta boards 1st class, elites, then the cattle class from the back to the front.

As I patiently waited to be among the last group of passengers to board, I was told to go to secondary screening. As it turned out, I was the very last passenger screened because of my seat assignment in row 10.

The screening was not particularly pleasant, but I grinned and beared it. After an extraordinarily long screening time, during which a TSA lady took over a minute to examine my office badge (for what reason I have no idea), I went to go board with my luggage and backpack in disarray.

The flight was completely full, and I was told to give up my small rolling luggage to be checked in. This in itself was annoying, but it got worse.

As I went to sit in row 10, I discovered to my horror that it was the cattle class bulk head seat. For some strange reason, 1st class has rows 1 & 2, then cattle class starts with row 10. So rows 3-9 don't exist on Delta's 737's.

To top it off, all of the folks who had boarded prior to me had thrown their luggage in the front of the plane, so I had to leave my backpack way in the back of the plane, under no supervision. I was particularly unhappy about that situation, and cursed Delta for their deceitful seating arrangements.

I kept wondering why Delta & the TSA don't have better customer service:

1) if they knew who they were going to pull, why make me wait to be the last group to board? Just call me before boarding, and then rifle thru my luggage, just like Southwest does. That way I don't get stuck with no luggage space and have to leave my bag way in the back away from me.

2) why does Delta have such a stupid seating arrangement? What's wrong with having rows 3-9? Very annoying and misleading.

3) The TSA who rifled thru my possessions were very thorough, and handled my toiletries without gloves. I was in no mood to argue, as I was dead tired and wanted to board. However, enough is enough, this stupid invasion of privacy on innocent people has to stop. I'm not willing to give up my privacy rights in the name of pretending to give security to the travelling public. This secondary searching is just plain tiring, invasive, and ultimately ineffective.

I am so tired of being tired of harrassed and inconvenienced. It's getting really old...

I pray to God that this current insanity is just a phase, and not a progression towards more limited individual liberties and freedoms.

If you are pre-selected on your boarding pass for screening, you can board whenever you want

I was not aware that the "SELPX" meant that I was pre-selected, until after I was told to go to the secondary screening.

Why doesn't Delta just announce "those passengers who have "SELPX" on their ticket stub, please line up at secondary screening?", or tell me to go ahead and get screened at check in? Why make passengers guess?

During the TSA rifling process, they picked up a box of condoms I had placed in my luggage from a prior trip. Needless to say I was horrified and embarrassed, as the TSA person picked it up in front of other passengers and employees, and opened it up to see what was inside. What a crappy world we live in...

At least for B747-437B, traveling with a sex toy apparently made the secondary screening much less painful (although its a great trip report overall, start reading at February 13 for the juicy stuff...). http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

But seriously, I believe that you do have the right to request the searcher wear a fresh pair of gloves before they touch your stuff (or you). Also, although I have not yet had to use it, I do keep the TSA complaint line number stored in my mobile phone, just in case I do end up having a serious problem with them: (866) 289-9673.

WHY were you horrified and embarrassed? I'm sure there were a few more people there that have sex every now and then... Condoms are not exactly a major sin to carry, now if it were a 16" sex toy things might be different http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

All of Delta's planes are like this. New cabins start with row 10. In certain situations (like the 757), they used to start with row 20 (but now start on row 18 or 19).

You may find it confusing, but I like it. No wondering about if row 7 is the first row of coach or row 8, based on the equipment.

If that's the goal, make first class seating "row F1, F2, etc.." then the cabin "1 - ...".

There should be smarter ways of handling things like this...

Thank you!!!! Sean's report was an amazing read. Just a gem...

I'm making a run to the adult sex superstore this afternoon... Seriously, I am...

For someone who was horrified and embarrassed when all they saw were his condoms I find this highly doubtful.. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif


[This message has been edited by ScottC (edited 11-14-2002).]

Well, maybe you are right. Then again, maybe you are wrong http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Because the TSA has specifically ordered airlines not to do that.

Yes, I can see how that increases security http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

I beg to differ. WN has been announcing for more than 6 weeks that if you have the checkerboard pattern on your B/P that you should go for secondary screening.

The annoucement on my Southwest flight's boarding this week was:

"Folks, if you've got a checkerboard pattern at the bottom of your boarding pass, you must come up to the screening area and present yourself for possible screening. Not all checkerboards will be screened. Those of you without checkerboards are still subject to random screenings. Basically, there must be someone being screened at all times during the boarding process."

I couldn't figure out anything and maybe that's the way wanted it.

That is Southwest's way of showing what they think of this too much security BS.

AA announces for the chosen few to come up early to be searched.

So is that you on your website, UAL?