Today, flying out of MCO the gate across from me was an Eagle flight to Nassau. The grand total of passengers were 2. Over an hour before flight 3 TSA agents show and sit in their "area". 15 minutes prior to departure the GA calls for boarding. The first guy gets directed to the TSA'a for his grope. The other guy heads to the GA who collects his boarding pass, you can almost see the smile on his face before the GA declares - your the last to board so you must be screened please wait for them to finish the first one! Now I laugh out loud. There are three crew on that plane - they must have felt really safe :0

Meanwhile back at my gate for DFW the first victim is the proverbial 80 year old with a walker. Except she wasn't proverbial!

I have been paying more attention to the TSA going ons as I am still in shock that at my home airport MKE, they have 11 agents at a minimum for ONE security checkpoint! My tax dollars at work!

As I connected at ORD, I noticed that it finally switched over to TSA and the lines were HUGE this past Wed. - my sympathies to all that got caught.

On a positive note the TSA staff is generally much more pleasant and I can understand their English.

I agree that they are MUCH more pleasant. I particularly enjoy their small talk ("Is the coffee working for you?," when going through the security check at 5:30 am).

I also agree. I would even say that the TSA is well worth the extra 2.50 per segment, and feel that way more and more every time I fly.

They ALL speak English and are pleasant and friendly. Just yesterday at Newark, I asked one where food was and he was telling me where to go to get free samples ("check out the chicken place, then keep going to get some small sandwiches.")!

This is one government agency that is really doing well at customer service!

The line at OAK at 6AM Thuraday morning was the longest I have EVER seen. It snaked almost to the end of the terminal and took over a half hour.
Then, as always, when I go thru the detectors, I was asked to sit down on the chairs for a seconday scan. As the TSA first checked my shoes with the hand wand, nothing happened. I must have metal railroad spikes in my shoes, since, for the last 5 months, they have always drove the hand wand crazy. Then then take my shoes and run them through the machine again. It was quite obvoius that he did not have the hand wand on and was simply going thru the motions.
I had visions of reporting this to higher officials and then watching as they evacuated the terminal and rewanded everyone's shoes. Stop the madness!!!

[This message has been edited by Vulcan (edited 11-10-2002).]

My experience has been just the opposite. I thought I had figured out what not to wear when flying, and for the last seven months I've not had a problem. Then there was last Wednesday. Dressed as usual I set off every alarm and beeper there was. (Delta Shuttle at LGA). Got the hand wand, shoe treatment, take off the belt, etc. etc. Two days later in Boston, wearing pretty much the same garb, back to no problem. Go figure.

And I must also say that I've been very impressed with the TSA people. I've noticed that when they initially take over a facility things slow down for a while, but in time the pace picks up again. They have always been unfailingly friendly and helpful. Hopefully it will continue.

TSA folks at LAX were nothing but polite and efficient last week. The line in T2 at 7:30 am was not long and moved very quickly. Plus, unlike the NotSoBright folks, they all spoke and understood excellent English!

Is it just me, or is it depressing that we find customer service people who speak good English a novelty? Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against immigrants (I'm a second-generation immigrant myself), but my parents learned English long before coming to an English-speaking country. It seems that being able to converse freely in English should be a minimum requirement for these jobs... but it doesn't always appear to be.

------------------
- Sameer

"Didn't we just leave this party?"
www.liningup.net

Friday afternoon at O'Hare (Terminal One) I forgot to take my pager off when I went through security. Surprise, I did not set off the metal detector. A bit dismaying. In the six or seven years I've carried one, I've never failed to set a metal detector off when I had it on me.

At BWI in the past few they've gotten better. they are English speaking .. they know the difference between a laptop and a waffle iron... BWI was pretty bad when they first when through, but now it is much better at BWi then at most other airports I've been through recently

I agree that TSA is doing a good job. I like the fact they try to inform travelers as well. Try www.tsatraveltips.us

Unfortunately, however nice or articulate they happen to be doesn't change the fact that they're violating our rights to due process (among others) at every turn.

sigh.

I agree aboutthe polite factor. I was flying out of terminal A in IND.

I started to walk through metal detector and had my hands in pockets. The guy stuck his hand out and heavily stopped me in my chest (easier to show then to try and describe this!).

Anyway so I took them out and then I am standing next to conveyor waiting for luggage. He comes up and apologizes for doing that. I was impressed.

I too have found a great improvment in the quality and efficiency of the TSA staff over the contract folks. I actually would like to see more non native speakers on staff because I think non native speakers listen better and have a better world prespective, both skills helpful in sorting out potential problem passengers.

In the course of their tradional X-ray, wand, and search duties, as well as just waiting to start, the TSA screeners are friendly, helpfull, and a lot of open ended leading questions about who I am, where I'm going, and why. Being friendly and asking leading questions about one's travels goes a long way to spotting potential problems.

Sassy!

One of the largest improvements that I have seen (ignoring the excellent attitude) is the way the TSA's interact with you. They actually care.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they are actually QUALIFIED and properly paid to work on these type of jobs.

I'm so impressed with the whole group.

Thumbs up!!!

I have to agree about the vast change in attitude of the new TSA screeners. I think it is important we seperate the policy from the people here and realize that the new TSA people seem to be trying hard to do a good job and provide good customer service. We may not all agree about if they should be there or what they should be doing, but I think we can all support the people who are doing their jobs to the best of their ability. Keep up the good work and please remember to tell them to keep up the good work as well, it probably means a lot to them.

they have 11 agents at a minimum for ONE security checkpoint! My tax dollars at work!
I don't know what the numbers are, but I used to think I was seeing way too many TSA employees at checkpoints. But considering the chaos that can go on with so many people, and many of them not knowing what to do, where to turn, when to sit, etc., I can understand why they have to have a sizable number staffing the checkpoint.