That’s the overwhelming conclusion I’ve reached after reading the first 200 comments on the TSA’s “Gripes and Grins” blog thread. Was that the TSA’s intention in starting a blog? Creating a one-stop spot to destroy their public credibility? Then again, they failed to anticipate the initial public response.
The comments were lighthearted during the blog’s first few hours when only industry folk knew about it. “But then the tone changed” Al Kamen reported, “with hundreds of comments submitted, things started to get ugly, reflecting the traveling public’s fury over rules on shoes and liquids, delays, abusive screeners, and so on.” The commenters attacked and I quickly set sail to see the feeding frenzy.
The blog moderators screen out “destructive” comments, so I can only imagine what the thread would look like animal style. Commenters complained about TSA employees at nearly every airport, but
Here are six comments that drew my interest.
You guys are incredibly ineffective. My PEPPER SPRAY gets through on my key chain each and every single time but I've lost several hundred dollars worth of skincare items over the years since this government mandate began. realitycheck
When I travel with my son I put his middle name on the ticket instead of his first name. Someone with the same name is listed on the FBI watch list. I am a bit concerned what will happen when he turns 16 and has a picture ID. The first time we had a problem he was 4 years old and was stripped down to nothing but shorts, and socks. The guy started to ask him to remove his socks when a supervisor came up and told him to stop. I believe it was an abuse of power. . . . It is very frustrating to know that a child can be treated so badly when he is obviously not a 30 something year old man. Anonymous
Liquid gels and areosols [sic] going thru the checkpoint must be 3.4 oz. and in a quart sized plastic bag. We dont make the rule we inforce [sic] them. Why would you need more than that on a plane anyway ? Each passenger is allowed one bag. As far as the shoes rule goes Thank Richard Reid for that one. Does anyone remeber [sic] what he tried to do to innocent Americans? Anonymous
As a professional repair tech, I travel often to work on multi million dollar machines. I carry my own tools, some purchased, some custom made for me. I am not allowed to take them as carry on so they must be checked. I have yet to arrive at my destination with the full kit of tools with which I departed. The TSA Thieves open my bags and help themselves. I have filed several reports with various agencies and have yet to hear from any of them. Nice to know the government is doing what it can to keep the thieves off the streets and fully employed. Anonymous
I am a photographer who travels pretty much constantly, mostly on international flights. . . I really try to keep my gear close and protected, but since I am ALWAYS selected for random intense screening, there is that time period where I am trying my best to comply with the body search, and my bags are separated from me and out of my sight. I have learned not to report the thefts, even right after they happen. That has lead to my missing my flight, being intimidated and threatened, and of course I did not get my camera back. Ok- I have learned that losing a few things is part of doing business with the TSA. The same thing has happened to me in
Recently, I was with a group of military personnel serving in
The third point was more of an argument than a question, but a good one nonetheless.
-- temperance
5 comments:
As a TSO I’d like to say NOT ALL TSA employee’s are thieves, in fact I have NEVER witnessed any of my co-workers stealing from passengers…and doing their job placing items that passengers voluntarily abandon in a locked trash container is not stealing.
Okay, one pepper spray got through, not good but we are also human, what about the hundreds of items that don’t get through and I’m not talking about liquids. Why would anyone want to mention that? Because no one wants to hear the truth about how many knifes people try to get through, and not the small 3” blades, I’m talking about real knifes. Or the gun a person feels it’s his right to carry on an aircraft. No one has said that a person cannot take these items, they just can’t carry them on an aircraft, but can take them in check in baggage and that includes all your liquids, so what’s the problem?
Yes some screeners are very rude and yes this has to stop, but I for one am not rude and treats each and every passenger with respect and understanding of their frustrations. But what about the passenger who is verbally abusive and sometimes physically. Does a passenger have the right to MF me just because I’m doing what I was hired to do and ask him/her to please remove their shoes? Does a passenger have the right to slam a bin into my chest (and he was about 200lbs bigger than I was) and scream at me because he’s pissed off because the lines are long and he got to the airport late? Everyone blog’s about how rude, stupid and fat TSO’s are, but what about the abuse we get daily from passengers. Just because you don’t like the rules give you the right to abuse someone who is just doing their job? What happens at your place of employment if someone is not doing the job they are hired for? If you had a business and hired someone who did not like the rules and did not follow them would you continue to employ that person?
Hmmmmmmmmmm!
Hi ano -- Your point is well taken. And the odds are much higher that someone would go to the TSA blog to complain, rather than praise. So, there's a lot of horror stories on the blog, but it might not be a big deal compared to the millions of fliers who breeze to their gate.
I've never had a problem. In fact, when I'm pulled into secondary the dudes seem almost *overly* apologetic when patting me down -- probably due to the customer rudeness you were talking about.
(I'm not sure what "right to MF me means.")
Anyway, I appreciate your thoughts & respect your opinion, and I hope my post didn't piss you off too much.
-- temperance
Your damn right we are thieves, hey we all have families to feed and with what little money we make we need a suplimental income. You can find most of your stolen luggage on ebay.
My daughter just got her new (4 day old) iPod touch ripped off by TSA screeners. It takes only one thief in a crew to do it. But I think there is cooperation. Picture the scenario.
Little girl puts iPod in backpack (3 witnesses) it goes through x-ray, but wait it needs to go through again for some unknown reason. They take it behind where you no longer have full view of your stuff. The screener palms the iPod and sends your bag through again.
Little girl goes to the gate, tries to get iPod to occupy herself, but it is gone. Her first thought is that her Dad (me) will be angry because she "lost" it. No she was betrayed by the very people she is supposed to trust.
TSA does more harm than good.
Sorry "ano" but it only takes one rotten apple to make the whole basket of apples bad. My purse was stolen from my check-in luggage yesterday. Just like what that jerk commented, it's probably on Ebay or Craigslist as we speak. Losers like them give you a bad name.
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