The Tub Stacking Agency (TSA) strikes again!

higney85 said:
If you are traveling IN UNIFORM with a crew badge they CANNOT take your things. I would have politely asked them "where do I need to wait for the police- I need to turn you in for not doing your job right".
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I agree. Assuming you have the time, don't roll over and take it. Talk to the supervisor, the police if they call them, or whomever. Sometimes these folks need to be educated themselves.

If I was the first-time jumpseater I probably would have done the same thing. Oh well. They got away with one. You'll know for next time.
 
I seriously don't like TSA...kinda like the time my car broke down and in a hurry I threw all my stuff in my passenger seat in my laptop bag and hurried with a friend who picked me up and dropped me off at the airport. I was in uniform, I was gonna be late for the start of my 3 day, and as I was rushing through TSA, they found my zippo that had gotten thrown in my laptop bag with my other stuff. Now this was like Aug. 2. The TSA guy was nice enough to YELL "PILOT! hey PILOT! I found a zippo in your bag!" as I stood 5 feet away from him. I said oops my car broke down and I just threw all my stuff into the bag, didn't realize that my zippo was in there. I asked can you guys give it back or at least hang on to it for me? I mean in 2 days you'll start to allow lighters through. He said nope and threw it in their nice little bin.

2 Days...what was the difference????!?!?
 
Cheechako said:
Let's all take a moment. . .

No sarcasm here. The TSA has a tough job. That tube of toothpaste was taken away because it's a potential "part A" of something that could blow up the airplane you are trusting your life with. I can see why they would want a closer look at an ID badge. A pocket lanyard or wallet sleeve would be an excellent way for someone of lesser scruples (or "higher calling") to bluff their way through security for malicious reasons.

Between an extra minute or two in the security line or giving Osama's hench-men a chance, I'll be patient. . .
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True, but what if you have 5 people get together with less than 3 oz of part A, thus making parts B, C, D, etc? If all you have to do is reduce it below 3 ozs, what's to stop Osama's henchmen from just getting together on the plane and making that 2 oz of parts A-D into 10 oz of part A? It's a knee jerk reaction that wasn't thought out, and I have yet to get a good answer from anyone on how exactly that stops anything. I seriously doubt the terrorists will say 'Damn, I can't carry 3 ozs of toothpaste. Those wiley Americans foiled my plot." No. He'll say "Well, I CAN carry 2 oz, so I'll take two buddies and we're back in business." To assume that the rule currently in place stops anything that a tenacious terrorist bent on destruction from doing is, frankly, naive.

As for the IDs in a sleeve. If they can fake an ID in a sleeve, then what's to stop them from faking the ID, printing it on a glossy cardstock, punching a hole in it and wearing it on a lanyard?

Know what the real solution is? Better training and oversight of TSA personnel. But if they did that, they wouldn't have enough people to man the checkpoints. A good chunk of the people I've seen operating the checkpoint I wouldn't trust to get my order correct at McDonald's, much less to catch terrorists.
 
Velocipede said:
Latest and greatest: As I was going through the TSA wicket the other day, I glanced over at the "confiscated" bin. There on top was a beautiful, brand new SNOWGLOBE. Obviously meant for someone as a Christmas present.

Apparently the TSA determined there was more than 3 oz. of fluid in it and grabbed it. I'm pretty sure its decorating some TSA weenie's house this holiday season.
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I remember hearing a passenger talking about how the TSA had confiscated her favorite shade of lipgloss. It was such a little container, she said. She pantomimed the size to her friend: "you know, that size kind... was that really dangerous?"

I rolled my eyes walking away- that TSA screener must have been overjoyed to see someone with lipgloss in JUST HER SHADE!

:banghead:
 
SkiHigh2002 said:
So, if I'm just wearing my crew badge and normal clothes they can take my stuff? I haven't jumpseated while not in uniform so I did not know that...
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Correct. On duty, in uniform crew members can sidestep the plastic bags. Otherwise, crew badge or no, you fall into the same requirements as every other flying passenger.
 
Ralgha said:
Because it's so hard to get a uniform.
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The uniform's not really a security thing, I'd imagine. It's most so people presenting proper credentials can be left to do their jobs unharassed. That being said, if other passengers saw people in plain clothes bypassing security steps, they'd ask questions. A properly credentialed crewmember still gets the eye from TSA, but doesn't spawn any silly questions from other passengers.
 
Firebird2XC said:
Correct. On duty, in uniform crew members can sidestep the plastic bags. Otherwise, crew badge or no, you fall into the same requirements as every other flying passenger.
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Precisely why the 'Superman' tactic is so, so effective. Go through security and then pop into the 'ol boys/ girls room and voila'......civvy attire hath appeared!
 
I agree, the TSA is ridiculous. But regardless of that fact, you need to watch what you say, what you do and where you step with the TSA. They hold more power then the FAA themselves. If you think these guys can't yank your company ID AND FAA license, think again.

Never give these guys a hard time. Even if they are in the wrong, you need to take the professional approach. Don't bitch grope or moan if for some reason they give you a hard time. The power they posess is scary. Which I think is also ridiculous.
 
Airdale said:
I agree, the TSA is ridiculous. But regardless of that fact, you need to watch what you say, what you do and where you step with the TSA. They hold more power then the FAA themselves. If you think these guys can't yank your company ID AND FAA license, think again.

Never give these guys a hard time. Even if they are in the wrong, you need to take the professional approach. Don't bitch grope or moan if for some reason they give you a hard time. The power they posess is scary. Which I think is also ridiculous.
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Umm, if you "grope" them, you're gonna be in even more trouble! LOL...
I know, I know--you meant to type "gripe" and it was a typo.. Very funny, nonetheless!!! :laff:
 
Hmm, I guess it depends on who's doing the "patting-down!" Although I'm pretty sure that it's same-sex pat-downs.
 
belliott said:
Way too much inconsistency, too many simple simon's working, and way too much freaking poor attitudes. Two weeks ago I was jumpseating out of St. Croix... in uniform mind you.... and the "TSA" agents confiscated toothpaste, shampoo, cologne, etc because I didn't have it in a plastic bag. Now my understanding is that when I travel in uniform I am allowed to carry these items through security. When I politely questioned their right to confiscate my personal belongings they actually called the airport police and threatened to have me detained. Quite unprofessional and inexcusable if you ask me..... in fact just pathetic.
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higney85 said:
If you are traveling IN UNIFORM with a crew badge they CANNOT take your things. I would have politely asked them "where do I need to wait for the police- I need to turn you in for not doing your job right".
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If you wouldn't mind, I would like to have your supervisor come down here and then we can call the police together, please:).Thank you!
 
Firebird2XC said:
The uniform's not really a security thing, I'd imagine. It's most so people presenting proper credentials can be left to do their jobs unharassed. That being said, if other passengers saw people in plain clothes bypassing security steps, they'd ask questions. A properly credentialed crewmember still gets the eye from TSA, but doesn't spawn any silly questions from other passengers.
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If that were true then they would have no problem with you changing out of your uniform after bypassing security, but you're not supposed to do that.

Equally moronic is the rule that if you worked a flight in, and you're going to deadhead out, you have to go take a swing through the security checkpoint if you haven't already done so at some point during the day.

We are no safer with the TSA than we would be without the TSA, and I think the public, or at least the media, is slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowly starting to realize this.
 
The TSA sucks, but at least they're a step up from what security was pre 9-11. It was simply the lowest bidder, sort of like regionals :D.

Here's a short list of the things I think need to change.

-National Crew ID and maybe some sort of biometric identification
-Make rampers go through security, that's the absolute weakest link in the system right now. It doesn't appear very difficult to get a job as a ramper, and there have already been some pretty high profile security breaches by these individuals. Why are they allowed to bypass security?
 
greaper007 said:
The TSA sucks, but at least they're a step up from what security was pre 9-11. It was simply the lowest bidder, sort of like regionals
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Actually, in a lot of cases, it was the same people, they just were employed by the gubment instead of a private contractor. You'd think that being under the government there would be some sort of standardization, but it's still just as standardized as it was pre-9/11.....which means not very. You might have to take your shoes off in HOU, but when you get back on the plane in DFW to fly home, they don't care.

-National Crew ID and maybe some sort of biometric identification
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ALPA's pushing hard for this already as well as a "speed pass" line for crews.

-Make rampers go through security, that's the absolute weakest link in the system right now. It doesn't appear very difficult to get a job as a ramper, and there have already been some pretty high profile security breaches by these individuals. Why are they allowed to bypass security?
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Still need the same criminal background check as a ramper that a pilot does, so there's that. Still have to go through a drug test as well. So, while some people look at rampers as "anyone can get that job," I'd be hard pressed to recommend my own brother for a ramp job. He's got a record and he may or may not pass the drug test. Other than that, it's probably just as easy to get a TSA job. Let's not leave out the cleaners, night staff at the airport or caterers when we're discussing loopholes in security. Or the elephant in the room, lack of screening for cargo.

It depends on the airport on whether rampers have to go through security. Gee, there's that consistancy again. In MEM, there's no way you CAN'T go through security. Even if you use the turnstiles, TSA is there to greet you and hand search your bag be you a ramper or a uniformed flight crew. It's actually LESS of a hassle to go through a passenger checkpoint than it is to go through an area you can only access with a SIDA badge. After the Comair gun incident, MCO has TSA at the SIDA entry areas. Technically, if you took a tug from the terminal to the airside without clearing security at MCO, you could lose your SIDA badge. However, people still did it. Other airports, I don't know. Those are the only two I've worked at as a ramper. On the outside, it probably does look easy. But sometimes looks are deceiving.
 
Ive been to some airports where TSA actually escorts you around the security and out to the ramp....what allows them to do that? No security search, just a flash of a badge.
 
Ralgha said:
If that were true then they would have no problem with you changing out of your uniform after bypassing security, but you're not supposed to do that.

Equally moronic is the rule that if you worked a flight in, and you're going to deadhead out, you have to go take a swing through the security checkpoint if you haven't already done so at some point during the day.

We are no safer with the TSA than we would be without the TSA, and I think the public, or at least the media, is slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowly starting to realize this.
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Actually, I've heard stories of pilots being followed after the security checkpoint. If they pulled a 'Superman' in the bathroom, their bags were searched and anything oversized was confiscated.
 
WHAT?! that's ridiculous!!

as a pax, i'd be totally cool with a retinal or fingerprint scan to bypass the whole thing.
 
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