Why are TSA employees so dang rude!?

ILSstud

ILSstud

Well-Known Member
I hate to make the first post back from my brief hiatus a rant but I really can't help it and would love to have some TSA employees on the forum chime in at any time and let me know if they take a class to act the way they do. I will say I have had some polite ones and some rude ones on my travels but this experience took the cake. We transfered to LGA to take the shuttle to Boston. Anyways, my mom has these bangles (bracelets) that she never takes off for religious reasons and they always have to do a special pat down. Anyways my mom was about to step through the metal detector when she says

Mom: "I can't take these off and they usually make me beep if you'd like to do a patdown instead....

TSA guy: "Maaaaam were you born with those dang THINGS on your arm?...I suggest you take them off for reasons of national security.."

Mom: "Excuse me.."

TSA guy: "You heard me miss!"

...so I chimed in and asked if I could speak to his manager and he basically gave me the spiel if I wanted to be difficult I could take it up with a police officer in cuffs...I just let it go....I am seething as to how rude these a** holes can be sometimes! In Europe and other places in the world they do thorough security searches with a reasonable amount of professionalism and politeness! Is that too much to ask?? Hell in Israel I had a guy with an AK 47 and some REAL authority act 100 times more polite than the rent a cops they have here...sorry if i offended anybody but I have had it with the tolerated rudeness, impositions, and general lack of respect that this all hallowed organization (Homeland Security) spews....comments?
 
I remember a similar story about two months ago where a woman had a nipple ring, and instead of doing the patdown, they gave her a pair of pliers and told her to remove it. They were rude to her as well.
 
They were rude to me and mom also. Our first trip. We had a stayover in atlanta. The TSA was so rude towards anybody who had a question.

Some are helpful, but then you have ones who think because they are wearing that uniform they can act anyway they want.
 
That's odd. You don't have to remove a watch, why in the world would they get all doofus about a bangle? Wait... She had Susanna Hoffs on as jewelry? :) :sarcasm:

From TSA.GOV:

Religious knives, swords and other objects similar to the one on the right, are not permitted through the security checkpoint. We advise you to place such items in your checked baggage. Check our permitted and prohibited list for more information.

You may request a hand-inspection from our Security Officers for your religious, cultural or ceremonial items. If the item is prohibited from the cabin of the aircraft you will be asked to place the item in your checked baggage. If the item is delicate, fragile or special handling is otherwise required please let the Security Officer know so that he or she can handle the item accordingly.
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I didn't see bangles (the jewelry OR the band) on the excepted list. Basically, it mentions that shoes must be removed for screening, but nothing about piercings, jewelry, etc.

Looks like a letter to the supervisor is in order.
 
ILSstud said:
Hell in Israel I had a guy with an AK 47 and some REAL authority act 100 times more polite than the rent a cops they have here...
Click to expand...


Just a small correction - they don't use AK47 in Israel. Rather they use M16 or Israeli made weapon ;) Most likely if they see someone with an AK47 anywhere in Israel, that person would be dead in a matter of two seconds :)

Totally agree with you. They did something similar to my (almost) 80 year old parents in Boston two weeks ago, my mom hardly walks, my dad has a prosthetic leg, yet both were treated as if they are OBL's cousins. The supervisor was such a bitch, I almost jumped in and beat the $%^& out of her.
 
Israelis have used AKs in the past. They have (had) tons of soviet weapons. ILS never said how long it was since he's been there.
 
The TSA doesn't necessarily always hire the cream of the crop of the applicant pool. Sure, there are some great people working there. They are severely outnumbered by the idiots, buffoons, and "look I'm important because my shirt has a shield stitched to it" crowd.

Saving the world, one pair of tweezers at a time.
 
Customs has some real winners too. I took the advice that Seggy gave in a thread and wore the uniform while jumpseating back from Europe. So I'm standing at customs in Detroit, in full uniform, and he asks "and what do you do for a living?"
 
At the airport I work at we have one that talks to himself....I mean full on conversations. I actually thought he had a blue tooth on or something one time. I cant speak for other airports but at mine a majority of the TSAers where hired straight from the contracted companies that had the swisscheese security on the day of and the years before 9-11. Main difference is now they wear a uniform and collect a paycheck that we all pay for out of our taxes. It's kinda scary though to see the "last line of defense," talking to himself all day. Just reinforces the fact that we all need to keep our eyes open at work because personally, I have little faith in the people working the checkpoints.
 
Yeah, but the worst is at the smaller airports. It's almost like they have a chip on their shoulders or they have the worst power trip known to man...
 
Perhaps we ought to do what the pope does and just outsource security to the Swiss, no? :)
 
I'll have to youtube that! :)

Seriously, Rome has tight security ever since the 1985 attack and I go thru less crap than I do in my own country. Not necessarily a whole bunch of eyewash to give the sense of tight security, they actually HAVE tight security.
 
I personally saw two newlywed couples coming back from their honeymoon with gifts in their carry-ons treated horrendously by TSA... The groom had two bottles of very expensive cologne that couldn't fit into the checked luggage safely without risking it breaking. A woman TSA agent (Ms. Authoritarian) insisted that the bottles be discarded immediately, when the groom asked very politely if he could check them, the woman refused, saying "it was too late for that." (And here comes the attitude--) Now because he was quote "making a scene" The TSA agent calls over two more officers and now police. Meanwhile the bride is in tears and the man who is just trying to reason with the police, describing his situation is being hauled off to a back room because the TSA woman insisted that he was a security threat and was acting inappropriately. Personally, I haven't had a really bad experience with TSA but I'd say more of a useless nuisance than a legitimately needed agency. I've been to Switzerland and Canada where the security is actually security, very professional and thorough unlike their american counterparts.
 
Doug Taylor said:
I'll have to youtube that! :)

Seriously, Rome has tight security ever since the 1985 attack and I go thru less crap than I do in my own country. Not necessarily a whole bunch of eyewash to give the sense of tight security, they actually HAVE tight security.
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Wait till you go through Tel Aviv, if you haven't already. Sharp people simply asking twenty questions (or more like ten questions)...best screening in the world. You have to experience it to believe it.
 
IFly85 said:
Yeah, but the worst is at the smaller airports. It's almost like they have a chip on their shoulders or they have the worts power trip known to man...
Click to expand...
.
They are more anal retentive at small podunk airports than they are at the major airports
 
Screaming_Emu said:
So I'm standing at customs in Detroit, in full uniform, and he asks "and what do you do for a living?"
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Boat captains sometimes wear the same type uniforms. Every time I go somewhere in the Caribbean and check into the hotel, I get at least one, if not more, "so which ship your with captain?" And they don't mean airship.
 
While I agree that the TSA can be somewhat of problem, let's not forget about the numerous ####### passengers/crewmembers. Somehow people have the self-entitlement of being better than others. How many times while going through security do you hear, "Do I look like a terrorist?" What does a terrorist look like? Or how many crews have heard this from another crewmember while going through, "Geez, it's a crew bag!" Didn't some crewmember start a fire in the lav on aplane not to long ago? I'm all for CrewPass once it goes through, but some people need to check their ego for those few minutes while going through security.
 
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