[mabrodis]

Now I know many of you travel alot, so I'm sure you go through this alot more than me, but just got back from a weekend trip to Utah for a ski trip with friends and my experience with the TSA (Travel Service Authority I think or some crap like that) was amazing. I have no problem with that they are doing, their job, makes people feel semi-safe, etc...but OMG, where THE HELL do they find these people?

Over half of ALL the TSA people I saw would get fired immediately if working at a real job! While leaving Denver there was 3 lanes going into the security screening area, I'm in the middle lane, this family in the left lane. As soon as the family gets to the lady where you show your ID and boarding pass the woman immediately pulls the lane closed right in front of her and walks away. Never says a word, looking right at her the whole time, almost had to push her to close her lane since the family was right there. We all looked at each other with a "WTF" look on our faces...so the family starts to come into our lane, then after we get about 8' (a few minutes) this woman comes back opens her lane up without saying a word and starts checking IDs again. We are all like what the hell...I was baffled someone could be that rude, dumb, I don't even know what...everyone there started talking about how apparently they aren't hired for their personality or people skills, even though their job is 100% people.

Another incident was when we were about ready to go through the metal detector, we had 3-4 tubs worth of crap to go into the x-ray machine, I was slowing pushing it along as we walked and got to where it was going into the machine. One guy tells me to walk slowly, then a lady yells at me to not walk until my stuff is in the x-ray so I gently push it and she says to not push it, just let the belt take it (but 5 seconds before she told me to push it)...OMG!! This is the most chaotic, asinine system I have ever seen...I could barely find a handful of people that would not have been fired at a normal job...what the hell is wrong with these people???

[/rant]

[BLKDOG40]

Originally Posted by mabrodis

........Another incident was when we were about ready to go through the metal detector, we had 3-4 tubs worth of crap to go into the x-ray machine, I was slowing pushing it along as we walked and got to where it was going into the machine. One guy tells me to walk slowly, then a lady yells at me to not walk until my stuff is in the x-ray so I gently push it and she says to not push it, just let the belt take it (but 5 seconds before she told me to push it).........

Trouble-makers like you should have to go through secondary screening

[fsusteve]

After 9/11 went the gubment went on a Homeland Security spending spree, applicants were lined up here for a TSA job. I've seen better looking people working at Carnivals. Our cops had to be there due to fights that broke out in the interview lines, unbelievable attitudes.

[tcb]

They make $8 an hour. This doesn't attract the most desirable candidates for the job.

[BHMCruiser]

The whole system works like this:

1. Get the dumbest people in the country to design an airport security protocol.
2. Hire those people's even dumber cousins to implement that protocol.
3. Enjoy the hilarity.

[crushr]

You have now been added to the suspect list. Enjoy the body cavity search next time you fly....

[Zimm]

Originally Posted by fsusteve

After 9/11 went the gubment went on a Homeland Security spending spree, applicants were lined up here for a TSA job. I've seen better looking people working at Carnivals. Our cops had to be there due to fights that broke out in the interview lines, unbelievable attitudes.

best tsa analogy yet.


tsa = carnies.

[D'Animal]

They just have to pass a background check. Speaking English is a bonus as well.

[semlin]

aren't you guys being a bit harsh? i thought you had to have experience at the DMV or post office to work airport security clearance machines

[Zimm]

Originally Posted by semlin

aren't you guys being a bit harsh? i thought you had to have experience at the DMV or post office to work airport security clearance machines

nope. nothing that complicated. just a law degree.

[semlin]

no the law degree is for being in congress or having opinions on the interweb

[Polak]

That's the truth. All they did at my airport is weed out the ones that couldn't read and gave the rest new uniforms. Oh, and hired some away from the carnival in Wal-Marts parking lot.

I saw no change after 9-11. They boasted better security, pft, whatever. All they did was shift resposibility for security from the FAA and their third party contractors to the DHS, utimatly the TSA. What a joke! And now what is the DHS thinking of doing, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm, that's right hiring third party contractors to run checkpoint security under the oversight of the TSA. What does that mean, well, I guess all the illiterate fuckers that got fired can line back up for their jobs.

We had a flight come in last Tuesday with a pasenger that had gotten rowdy in transit. So rowdy that they hog tied him, no shit, I watched the cops haul his ass off the plane. Guess what........... he was a former security agent.

Hijack over.

[Zimm]

the isrealies wrote the book on airtraffic security. all they had to do was tone it down a bit.

[Trunk Monkey]

On one hand I feel for them because the checkpoints in most airports were sandwiched in to existing space and aren't very effective. So, you're dealing with people who in some cases have been in line for 30 minutes or longer.

On the other hand, when you're dealing with the general public as a part of your job, you should have some level of customer service. Some.

[semlin]

Originally Posted by Zimm

the isrealies wrote the book on airtraffic security. all they had to do was tone it down a bit.

i don't foresee current north american security staff doing pre-flight psyche profile interviews on all passengers.

[agent orange]

There have been some increased security measures that make sense to me like not letting non-passengers to the gate, but it really hasnt made that much of a difference. When i came back from england 3 years ago, my mom put a swiss army knife that i brought with me in my checked luggage into my backpack without me knowing. When i got home i found it sitting right in the front compartment, having gone through an xray machine in customs in the UK and the US. After that i stopped having much confidence in plane security at all.

-Matt

[semlin]

well a swiss army knife is not going to hijack a plane again. and sceurity standards have improved for sure. in early december 1988 i took two hand grenade cigarette lighters as hand luggage through frankfurt airport. i forgot they were in my pack. these were basically working handgrenades with the core removed and a lighter stuck in. I also had a fully functional medieval mace with a spiked steel ball on a chain in my checked luggage (toledo was a good place to do christmas shopping). the flight was pan am 103. look that up and note the date.

[BHMCruiser]

Originally Posted by semlin

well a swiss army knife is not going to hijack a plane again. and sceurity standards have improved for sure. in early december 1988 i took two hand grenade cigarette lighters as hand luggage through frankfurt airport. i forgot they were in my pack. these were basically working handgrenades with the core removed and a lighter stuck in. I also had a fully functional medieval mace with a spiked steel ball on a chain in my checked luggage (toledo was a good place to do christmas shopping). the flight was pan am 103. look that up and note the date.

I take it you didn't make the flight.

[D'Animal]

Too funny. Who in the heck were you shopping for?

Originally Posted by semlin

two hand grenade cigarette lighters, basically working handgrenades with the core removed and a lighter stuck in. I also had a fully functional medieval mace with a spiked steel ball on a chain in my checked luggage (toledo was a good place to do christmas shopping)

[semlin]

Originally Posted by D'Animal

Too funny. Who in the heck were you shopping for?

my brothers and a friend of mine who had helped me out at home with something while i was over there. my brother still has his lighter.

i made the flight but it was 2 weeks before the last one, and I only took the frankfurt to london leg, but all the passengers and luggage was screened together.

[Shahram]

Sheneesha Turner, age 34. Airport Security Guard. Sheneesha and her friends, Hellura and Ida, are African American security guards who work at the metal detector. She enjoys nothing more than harassing the passengers with a "Body Search!"



I knew something was wrong the day I was told I couldn't bring these on the plane with me...



...or this...



...but this was okay to bring.



If you're looking for logic, common sense, or fairness within the confines of American regulations and laws, you'll be sorely disappointed.

Beware all ye who enter, there be idiots in these waters.

[rockclmbr]

We call the TSA "Thousands Standing Around"

My wife used to work in the explosive detection industry and they would have to hold their hands the entire way to get them to run the machines. They made the business look really bad...

[photogod]

Originally Posted by D'Animal

They just have to pass a background check. Speaking English is a bonus as well.

I think ye jest but I'm not sure. There is quite q bit more to it than that including two interviews, a full day of physical and visual testing and an online application that makes the process a real pain in the ass.

[beaufort-fj60]

Originally Posted by Zimm

best tsa analogy yet.


tsa = carnies.

no shit. The last three times I flew, items out of my checked bags were blatantly fawking stolen. How do I know?, they left a TSA card in my bag.

[e9999]

well, to be fair, the TSA folks I have seen recently appear to be a great improvement over the welfare types from before 9/11, but of course that wasn't very difficult....