What am I missing here?

**Roguish Lawyer** · 05-11-2006, 13:55

I'm at LAX right now. When I went through security, this Middle Eastern looking woman asks me to take her bags through with me. I refuse and I tell one of the security screeners what she had done. All they do is talk to her for like 10 seconds (probably told her she has to bring them through herself).

Am I crazy to think she should have been detained and searched? She could have just walked out of the terminal and taken a bomb with her . . .

PSM · 05-11-2006, 13:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer

I'm at LAX right now. When I went through security, this Middle Eastern looking woman asks me to take her bags through with me. I refuse and I tell one of the security screeners what she had done. All they do is talk to her for like 10 seconds (probably told her she has to bring them through herself).

Am I crazy to think she should have been detained and searched? She could have just walked out of the terminal and taken a bomb with her . . .

Is she on your flight?

Pat

**Roguish Lawyer** · 05-11-2006, 14:00

Don't know, probably not.

PSM · 05-11-2006, 14:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer

Don't know, probably not.

If so, I'd mention it to the crew. The TSA guys don't fly. They drive to work.

Pat

Five-O · 05-11-2006, 14:16

RL,

I figured you would realize that searching european looking old ladies and babies is LAX search policy. Last thing we want to do is create more terrorists by searching middle eastern looking people. I am sure the only reason she asked you to carry her bags is they were a little too heavy for her. If they do not search her....I'd walk.

jasonglh · 05-11-2006, 15:12

My last trip through the airport I think my exact words to my wife were "I wouldnt hire any of those people to run the weedeater on my dads lawncare business much less give them jobs as security".

I do wonder if thats considered an entry level position and what kind of pay it brings. If they are competing with the same pool of resources as McDonalds I suppose its really no suprise.

Lots of money spent somewhere and I sure dont feel any safer flying. But I bet it takes more than a box knife to gain control of an aircraft from the passengers!

**Pete** · 05-11-2006, 15:58

I find it funny about the shoes. Some people wonder why in the heck does everybody have to take their shoes off.

The reason is most people have no idea what kind of shoes they are wearing. I have two pair of shoes that I trade off wearing for work. One has a steel insert in the sole somewhere. The other does not. When I know I'm going to a court house where I need to go through security I wear the non-metal pair.

I also put everything that will set off the alarm on my clip board as I'm walking up and hand it to the guard as I step through the gate. Time is money, keep moving.

Slow as the lines are they would be even slower if every other person had to be hand wanded because they set off the alarm with their shoes, etc.

I did some airline travel this winter and the clueless people were real interesting to keep an eye on.

Pete

**The Reaper** · 05-11-2006, 16:10

I agree, there needs to be a line for people who travel often enough that they know what they are doing. Everything, including my watch and belt, as well as the contents of my pockets, comes off me and goes into a tray.

Almost every time I get to the checkpoint, I get behind some travel-challenged individual who has to be recycled repeatedly for not taking the notebook out of the case and putting it in a tray by itself, take off the shoes, take off the jewelry, empty the pockets, take off the jacket, show us your ticket, etc., etc, etc.

I am amazed that they did not snatch up the woman and lock her down for a while. That is highly suspicious behavior.

TR

**Ambush Master** · 05-11-2006, 16:21

Yes, the good 'ol TSA (Thousands Standing Around) at their finest!!!!

kgoerz · 05-11-2006, 16:34

It amazes me how confused U.S Travelers get when they have to think for themselves. How unprepared they are to take off their shoes or pull out their Laptops when most of them know it is required. The most annoying is loading the Plane. I always just sit and smile (in order not to scream) at the passengers as they try to figure out how to put their stuff in the Overhead Bin. The confusion and unorganized behavior amazes me, or scares me. It is no surprise to me that a few guys with small knives overtook Airplanes on 9-11. When I worked for Grey Hawk we had a few ex TSA guys going thru the training. They said the politics, Affirmative Action and back stabbing to move up was out of control. When I say move up I mean to be in charge of a check point.
Story: A friend of mine said he was flying out, just leaving a Shooting Match. His partner left his loaded 45 in his carry on. The Screener ran his bag thru three times just staring at the screen. The Screener eventually let it pass thru. After they passed thru his partner realized why the guy kept looking at his bag.

casey · 05-11-2006, 18:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer

I'm at LAX right now. When I went through security, this Middle Eastern looking woman asks me to take her bags through with me. I refuse and I tell one of the security screeners what she had done. All they do is talk to her for like 10 seconds (probably told her she has to bring them through herself).

Am I crazy to think she should have been detained and searched? She could have just walked out of the terminal and taken a bomb with her . . .

She obviously deduced that you had all the qualities necessary to fullfill the open position of explosive mule within the cell...... I think you should have attempted to infuse yourself to the team instead of running to the TSA like a gurl yelling "citizens arrest, citizens arrest!!!!!" at the top of your lungs.

Warrior-Mentor · 05-11-2006, 19:31

Idiots! Now that same woman will just come back later and ask someone else to carry her bomb or drugs or whatever through security, and some jackass will do it for her.

Incompetence pisses me off.

SRT31B · 05-11-2006, 21:41

The last I had heard, the guys who throw your luggage around down on the ramp get paid more than the TSA screeners. And look at some of the high speed people they have working for them too...

CoLawman · 05-11-2006, 23:20

Trying to be optimistic here............
Maybe she was a TSA employee involved in a security test to determine if people would actually accept the request.

I just refuse to believe her actions did not create bells and whistles with searches and document verification through NCIC.

Solid · 05-12-2006, 01:48

... And then there was last weekend, where I unknowingly boarded a plane with a swiss army knife in my carry-on.

The funny thing is that they recycled my OTHER piece of carry-on through the x-ray once, and told me that they thought they'd seen something that looked like a knife in it... The bag which the knife was in, they sent right through...

Solid