Airport Security - Page 2

DunbarFC · 06-04-2004, 09:01

My dad who is 68 CONSTANTLY gets pulled out of line. It's become a joke that when he walks up to the gate he asks " Where should I go now ? "

I remember in the early post 9/11 hearings that one of the security firms at the airports said that basically they were competing with McDonald's for employees and that they were scraping the bottom of the barrell for what they used

Being from Boston and having a friends wife killed on flight 11, I'm for any changes they make

Granted a bloated useless government agency isn't what I have in mind but the pendulum had to swing to the opposite side. Now perhaps we can take a deep breath and come up with a real solution

**The Reaper** · 06-04-2004, 09:23

Guy:

My checked baggage is well-worn black Cordura from Eagle, with AA Platinum tags and military business cards in my ID holders on the bags, with boots and uniforms inside, maybe a multi-tool and a folding knife inside, Zip Tie closures, and two times out of three when I recover my bags from the baggage claim these days, I have a blue TSA bust closure on my bag somewhere. Is an unarmed AD SF guy traveling on orders a real threat to security these days?

I am waiting for them to pull me out of line, when they do, I am going to take names and try to get some people fired.

Then they get angry because they want to unionize the screeners, and give them tenure like some other Federal employees.

Can you imagine if McDonalds gave their people a union and tenure? Do you think that would help?

I don't think so.

I overheard two baggage screeners talking out west, griping abou the fact that they were only making $38 an hour before overtime kicked in.

Incredible.

TR

DunbarFC · 06-04-2004, 09:40

$38 an hour ?

Man what am I doing wrong................

The last time I was at Logan I was early getting my girlfriend from a flight and sat down to read a book near the TSA office or maybe it was the break room. Apparently a shift change was happening and ALL the screeners walked away from the gate area en masse to the office where they talked with what seemed to be there replacements for a few minutes and then the replacements walked over to the gates

In that time there was no one, and I mean no one watching the gate area.

This was the same terminal that American leaves from and the same terminal where Flight 11 left from

Made me glad I was just picking someone up that day

Guy · 06-04-2004, 10:00

At $38/hr...I would have the majority of those fat f*cks standing in PT formation before there shift began.

At that rate...I'd work every holiday and you would never have to ask me to work overtime. Hell, I'd put a army cot in the breakroom with a poncho liner and tell them..."just call me when you need me or if someone calls in sick"!

No wonder airfares are so high!

lrd · 04-10-2005, 05:42

Quote:

TSA slated for dismantling
White House asks agency's director to step down

By Sara Kehaulani Goo
The Washington Post
Updated: 11:32 p.m. ET April 7, 2005

The Transportation Security Administration, once the flagship agency in the nation's $20 billion effort to protect air travelers, is now slated for dismantling.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7424844/

danjam · 04-10-2005, 06:31

Not complaining, I get why they need to check however it was rather a site (people jaws hung) when flying out of Denver International, they had my 3 year old take her shoes off, stand with her legs/arms apart and wave the magic wand over her. Poor thing was so shocked she actually stood still. She was wearing loose clothes on, nothing you could hide on her... anyway, coming from where we do, we took it in good humour. By the way, she did not make the detectors ping at all, non of us did.

I am all for non-PC profiling.

504PIR · 04-10-2005, 08:55

I'm always checked its, become a joke. All the fit, white guys with short to meduim hair, semi-well dressed who have multiple govt IDs, must fit some terrorist profile. In Amsterdam I was getting on KLM and because I had been in Iraq, Jordan and a visa for Afganistan-I had to talk to security as well.

My girlfriend who is a tall, attractive, thin blonde with big breasts IS ALWAYS SEARCHED!!

TSA is a bunch of fricking incompetents, who couldn't get a job at Burger King.

SP5IC · 04-10-2005, 10:03

As bad as TSA is, they outclass the morons who proceeded them. One of those idiots walked off with a plastic tray containing my watch, ring & car keys. This was in Atlanta. Since I wear a DonJoy brace on my knee, I was isolated. I told the clerk who was watching me to stop that guy. Well, you know who caught shit. Me! There is some justice as those dipsticks are unemployed.

Trip_Wire (RIP) · 04-10-2005, 11:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by SP5IC

As bad as TSA is, they outclass the morons who proceeded them. One of those idiots walked off with a plastic tray containing my watch, ring & car keys. This was in Atlanta. Since I wear a DonJoy brace on my knee, I was isolated. I told the clerk who was watching me to stop that guy. Well, you know who caught shit. Me! There is some justice as those dipsticks are unemployed.

I have to agree with the above statement on the ones who proceeded TSA. I also have to agree with Ambush Master's comment "THOUSANDS STANDING AROUND !!!!"

I get pulled out of line everytime I go through airport security. I have lots of metal in my left leg. I have a card from my doctor that says this; however, I don't even bother to show it. I do tell them, as soon as they send me to the people with the wand, but they keep running the wand over my leg and asking me if I have taken all the stuff out of my pockets and if they can feel my leg, etc.

On most occassions they ask me to take off my shoes. On a few of theses occassions there has been no chair for me to sit in when doing this. At my age, good balance on one leg, isn't one of my fine points. I have made them angry, whem I insisted on a chair before taking them off. This has gotten better lately there will be a chair.

Because I always get sent to the "Wand people" I now do not put my Rolex or Dive Computer watch or anything I care about in the plastic box, because if it's delayed or my wife is delayed it sits there for easy pickings for any theif to get. In one case they would not let my wife wait for my stuff, she had to leave the area. (To include carry on, etc.) on the other side of the line. The stuff just sat there, without anybody taking care of it. Normally, she will collect my stuff and secure it until I get through the gauntlet.

So far, TSA, has removed (stolen) an older Dive Computer watch that I had in checked luggage (LAX). On diving trips I NEVER put important/expensive things in my checkin luggage. (Regulators, Dive Computers and UW Cameras, etc.)

Also in my experience, like most things in life some airports seem to be better organized then others. The TSA employees seem to vary from airport to airport in age, ethnics/predominate race present and level of intelligence, in most cases this seems to be very low.

So far Dallas/Fortworth, Tx airport has been the most unorganized TSA operation I've been through.

Actually, I see no solution to this problem, given the people who take these jobs and the PC crap about no profiling.

AngelsSix · 04-10-2005, 18:56

I have been frequently pulled out of line on several occasions by TSA in the past when I got a military fare on the airline. Since I stopped doing that, I no longer get the hassle; besides the AAA discount is better. Also, I have started to carry my sidearm on trips now. As soon as I get to the counter I let them know...I am always asked if I am LE.....I politely telll them military MP. No one really bothers me anymore......

The majority of folks working TSA were either kids (couldn't have been 21, some of them) or minorities. None of them were too bright, either. Why pay good folks good money when you can pay mediocre folks cheap to do the same job??

**Razor** · 04-10-2005, 19:40

$38 an hour is cheap?

As an aside, I didn't realize military MPs were afforded carry privileges on airlines.

casey · 04-10-2005, 20:41

Replacing TSA personnel with "security mannequins" would be just as effective and cheaper. I believe 99.9% of those assigned to checkpoints have no idea why they are removing your shoes, don't know the composition of Richard Rieds shoe bomb, nor understand any concept of why their magging and swipeing would be ineffective against similar TATP/HMTD IEDs.

Remember, Ramsi Yusef's device which killed the Japenese businessman would still get thru todays carry on screening process with no trouble.

Again, - seek the bomber - not the bomb . Its unlikely you'll find a good bomb.

NousDefionsDoc · 04-10-2005, 20:47

I wonder how much the TSA experiment costs the tax payers? Think the TSA employees will pitch a fit if they have to go back to private sector?

lksteve · 04-10-2005, 21:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc

Think the TSA employees will pitch a fit if they have to go back to private sector?

depends...if they wind up at the local In-N-Out flipping burgers (for substantially less than $38/hr) i suspect they'll be sorely displeasured...

Gypsy · 04-10-2005, 22:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trip_Wire

On most occassions they ask me to take off my shoes. On a few of theses occassions there has been no chair for me to sit in when doing this.

Just flew out of Midway/Chicago on Saturday (okay...I admit it was the first time I've flown since 9/11) and looks like they make everyone take off their shoes, no chairs for anyone to use until you went through the detector. I had open toed flat sandals on and even I was made to remove mine as well. But I did have my first In-N-Out Burger today.

It was pretty good (Culver's is better) but the fries are awesome.