TSA Experiences

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Andrea

Please share your Transportation Security Administration (TSA) experiences here. Be sure to denote if you are referring to before or after the “enhanced” pat downs began in November 2010.

I have not flown for over a year now and I find I am dreading any interaction with the TSA screeners due to the multitude of recent negative reports. I really want to know I am over reacting so my honey and I can fly away to some place warm for a week or so.

As much as I would love to know how everyone feels about the TSA, it would be my preference to hear from only those that have experienced TSA security. Thank you for your consideration.

Please tell me your experience(s) and be sure to include:

1) What airport you flew out of
2) Did you go through a metal detector or the backscatter
3) Did you alarm or opt out
4) Describe your pat down experience, if any
5) Describe the experience of anyone traveling with you or to visit you
6) State how you feel about the TSA and Homeland Security
7) Anything else you feel is pertinent

I've flown from Orlando (Jo is right...it sucks), Seattle, Austin, Denver, Chicago, NYC, Jackson, San Francisco, Reno, and a bunch of other smaller airports that I just can't remember right now. Denver and Austin are the easiest, by far, to navigate. Seattle's not horrible either. The really BIGGGG cities? Fuggitaboutit.

It's been a little under two years since I've flown anywhere, to the best of my recollection.

I've never been backscatted but I have been patted down. The last time, I forgot to take off my sweatshirt before going through security. My error and the lady was quick with the pat down. I did have to wait for them to find her as there were no females at the security point when I went in. In my own defense, it was o'dark thirty and I was effin sleepy. But again, it was my error. Before that, I think I was patted down twice. Once because I had a corset on that had metal in it and I wasn't removing it and once I can't remember why but it was years ago and neither left me with a bitter taste.

I've been rather fortunate in terms of speediness (versus safety) as I have packed things that aren't really supposed to be packed, either from laziness or a mental hiccup, that have gone through just fine and without raising alarm. I did lose a nail file and a small pair of scissors, separately, over the years. I really miss that file, darn it.

I think that the TSA has a job to do and those who have the power to make that job better or worse are working hard on the latter, unfortunately. The agents themselves have, for the most part, been courteous and/or downright kind in my experience. Of course, there have been a couple of snobasses or grumpalumps but who doesn't have a bad day now and again?

All in all, my flying experiences have been okay. What I tend to remember more than the security stuff, is how the flight staff treat me. There have been some outstanding flight attendants that I remember and a handfull of really crappy ones that obviously didn't give a rat's patootie about any of us on the flight. Again, we all have bad days but those are the memories that stick with me most. Not the few minutes I spend in line with TSA, but the hours I spend sitting in those uncomfortable seats and the flight staff that either makes that time better, or worse.

[Apocalipstic]

) What airport you flew out of. Nashville, LAX, London Heathrow, O'Hare, Midway, Charlotte, Dulles, Toronto, Vancouver, Atlanta, Detroit, etc.

2) Did you go through a metal detector or the backscatter. Usually metal detector

3) Did you alarm or opt out
Never had a problem

4) Describe your pat down experience, if any.
When I have been patted down, I just looked the other way and dealt. It was ok and everyone very nice and respectful


5) Describe the experience of anyone traveling with you or to visit you
No one traveling with me has has a problem, ecept my boss when he tried to bring in marmalade. He was mad, but TSA just made him place it ion his luggage.

6) State how you feel about the TSA and Homeland Security
I feel like the Patriot Act continues to take away many of our rights. I am not a fan. TSA...working people doing their jobs.

7) Anything else you feel is pertinent. Like Linus said, be prepared and plan on having a good calm attitude and it should all be just fine.

[Andrea]

Thank you Gemme and apocalipstic for your responses.

Not sure what I was looking for with this thread but I am not feeling any more comfortable about dealing with TSA than I did before.

Once again, I appreciate every response.

Andrea

[durrrrrrrr]

i fly a lot. I've never had any problems. I did have some listerine thrown away cuz it was over the 3 oz, that was my mistake.

I have been a couple times asked to step to the side and put in that x-ray machine that does a 360 and then had to wait for the results. I have been asked to step aside where they took some cloth kinda material over my hands ( i later found out that was done to see if there is any residue from explosive materials or anything out of the ordianary. i have been patted down, still didnt bother me any

I never have had any real major problems. and whenever or every time I get singled out for extra inspection, I don't mind at all. Whatever it takes to make sure everyone is safe.

the lady who inspected my suitcase and took out the listerine told me what she was looking for even before she opened the suitcase. thought she was nice and did a great job.

I never give any of the TSA people problems. I do the "yes sir" or "yes ma'am" cuz i respect what they do.

[Nina]

I just figure if I want, or need, to fly it's part of the whole deal...

I did have a creepy and intrusive "pat down" one time...so much so that another passenger commented on it when we were through the check-point...she could tell that there was something wrong with it from her line...but, what am I going to do?...stand and scream like a crazy person and not get on the plane?...worse has happened to me, to be sure...

I have gotten through some times in a second...and other times someone wants to do what they want to do so I have to take things out of my purse or carry on...send them through the xray machines over and over...*shrug* again, what am I going to do?

I am very single minded about flying--I want to get up into the air, come down from the air...when the trip is over do the same thing in reverse and then I've had a good trip...all the other stuff is just other stuff...

some of the screeners may misuse their absolute power and others are just doing a job...it's all gonna be over very quickly in the span of a life...

just be sure to wear socks, stockings, something to cover your feet for the taking your shoes off part...it's filthy enough, and with bare feet--well, it makes me shudder thinking of it...bring some disposable booties if you care to, that will keep your stockings or socks clean for when you're allowed to wear your shoes again !

safe travels...

[Andrea]

Please note: These are all crimes from 2011. This does not include previous years or undiscovered crimes.

I feel sad, angry and betrayed all at the same time.

[Morgan]

I have much to say on this subject...first let me say I am appalled by the actions of these TSA workers. However, it happens everywhere, from police officers to Priests and anywhere a person is in power, but it does not mean we stop trusitng law enforcement officers or stop going to Church.

I would like to share my personal story after 9/11, I can truly say what happened that day impacted my life....and sickened me to the core. I have never felt so angry as I did on that day, and I felt so friggin powerless. I was living in Maine at the time and was ready to jump in my car and head to New York City, I was stopped by my partner at the time and realized I could not do anything that day to help. So I watched in horror as the building collapsed and prior to that I saw people jumping to their deaths on the television in my livingroom.

A few days later, I got a call from my guard unit, asking if I would volunteer for an assignment to the airports, standing guard with a loaded M-16 rifle, and you can best bet I had enough ammunition to blow those mother f....cking terrorists back to afghanistan. I carried 100 rounds on my person and in my weapon, I was ready and people stopped and thanked me for being there. People were scared and people were angry, but we had to fly, we had no alternative, but to take our airports back. This was our right, we should not have had to fear flying or any other mode of transportation, who gave them the right to take away our freedom. I swore to myself that I would protect you and anyone else, that needed protection....

Five months from the day in which I got to the airport, I applied for the first ever TSA security positions in the US, it was a supervisor position, I was sent to Chicago and passed the written, physical and emotional tests for the job. Many people did not pass and were escorted from the hotel, this numbered in the thousands. A few weeks later I was sent to Oklahoma City, for training to begin federalizing the airports. The individuals who trained me were retired and ex-federal officials from the secret service, FBI and CIA department. They had no experience in screening at the airports, but knew how to look for terrorists and people that were not on the up and up...they trained us for 2 weeks, on everything from screening bags, pat downs, screening passengers, x-ray machines, and facial expressions. We learned what we needed to know to protect all the people in the airports from flying with a terrorist, who did not give a f..ck what happened to you or any other American. I trained so that I could go to the airports and train other screeners how to also protect you and everyone else, we started with Baltimore, then I headed to JFK, LaGuardia, and Houston Hobby...then I was sent back to my airport in Maine. While in NYC I had a chance to see the pit which once stood the Twin Towers and I cried, for all the people who lost their lives and their loved ones, but mostly I cried, because in one day we lost our faith in humanity....and the right to believe that we are all safe.

I know that TSA is not perfect, but tell me one career that is and I will call you on it. They are there to protect your freedom and your rights....there are some bad apples and I say punish them....they are stupid, selfish, idiots and deserve to be punished.

Sorry about my rant, but I am passionate about this and although I only worked with TSA for three years, many of my friends still work there and are hard working, honest individuals who want to make your life safer.....

[Andrea]

Morgan, thank you for your heart felt reply. No, I am not suggesting there are any professions that don't have some type of corruption or 'bad' people. I do feel the TSA has an inordinately large number of child sexual abusers, many in TSA management positions.

My understanding is there are 50,000 TSA employees at the airports. The video I posted only listed 12 incidents from 2011. I am also aware of several more not included in the video, including payments made to a TSA employee to allow transportation of drugs. In my mind, that is too large of a percentage to be 'acceptable'.

I don't have an answer to this problem. People want security, real or perceived. I just want people to understand they need to be aware of the issues found within the TSA. Everyone should weigh the facts for themselves.