I had the first of three rounds of synovial fluid replacement therapy yesterday. I did not understand it would leave my left knee damned sore this morning.

Well I have to travel today. I arranged to upgrade my ticket, at my expense and requested a wheelchair to schlep me through the miles of Dulles International Airport.

I got down to the TSA checkpoint, and did my usual experienced traveler actions, getting through the bag scanner and peeping Tom machine with no problem.

Then TSA decided I needed to remove my boots. The TSA Twatwaffle asks if I need help removing them. Like an idiot, I said yes.

He grabs my foot and ankle and without bothering to ask if he should be careful, twists my knee while yanking my boot off, eschewing the usual practice of untying it. I express just how fucking painful it was with a loud "OW!" No profanity, no rebuke.

The motherfucker then says "You sure you don't want to remove the other one yourself?"

I demanded to speak with his supervisor who says these twats who work a gate set aside for people with physical impairments are too busy to behave responsibly when dealing with people who have physical impairments.

Suffice to say a formal letter of complaint will be filed, for all the good it will do.

It's now 45 minutes later and my fucking knee still hurts. I guess the upgraded ticket didn't really get me the pain avoidance I hoped.
FUCK THE TSA. FUCK THE TSA. FUCK THE TSA.

That sucks. Sorry you're in pain.
I am flying out of Pittsburgh International Saturday morning and I have not been on a plane in about 4 years.
Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to it.

Ahh yes....Dulles. Where the woman with the hijab covering her entire face like a burka checks my credentials and SSI information.

Gotta love it.

I hope your knee is better and you get a satisfactory response.

I got a Butt rub and a explosives test a couple weeks ago.

quote:

Originally posted by entropy:
Ahh yes....Dulles. Where the woman with the hijab covering her entire face like a burka checks my credentials and SSI information.

Sorry for your pain. I have fond memories of IAD when it was a peaceful little airport, NOT a hub. It used to be the place to transport in and out of DC. Now BWI is your best alternative.
 

Ah yes, TSA at Dulles.

We connected through Dulles last month. My son bought two bottles of liquor at the duty free shop. The shop sealed them in special "TSA Approved" packing.

No matter. One of the TSA "agents" decides the package needed to be opened, swabbed, inspected, etc. Fifteen minutes later she was finally satisfied and let us go with barely enough time to make our connection.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:

quote:

Originally posted by entropy:
Ahh yes....Dulles. Where the woman with the hijab covering her entire face like a burka checks my credentials and SSI information.

Sorry for your pain. I have fond memories of IAD when it was a peaceful little airport, NOT a hub. It used to be the place to transport in and out of DC. Now BWI is your best alternative.
 

Well long before the TSA was around, they tried to snatch my Rolex (wedding present from wife). This was 1991.

I wear a $50 Casio now.

quote:

Originally posted by entropy:
Ahh yes....Dulles. Where the woman with the hijab covering her entire face like a burka checks my credentials and SSI information.

Gotta love it.

I hope your knee is better and you get a satisfactory response.

My last visit, not flying. There to do repairs at duty free shop. I got my nuts felt up. Searched the fuck out of me, and that was through the employee screening. Completely ignored the bag full of weapons I had (screwdrivers, lineman's pliers, drywall saw, cat's paw, etc.) was really focused in on my knee braces and what was directly under my belt line.

Just another example of why I intend to NEVER fly again.

Last time we had to travel out to Idaho, we drove. From Manassas to Lewiston Idaho. Probably spent more on hotels, gas, food, tolls etc than the tickets would have cost. Given the "route" the airlines sent us on the last time we flew, it may have been faster to drive.

Edited to add:

On the last flight return trip we checked in 1 1/2 hour hour early at the Spokane airport, simply because I had my pistol along.

Got to the airport about odark30, we were the only passengers in the facility. Spent the next hour arguing with the TSA weenies who had no freaking concept of what they were doing, or what rules were.

I had a copy of the "rules". TSA weenies decided they needed to check with somebody and walked away to somewhere. Leaving us standing there with the open suitcase, 2 extra magazines, and 2 boxes of .40 ammo. About 20 minutes later they came back. At which point Mrs. Elk (who is much more patient and diplomatic than I am) point this security foxpaw out to them, and they seemed kind of puzzled why she would say anything about it.

And people wonder why I will not fly. Especially after I was practically a charter member of 2 different frequent flyer "clubs".

Had so many miles stored up that I took 2 round trips to Germany for both the wife and I. Flew so much that a number of the cabin crew members knew me, and addressed me by my first name.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
Now BWI is your best alternative.
 

Not if you live in Northern Virginia, it isn't. Then you have to fight TWO rush hour traffic jams. I'd rather be abused for a few minutes by the TSA than endure D.C. traffic for two hours.

NOVA and B-More are a cesspool, both in and out of the airport.

BWI has been my first choice since the Friendship days 40+ years ago, especially with my travel centered around southern Anne Arundel county. Have always hated flying into DC.

quote:

Originally posted by fpuhan:

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
Now BWI is your best alternative.
 

Not if you live in Northern Virginia, it isn't. Then you have to fight TWO rush hour traffic jams. I'd rather be abused for a few minutes by the TSA than endure D.
C. traffic for two hours.

Yeah, I don't miss driving to BWI. My last employer had price limits on what we could spend for airfare, which usually meant I got stuck flying out of Baltimore. Never mind that once you added in the extra cost for claiming mileage made the total cost from IAD cheaper... rules, ya know.

That sounded very painful. I wouldn't know what I would have done. I would have been glad for the offer to help but it sounded like you needed a 2 x 4 to thwack him on the head soon as you felt the pain.

That's awful - hope it doesn't linger long!

I was the third of three consecutive people tagged for "random" enhanced screening last week. When I suggested that wasn't random, that was just a messed up selection system and I was the third victim they were not as amused as I expected....

I fly nearly every week and I'm almost guaranteed a left breast cupping from TSA. No dates or dinners yet.....but I'm hopeful.

Pre-Check or
Global Entry reduces the pain.

It amazes me how unequal things are when it comes to utilizing commercial aircraft in this country. A few years ago, (while employed as an LEO), I flew American from Kansas City to Dallas. On that trip, I waited in a long line to be questioned, x-rayed, and ultimately to have the brand new pair of shoes I wore be tested for "explosive residue" on a personal trip.

A few months ago, I had to travel to Las Vegas from Kansas City on Southwest for official business. For that trip, I was escorted to a TSA desk where they verified my credentials and authorization for travel, and walked me directly to the terminal where I was introduced to the armed pilot and co-pilot for the flight as well as the 2 Federal Air Marshals for the flight, then boarded before any other passengers with a Glock 36 .45 ACP holstered in an OWB beneath my untucked T-shirt.

Sad.

Have letterhead, will travel.

quote:

Originally posted by Deputy 617:
I was introduced to the 2 Federal Air Marshals

... boarded before any other passengers with a Glock 36 .45 ACP holstered in an OWB beneath my untucked T-shirt.

Interesting. I recently took an FAA exam that included the regs covering this area (I aced that portion of the test). It is spelled out that an armed LE with a prisoner is first to board, last to leave, but neither in my prep studying, nor in the exam, did I find anything about armed LE traveling without a prisoner boarding first.

I'm guessing that your experience might be airline policy; as far as I know, it is not federal regulation.

Introduction to the Federal Air Marshals -- is this standard procedure? I thought these guys were supposed to be anonymous. I can see the logic if LE is escorting a prisoner, but LE traveling alone? Thinking about this ... maybe if there's an incident on the flight, the armed Good Guys should be able to identify each other?