quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:
Put your brain on pause as you go through the TSA line.

Why not? They do it for whole days at a time.

I routinely pop for explosives when I get “randomly” selected for a swab. I’ve trained folks how to use those explosives detection machines; half the time they agents aren’t using them correctly.

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:
I used to travel a ton many many years ago and knew and followed every rule.

I always carried firearms everywhere I flew. Once I had to fly to Midland, TX and when I was flying out to go back home, I declared my firearms as usual with the airline and then brought the baggage to TSA for screening as checked luggage. I saw the TSA guy stop the belt, talk to others, and then I just sat and waited for a few minutes until I was surrounded by about 12 cops and told not to move. I was pulled aside and Mr. dipstick TSA agent had called the cops because he saw a gun and bullets in my luggage. I later learned he was from Chicago and wasn’t “used” to seeing people with guns. After the cops verified I had packed everything correctly, they apologized. I wanted an apology from idiot TSA agent, but never got one.

Also one time as I was going through the normal security checkpoint, I got pulled aside as they had to closely examine my badge in my wallet that I put in the x-ray bin to not set off the metal detector as they thought it could have sharp points as in being a “throwing star”. Give me a break! Look at the badge and look at the credentials with it! Of course since I got pulled aside, I also got the full search, pat down, hand swap, etc. Yeah, I am the villain you need to be checking!

Moving from Chicago to Midland had to be one hell of a culture shock for that guy

I love how after a sister agency allows a suspected terrorist to enter from MX the TSA all of a sudden needs to inspect the suitcase containing all my kids stuffed animals from Disney. Simba & Pluto might have been plotting something. Glad they were on the case.

True Story! The last time I landed at Midway was early 1970s, in my own airplane; I had a parking spot in the tiedown area near the firehouse on the west side of the airport.

When I stopped, shut down, and started to transfer luggage to my car, I was surrounded by Chicago Police, who were going to charge me with various felonies, stuff like air piracy, hijacking, transporting stolen goods (the airplane) across a state line (actually, many state lines, round trip Chicago - New Jersey), and maybe a bunch of other violations.

Nobody hates TSA more than flight crew! Those of us who were around before 9/11 especially hate what has been done. They fundamentally changed the nature of the job and the culture of aviation.

Those of us who were trained in airline security procedures prior to 9/11 know that the failure was not that some sharp blades made it onto airplanes. The problem was in what crews were instructed to do by government agencies. The problem was the complete absence of awareness by those government agencies as to what the threats were, i.e. not your grandfather's diversion to Cuba.

Crew are treated as even more likely to be a threat than a passenger. Going through a crew access screening point is more rather than less.

TSA Pre Clear is much easier for me than it was as crew.

Behind the scenes there is apparently good stuff happening to keep the evil people away from repeating 9/11. The theater at the airport, though, is not helping.

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:
Sooo much fun!

Please hold the applause, as I am in Phoenix on a layover and not home yet.

I'll only comment on PHX. Wife and I have missed more flights connecting in PHX that all the other airports combined. I just don't understand Phoenix anyway, ridiculous place for a large city, and the airport is difficult (at best).

I had a series of at least 10 flights where the body scanner always flagged my right ankle. Never anything there, really bizarre.

Don't fly as much anymore, so I haven't had much TSA interaction. My kid's carseat got flagged last time we flew to CA, guess the smashed cheerios/snacks under the cushion were of concern

Haven’t flown in thirty years nor plan to in the future. If I go to see my friend outside of Palm Springs I’ll either take the train or drive.

At work I get a lot of questions regarding flying with firearms. I tell them to call the airline.

I must be the only SF member who has never had a bad experience with TSA. OK, there was that one agent at BWI who screamed at us to move to another line...

Before I retired eight years ago, we used to fly in the states 6-8 times/year. As retirees, we're now flying worldwide 2-3/year. We always start in Moline IL (MLI) and have gone thru TSA mainly at ORD, EWR, and IAH.

I have Pre-Check and have never flown with a firearm, maybe those are reasons for my good luck.

Just take a deep breath and remember these are mostly the wannabes who couldn’t hack it to become real cops.

That being said, screw em.

I once missed a flight because some nitwit on the tsa end of the NLETS teletype didn’t send a proper response for our flying armed message to said airport. They refused to let us past checkpoint Charlie. Screwed up the front end of an extradition. Joy.

Have I got a story for you. A few years ago I flew out of Westchester county airport in lower NY state. I was flying with a handgun, and followed all TSA and airline rules and regs. After checking our bags, my wife and I were waiting in the public area of the airport when I heard someone page Mr. Josephs to the Delta check in desk. My wife's last name is Josephs, and the tickets were in her name, so I've learned to respond to Mr. Josephs.

I meet the TSA dweeb and he proceeds to tongue lash me because my luggage is locked with what he says are non TSA locks. I tell him I don't use TSA locks because they day they were introduced the key was compromised, and I'm not about to allow every airport baggage handier access to my personal property. He starts with the threats to cut my locks, and I tell him don't bother. I provide him the combination. He wouldn't tell me why they wanted to search my luggage, just something about they detected something on the x-ray.

So fast forward to we're sitting in the departure lounge when two Westchester county police officers are walking through obviously looking for someone. I say 'I think you're looking for me', and they ask 'are you Mr. Josephs?'. I say close enough and they escort me to a secure area where my pelican case is waiting for me. I was questioned s to why I was flying with a handgun, and why I didn't declare it. I informed that I did declare it, and the ticker agent prepared a large red placard that was placed in my luggage that was supposed to show that the handgun was properly checked in.

While they go and find the agent that checked me in I'm chatting with the cop and I tell him I'm a retired MP. Turns out we were in the same USAR unit back in the late 1980's\early 1990's. My platoon SGT was his SGM. The ticket agent shows up and confirms that I was checked in correctly. The cop turns to the TSA agent and rips him a new one for causing all this trouble.

You can't make this shit up.