TSA finds a broken play station in a carry on, treated like an explosive device, Air Port terminal evacuated on holiday weekend.
Maybe it’s just me, but was this necessary or am I missing something, induce panic over a video game. I’m thinking a bit over the top, maybe I’m wrong, an explosive dog take a sniff?
Think about the I.Q. of your average TSA agent and this all makes sense.
T oo S tupid A for Arby's
T hey'll S teal A nything
T housands S tanding A round
April 18, 2022, 11:49 AM
AllenInAR
T ub S tacking A ssholes
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The artist formerly known as AllenInWV
April 18, 2022, 11:57 AM
Jimbo Jones
Thumb Stuck in Ass
--------------------------------------- It's like my brain's a tree and you're those little cookie elves.
April 18, 2022, 12:27 PM
sigmonkey
It follows the same protocol that laptops did for a while.
When the guys and gals with blue gloves and big red floppy clown shows brought their circus to the AirMalls™, you had to power on your laptop to show it had a pretty picture so they knew it wasn't a bee oh em bee.
They still do random "turn on your computer" checks. But most of the time, it's put through the Kenner EZ SEE oven along with everything else.
"Ooops!!! The cat!!!"
"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" ✡ Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא שוב!
April 18, 2022, 12:46 PM
Edmond
Totally Stupid Assholes
Forming them was awful, letting them unionize made the problem even worse and permanent.
If I were king for a day, I'd dismantle the TSA quicker than you'd believe.
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April 18, 2022, 01:03 PM
sigmonkey
All things like the implementation of TSA should be with a definite sunset period. (90, 180, 1 yr)
With a mandatory review within X number days before the sunset if it is desired to extend it. (no "open ended" period at the pleasure of others to decide without consent)
Figure out who needs to be the "board/committee" for review.
Must be representatives that have the "good will of the people" as their focus, and then experts provide credible evidence that extending is the best thing for the rights and freedoms of the people over the concerns of the need for such things implemented.
Allowing such actions to become de-facto laws and institutions is un-constitutional and robs the people of their rights.
I took this position and said as much often about all the horseshit that piled on after 9-11, and the fact that we have seen worse with the whole COVID shit-show.
The whole "it's good for you, shut up and take it" is the quickest way to get me into asshole mode.
I am not a "complier", I am an "adopter". Just show me it needs to be.
"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" ✡ Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא שוב!
April 18, 2022, 01:55 PM
vulrath
quote:
Originally posted by sigmonkey: It follows the same protocol that laptops did for a while.
When the guys and gals with blue gloves and big red floppy clown shows brought their circus to the AirMalls™, you had to power on your laptop to show it had a pretty picture so they knew it wasn't a bee oh em bee.
They still do random "turn on your computer" checks. But most of the time, it's put through the Kenner EZ SEE oven along with everything else.
"Ooops!!! The cat!!!"
I've had them check out my camera gear a number of times. Usually they pull it out, do their chemical sweep deal, then ask me a couple of questions (presumably to see if I know what I'm talking about). They tend to clear me when their eyes start to glaze over as I describe the finer details of shooting on a cloudy day vs. a sunny one, and how it affects aperture settings.
I have heard of ignorant agents wanting folks to take their lenses apart before though. Like, dude, this thing costs 2 months' salary for you, I'm not taking it apart for you. Not to mention it's not user serviceable.
More than once I've had to get the "enhanced treatment" because I was transporting film and the associated cameras and requested to not get X ray'd. Those folks were usually pretty cool about it.
"In order to understand recursion, you must first learn the principle of recursion."
April 18, 2022, 02:21 PM
dave7378
I fly a lot. I try to be as courteous as possible with the TSA as they are people just trying to do a job but the TSA is one of the worst kneejerk decisions made following 9/11. Absolute disaster from an administration that made lots of bad decisions that contributed to the current situation we are in.
In a similar tale, I am embarrassed to report my old department responded to a report of a "suspicious object" near a bike trail. The object was an ammo can. They called in the Bomb Squad and they blew it up in place. It was a GeoCache. www.geocaching.com
End of Earth: 2 Miles Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
April 18, 2022, 02:57 PM
trapper189
Broken PlayStation or not, they are sensitive about electronics with wires all over the place in checked luggage. I've been called to the luggage screening area three times in the past to open my locks. The last time, the TSA agent mentioned that I shouldn't pack my laptop and tablet in my rifle case, so I quit doing that and have not had a problem since.
April 18, 2022, 03:53 PM
Tirod
I remember a quote from a few years back, it got around online, something to the affect there are no competent TSA employees ever.
Now imagine them creating their own heirarchy and writing regulations, too.
ATF: Lets ban bumpstocks and make every part of a gun a registered full auto.
TSA: Hold my beer.
April 18, 2022, 04:22 PM
Lefty Sig
TSA is mild compared so some places, esp if you have TSA Pre.
Hard to believe but it's true. One of the tricks in some countries is to make sure you trigger the walk through metal detector if the agent with the wand is a cute female. They certainly do a full contact wand job...
I've seen small backup batteries for phones confiscated if they cannot find a mA-hr rating, even though they are much smaller than anything in a laptop. And you have to take out laptops, iPads, Cameras, and anything with wires or they will search it. I keep all my charges and wires in come of those nice ammenity pouches you get in International Business class. Remove from the backpack and throw them in the bin. Usually that's enough. A rat's nest in the bottom of your backpack will get you a full inspection.
Biggest issue with the TSA was allowing them to unionize. Collective bargaining for Federal workers was enacted by JFK via Executive Order. Someone needs to revoke it. Trump should have done that along with firing every appointed person in the executive branch. Then tasked the replacement appointees with 20% headcount reductions.
April 18, 2022, 05:28 PM
sigcrazy7
The dumbest policy ever is occasionally choosing my brother for enhanced screening.
He's flying the damn plane.
Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus
April 18, 2022, 06:00 PM
Audioholic
The last time I did an out-of-town job I flew from Norfolk to Chicago and back. I needed a few specialized tools that could go in my carry-on (no checked luggage) so I perused TSA regs and made sure they were allowable. In Norfolk the TSA rep inspected the tools, checked their regs and sent me on.
Going home the Chicago TSA schlub looked at the tools, said several couldn't go and they would need to be tossed before boarding. Advised him to check TSA regs - I flew in with them and fully intended on leaving with them. The worthless rep actually refused to check so I Karened up and requested his supervisor. It took all of 30 seconds for the TSA supervisor to look it up and verify the tools were allowable. Hopefully the supervisor had a "coaching session" with the scurvy bastid afterwards.
I don't expect TSA reps to know every rule but if they're too obnoxious or lazy to check they need a chunk removed from their posterior. I'm always polite but have a low tolerance for dumbassery from people being paid to do a job.
"Every time you think you weaken the nation" Moe Howard
April 18, 2022, 06:04 PM
ArtieS
Time to re-post my TSA Rant from October 30, 2018!
quote:
Flew from Manchester to Orlando on Monday morning. 0500 check in. Went through security and got the Full Monte. Fingers inside the waist band, armpits, ball bounce, crack of ass, you name it. I didn't feel safer, I felt fury. A free people should not be subjected to this level of indignity to get on a damned airplane. I'd already been through a totally clean bag x-ray, two hand swabs at different locations, and a clean scanner sweep, so some prick was just checking a box on some form that requires some number of middle aged white guys to be groped by some smiling jackwad who couldn't pass highschool. You're a real go-getter Unterwachtmeister Stinkfinger! Make that quota, and you'll get promoted to Oberwachtmeister Stinkfinger in no time! Maybe get a house in the suburbs and a mistress on the side. Have a second one with the boys tonight after work.
I hope that entire agency is burned to a crisp in the eternal fires. Fuck it, I'll build a fire and burn them one at a time if that's what it takes to get it done sooner.
I will never forgive the politicians for sticking us with that miserable group of serial molesters (Fuck YOU, GWB), and then letting it unionize (DOUBLE FUCK YOU BHO). Those pricks will still be drawing checks when we no longer even need an airline industry because we get StarTrek beamed from point to point. Now that there's a union, they will NEVER go away. Hell, they are still trying to expand into subways, bus systems and every other place people congregate. I'll bet they'd like to check the balls of sports fans heading into high school basketball games or when going into a restaurant. "Big Brother should make sure you are SAFE the TSA Way everywhere you go!" is probably their motto. "Every day is better with a Cavity Search!" must be something like a prime directive. Can't be too safe you know.
Fuck that agency to hell. Why someone would choose to do that for a living is totally alien to me.
With apologies to The Clash;
So you got someone to boss around It makes you feel big now You drift until you brutalize You made your first kill now [/rant]
"I vowed to myself to fight against evil more completely and more wholeheartedly than I ever did before. . . . That’s the only way to pay back part of that vast debt, to live up to and try to fulfill that tremendous obligation."
Alfred Hornik, Sunday, December 2, 1945 to his family, on his continuing duty to others for surviving WW II.
April 18, 2022, 06:04 PM
parabellum
This kind of idiocy highlights our monkeys-with-carkeys aspects.
April 19, 2022, 08:54 AM
sig sailor
TSA has to be the dumbest most useless of all the government agencies, and the others didn't set the bar very high. Rod
"Do not approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction." John Deacon, Author
I asked myself if I was crazy, and we all said no.
April 19, 2022, 09:12 AM
sigcrazy7
“Idiocracy” and “The Life of Brian” should be canonized for their ability to predict the future.
Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus
