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First, and more clearcut, I don't think ire should be limited. Those who voluntarily participate in enforcing the current system are not exempt from the fallou
by existencebox 8y ago
First, and more clearcut, I don't think ire should be limited. Those who voluntarily participate in enforcing the current system are not exempt from the fallout of their choices any more than much of HN would suggest engineers be exempt from the ethical decisions of our employment. Look recently, people are saying Microsoft employees should quit because MS sells office products to ICE. If that's the line in the sand we're drawing, "working directly for the TSA" seems pretty well and truly over it. (Full disclosure, I'm actually not sold on this "hard" stance, but TSA seems more of a slam dunk than office products in terms of complicity, and if I regardless put myself in the eyes of someone who DOES believe this stance...)
There's a fair discussion about "was the way you confronted them that of a professional adult" but at the end of the day, I'm finding it hard to honestly be too upset at the language used outside of a very token "tsk tsk". TSA has not had a history of treating my wife and I respectfully so it's difficult to reciprocate, and can even see the argument that by adding social friction to working there you erode their ability to push policies like this if workers go "wait this may be a bad idea that may make people really angry at us." ESPECIALLY now that there's no real legal recourse outside of petitioning congress.
(An anecdote: I was very sick going through security recently, extremely sleep deprived and falling over without support, they pulled us over to secondary screening and refused to let me sit down while they were checking my bags, ended up vomiting into a trashcan while the agent gave me lip. Turns out all this was over a pair of nail clippers the wife forgot she had packed... and on the RETURN trip.)
- instaheat 8y agoI would have taken that opportunity to throw up on the agent.
- bilbo0s 8y agoI think you may be underestimating the number of agents who have been thrown up on. (And the number who have had to call for cleanups for vomit that did not land on them, and medical personnel for the ill traveler, is even larger.) The thing is though, that's what they signed up for. If they can't handle vomit, they should look for another job. From a certain point of view, it's better for the TSA agent to be soiled with vomit than it is to allow a potentially contagious passenger on what may be a very long flight.
- instaheat 8y agoActually, I made no estimations at all. In this person's scenario, I would have simply enjoyed throwing up on them. It's the little things. As he stated, the agent wouldn't let him sit down and it was over a pair of nail clippers. Perhaps the vomit wouldn't have made them blink at all, doesn't mean I wouldn't get some form of enjoyment out of it. Sounds like the agent was being a prick. Are we surprised?
- dang 8y agoPlease don't do this here.
- AlexandrB 8y ago> Turns out all this was over a pair of nail clippers the wife forgot she had packed... Nail clippers are not allowed now!? I fly with nail clippers all the time (including to/from the US) and have never had an issue. Looking at the TSA site, nail clippers are explicitly permitted as well [1]. Was the agent actively looking to hassle you? [1] https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/nail-clippers https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/...
- Hydraulix989 8y agoI wouldn't put it past them.
- erric 8y agoThis is just one of the many problems with the TSA: their policies are randomly and inconsistently enforced.
- existencebox 8y agoTo be precise: These were the type that look like "tiny curved scissors" with a ~half inch long tip that curves along the end of the finger, not the "squeeze to close" types. [0] (From my googling, maybe "eyebrow trimmers"? I have no idea. In either case, a hilariously impractical weapon, I can see how someone might construe it as "real scissors" if I'm being very generous, but the way we were handled was unacceptable.) [0] https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-chromium-scissors-scissor-cut-fingernails-fingernail-nail-clippers-141655676.html https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-chromium-scissors-scissor-...
- clubm8 8y agoI mean, do you stop and harangue off duty police officers? Members of the military? Both are complicit in far worse IMHO.