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I agree. I went through the TSA checkpoint at the United Premier Access this last Tuesday. They have the new automated bin return system. Some of the people wh

I agree. I went through the TSA checkpoint at the United Premier Access this last Tuesday. They have the new automated bin return system. Some of the people who travel less frequently were leaving the bins behind instead of putting them in the machine to be returned to the front. The TSA agent shouted at them repeatedly, "do any of you read English? Can't you read the damn sign?" While he pointed at the instructions. He did this for the entire time I was near the checkpoint. This is belittling. Not everyone flys frequently and knows this process. How about respecting them and teaching them the new way? I wanted to say something to one of the other agents, but why risk ending up on a list especially when it's this hard to get through now.

dawnerd 8y ago
I travel frequently and those machines at lax always throw me off. And they expect you to stand right up next to someone else while you empty your pockets. Literally feels like I’m cattle.
- Cthulhu_ 8y ago
  > Literally feels like I’m cattle. That might actually be the intent - make people feel uncomfortable so they get more uncomfortable if they're up to no good.
  - pmiller2 8y ago
    I think you overestimate the competence of TSA. Last I had read, TSA had never prevented a terrorist attack, and has an abysmal record in tests where people try to get things like guns and knives past them.
    - jjeaff 8y ago
      TSA is security theater. Nothing more.
      - dragonwriter 8y ago
        No, it's a liability transfer from the airline industry and a subsidy to various contractors. Sure, security theater is the cover for all that, but it's not just security theater.
  - LordAtlas 8y ago
    I refer you to Hanlon's Razor.
  - dawnerd 8y ago
    I think it has more to do with lax not having space for huge security lines (see terminal 3, what a freaking joke that is).
- microtherion 8y ago
  Cattle has pockets? Did you grow up on a kangaroo farm?
JacKTrocinskI 8y ago
Unfortunately this kind of behavior probably stems from their upbringing, not saying it's right, if you feel insulted report it: https://www.tsa.gov/contact-center/form/complaints https://www.tsa.gov/contact-center/form/complaints
philpem 8y ago
I had this at Gatwick last year... "Hey idiot, get your goddamn bags off the (expletive) belt! Hurry the hell up!" At which point another passenger decided to take advantage of the confusion and tried to steal my phone... "God (expletive) damn you! Are you trying to make my (expletive) life hard?! Just take your bags and go, you're holding up my line!" Approached the airport, "we do not comment on security matters". "How can I take this complaint further?" "You'll need to ask your solicitor to contact our legal department." And then there was Stockholm Arlanda... (On the way in) "Good morning Sir. Welcome to Stockholm." And on the way out... "Sir, is this your bag? Can you please turn the laptop on for me?" 'Do you need me to log in, it's for work...' "Oh no, I just need to see it turn on."
- dijit 8y ago
  The laptop thing is actually common. Confirming the functionality of laptops (especially larger or older ones) is within the guidelines Just making sure it's not a bomb. Easy to bypass though, just like all security theatre.
- kmlx 8y ago
  Helsinki: "why am i being checked?" smiles looking stupid "no really, why am i being checked" "i don't know, i just work here" "so you just follow orders blindly? can someone explain what's going on" no one could explain anything because Helsinki airport is a piece of..., same as Gatwick or Luton. regarding TSA, since I don't have facebook, snapchat, instagram it's always scary talking to them.
  - ATsch 8y ago
    > since I don't have facebook, snapchat, instagram it's always scary talking to them. why?
    - NullPrefix 8y ago
      Stasi thinks he's hiding his real accounts
    - 8y ago
throwaway_45 8y ago
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- zemvpferreira 8y ago
  As someone who used to take about 50 flights per year for work, I’ve been abused by TSA officers of all races equally. Take your barely hidden racism somewhere else.
  - jacobush 8y ago
    Their color is blue.
lotsofpulp 8y ago
TSA is a jobs program for people who aren’t willing to do real work.
- axaxs 8y ago
  Harsh, but agreed. I have a relative who is older and retired. Got bored sitting around the house, so got a job with the TSA. He'd never held a job anything remotely to do with security, research, or investigation...
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > TSA is a jobs program for people who aren’t willing to do real work. The overt function, employing in many cases the exact same people, existed before it was federalized, so, no, that doesn't really explain what was new about TSA vs the status quo ante.
ataturk 8y ago
What you fail to internalize completely is that we are lucky they let us travel at all. That's where we are as "citizens" these days. We keep giving up rights and then you want to complain when things like this take place?
xfitm3 8y ago
Isn’t the attitude intentionally intimidating, and a core part of the screening process? If someone is nervous and intimidated they may show cues that earn them additional screening.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

dawnerd 8y ago

I travel frequently and those machines at lax always throw me off. And they expect you to stand right up next to someone else while you empty your pockets. Literally feels like I’m cattle.

Cthulhu_ 8y ago
> Literally feels like I’m cattle. That might actually be the intent - make people feel uncomfortable so they get more uncomfortable if they're up to no good.
- pmiller2 8y ago
  I think you overestimate the competence of TSA. Last I had read, TSA had never prevented a terrorist attack, and has an abysmal record in tests where people try to get things like guns and knives past them.
  - jjeaff 8y ago
    TSA is security theater. Nothing more.
    - dragonwriter 8y ago
      No, it's a liability transfer from the airline industry and a subsidy to various contractors. Sure, security theater is the cover for all that, but it's not just security theater.
- LordAtlas 8y ago
  I refer you to Hanlon's Razor.
- dawnerd 8y ago
  I think it has more to do with lax not having space for huge security lines (see terminal 3, what a freaking joke that is).
microtherion 8y ago
Cattle has pockets? Did you grow up on a kangaroo farm?

JacKTrocinskI 8y ago

Unfortunately this kind of behavior probably stems from their upbringing, not saying it's right, if you feel insulted report it: https://www.tsa.gov/contact-center/form/complaints https://www.tsa.gov/contact-center/form/complaints

philpem 8y ago

I had this at Gatwick last year... "Hey idiot, get your goddamn bags off the (expletive) belt! Hurry the hell up!" At which point another passenger decided to take advantage of the confusion and tried to steal my phone... "God (expletive) damn you! Are you trying to make my (expletive) life hard?! Just take your bags and go, you're holding up my line!" Approached the airport, "we do not comment on security matters". "How can I take this complaint further?" "You'll need to ask your solicitor to contact our legal department." And then there was Stockholm Arlanda... (On the way in) "Good morning Sir. Welcome to Stockholm." And on the way out... "Sir, is this your bag? Can you please turn the laptop on for me?" 'Do you need me to log in, it's for work...' "Oh no, I just need to see it turn on."

dijit 8y ago
The laptop thing is actually common. Confirming the functionality of laptops (especially larger or older ones) is within the guidelines Just making sure it's not a bomb. Easy to bypass though, just like all security theatre.
kmlx 8y ago
Helsinki: "why am i being checked?" smiles looking stupid "no really, why am i being checked" "i don't know, i just work here" "so you just follow orders blindly? can someone explain what's going on" no one could explain anything because Helsinki airport is a piece of..., same as Gatwick or Luton. regarding TSA, since I don't have facebook, snapchat, instagram it's always scary talking to them.
- ATsch 8y ago
  > since I don't have facebook, snapchat, instagram it's always scary talking to them. why?
  - NullPrefix 8y ago
    Stasi thinks he's hiding his real accounts
  - 8y ago

throwaway_45 8y ago

zemvpferreira 8y ago
As someone who used to take about 50 flights per year for work, I’ve been abused by TSA officers of all races equally. Take your barely hidden racism somewhere else.
- jacobush 8y ago
  Their color is blue.

lotsofpulp 8y ago

TSA is a jobs program for people who aren’t willing to do real work.

axaxs 8y ago
Harsh, but agreed. I have a relative who is older and retired. Got bored sitting around the house, so got a job with the TSA. He'd never held a job anything remotely to do with security, research, or investigation...
dragonwriter 8y ago
> TSA is a jobs program for people who aren’t willing to do real work. The overt function, employing in many cases the exact same people, existed before it was federalized, so, no, that doesn't really explain what was new about TSA vs the status quo ante.

ataturk 8y ago

What you fail to internalize completely is that we are lucky they let us travel at all. That's where we are as "citizens" these days. We keep giving up rights and then you want to complain when things like this take place?

xfitm3 8y ago

Isn’t the attitude intentionally intimidating, and a core part of the screening process? If someone is nervous and intimidated they may show cues that earn them additional screening.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]