4 ms·

TSA Agents Hate New Pat Downs, Find Them Disgusting And Morale Breaking

9 points by cwan 16y ago

jdp23 16y ago
It's based on a post by Steven Frisching (aka @FlyingWithFish) who polled 20 TSOs. 17 responded unanimously against the new pat downs. Stephen said "I expected most to not like the pat downs … but what I didn’t expect was that all 17 mentioned their morale being broken down"
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
cheald 16y ago
> I go home and I cry. I am serving my country, I should not have to go home and cry after a day of honorably serving my country. This really struck a chord with me, not because I feel that they should get a pass, but because apparently these agents have drunk the Kool-Aid and really believe that what they're doing is a noble endeavor that people should be thanking them for, like one would thank a veteran. "Honorable service to your country" does not include routine violations of the country's Constitution and the harassment and intimidation of her citizens. I know that at the end of the day, most of the screeners are regular Joes looking to put food on the table, but honestly...I'm glad that these new procedures are destroying morale. I wish no harm to the individuals, but the TSA as an organization won't be able to survive the rotting from within that results from an utterly demoralized, underpaid, abused workforce. Public criticism is one thing, but if your workforce starts evaporating because your policies are too brutal, the simple economics of the situation requires that something change.
- jdp23 16y ago
  well said. like you've got mixed feelings. as individuals i'm sympathetic: they signed up for a job serving their country, and are now being told to do things they find unpalatable, being exposed to an unknown about of radiation (they're not allowed to wear dosimeters), and taking abuse from passengers. in this economic climate, it's got to be a really difficult tradeoff. on the other hand, as you say, "Honorable service to your country" does not include routine violations of the country's Constitution and the harassment and intimidation of her citizens.

9 points by cwan 16y ago

jdp23 16y ago

It's based on a post by Steven Frisching (aka @FlyingWithFish) who polled 20 TSOs. 17 responded unanimously against the new pat downs. Stephen said "I expected most to not like the pat downs … but what I didn’t expect was that all 17 mentioned their morale being broken down"

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

cheald 16y ago

> I go home and I cry. I am serving my country, I should not have to go home and cry after a day of honorably serving my country. This really struck a chord with me, not because I feel that they should get a pass, but because apparently these agents have drunk the Kool-Aid and really believe that what they're doing is a noble endeavor that people should be thanking them for, like one would thank a veteran. "Honorable service to your country" does not include routine violations of the country's Constitution and the harassment and intimidation of her citizens. I know that at the end of the day, most of the screeners are regular Joes looking to put food on the table, but honestly...I'm glad that these new procedures are destroying morale. I wish no harm to the individuals, but the TSA as an organization won't be able to survive the rotting from within that results from an utterly demoralized, underpaid, abused workforce. Public criticism is one thing, but if your workforce starts evaporating because your policies are too brutal, the simple economics of the situation requires that something change.

jdp23 16y ago
well said. like you've got mixed feelings. as individuals i'm sympathetic: they signed up for a job serving their country, and are now being told to do things they find unpalatable, being exposed to an unknown about of radiation (they're not allowed to wear dosimeters), and taking abuse from passengers. in this economic climate, it's got to be a really difficult tradeoff. on the other hand, as you say, "Honorable service to your country" does not include routine violations of the country's Constitution and the harassment and intimidation of her citizens.