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> major TSA delays. This infuriates me. Last week I was stuck in line for TSA for an hour and a half at Sea-Tac. The TSA clowns had one guy looking at the X-
by MichaelCollins 4y ago
> major TSA delays.
This infuriates me. Last week I was stuck in line for TSA for an hour and a half at Sea-Tac. The TSA clowns had one guy looking at the X-rays of luggage at the speed of molasses. Am I to believe that the TSA, FAA and airlines can't coordinate to determine when gluts of incoming passengers are expected? Bullshit. Why didn't they have more TSA workers on shift? Because they don't give a shit, nothing in the structure of the system gives the TSA an incentive to give a shit and do their job well. What do they care if people miss their flights? They don't, those smug pieces of shit don't care at all.
They even have signs plastered all over their checkpoint threatening you with federal charges and huge fines if you "verbally abuse" the TSA workers. In this country it is legal for me to call a traffic cop a fascist pig, but I can't say the same to a TSA agent? I hate them so much.
- FigurativeVoid 4y agoI used to work in the same building as the TSA. They were some of the rudest people I have ever been around. They would smoke in the stairwells and literally anywhere other than the smoking areas. They have the same problem as BMVs, they have literally no incentive to improve. There is no competition.
- mcculley 4y agoAnd now they are like other bad organizations (e.g., police departments that have a history of shooting unarmed people) in the respect that nobody wants to be associated with them, so they can only recruit from the bottom.
- FigurativeVoid 4y agoThey also don't get paid when we have budget legislation. Who would want to work in a place like that?
- banannaise 4y agoPaying more for a job already designed to attract terrible people will still attract the same terrible people, it will just make them richer. Again, see police departments. You can see a different sort of example in teaching: teachers put up with terrible pay for a long time, but now they're quitting in droves because of terrible work conditions and lack of emotional fulfillment. You have to change the nature of the job from something designed around theater and blustering to something actually useful. The pay is never the problem, it's that the jobs are bullshit. Although once the jobs are no longer bullshit, we should probably pay them better.
- ch4s3 4y ago> threatening you with federal charges and huge fines if you "verbally abuse" the TSA workers It's probably unconstitutional, but no one has tested it in court yet as far as I'm aware.
- phone8675309 4y agoI don't think anyone wants to be detained by the TSA and put on the no-fly list to call a TSA agent a fascist
- MichaelCollins 4y agoI expect they would detain you, force you to miss your flight, but not actually fine you. Without actually charging you with anything despite the threats, they avoid having their bullshit rule challenged in court.
- Karunamon 4y agoIf I ever come into possession of fuck you money, I intend to set up an organization whose mission is to buy cheap plane tickets that people are not intended to fly on, and then pay and instruct people on how to screw with the TSA completely legally.
- ch4s3 4y agoIt would probably be more effective to fund a few senators and congress people on the condition that they amend the The Aviation and Transportation Security Act.
- BigRedDog1669 4y agoHe said fuck you money, not Jeff Bezos money.
- pjc50 4y agoIt strikes me as remarkable that, in a pandemic which killed several hundred airliners worth of Americans, a lot of fuss was made about mask-related impositions, while TSA-related impositions that save a number of lives that's close to zero have become entirely normal. All War On Terror and no War On Viruses.
- cnelsenmilt 4y agoPeople objected to the TSA, but the political climate in 2002 was too much in favor of it.
- pjc50 4y agoSure, but that was then and this is now. I guess it's simply not possible to get it back into the "discourse" as a thing that should be changed.
- whatwherewhy 4y agoIt's a worldwide thing. EU airport security is even stricter and they're not going to let go now.
- felipelemos 4y agoThe airport security in Europe and South America is not even close to how it is in USA.
- mcronce 4y agoMy sample size is two - one departing flight each from LHR and DUB - but they were way less painful experiences than any airport I've flown out of in the US.
- martopix 4y agoThe few times I was in the US I definitely did not have the feeling that EU is more strict.
- 1024core 4y ago> Am I to believe that the TSA, FAA and airlines can't coordinate to determine when gluts of incoming passengers are expected? Same with the Customs and Immigration Services (the passport checkers) at SFO. I have seen lines going out to the walkway (leading into the big room). I can't even imagine traveling with a couple of little children; there's no restroom in that big hall. By law, these people get full passenger manifests, arrival times, etc. before the flight even lands. They know, down to the passenger, everyone's status, nationality, etc. AND STILL THEY ARE OFTEN SHORTHANDED! This is the reception we give to visitors to the country. SMH...
- ISL 4y agoPerhaps they're trying to hire, but either the labor market is tight or they're not able to offer enough to get people to take the job. GP's desire to berate TSA agents, for example, suggests that job-satisfaction might not be real high.
- tastyfreeze 4y agoMy friend that worked TSA for a few years said it was the worst job he has ever had.
- nradov 4y agoIt's tough to live near SFO on a Customs and Border Protection salary. I'm not surprised they have trouble with staffing.
- sagarm 4y agoSFO's airport security is actually run by a private firm: https://www.flysfo.com/about/airport-operations/safety-security https://www.flysfo.com/about/airport-operations/safety-secur...
- nradov 4y agoThe parent comment by @1024core was about passport control, not security screening. All passport checks at SFO are performed by government employees.
- the_only_law 4y agoLast year I made the mistake of flying up to visit family on Christmas Eve. The TSA line wrapped around the entire airport. Luckily I made it just barely in time. I was already delayed when a nasty accident shit down the interstate and added an extra hour to my airport trip.
- TecoAndJix 4y agoThat's what you get for not arriving at the airport six hours before your flight /s
- ThunderSizzle 4y agoSad thing is that the system constantly says that unsarcastically. Airlines, TSA, and airport messaging constantly remind me to be hours early and to anticipate long security lines.
- throwaway2037 4y agoReal question / Zero trolling: For your travel situaton, is it possible to not fly?
- ThunderSizzle 4y agoedit: misread your question I will go out of my way to not fly, since I've found flying (more specifically, the logistics _around_ flying) to be a displeasurable experience, and driving is much easier and affordable.
- bluGill 4y agoI can drive, spending 20 hours on the road, and 2 nights in a hotel - each way. Hard to say if that is better or worse than flying. The above trip is taken with my family so flying is more expensive than gas+hotels. However last time I took the trip we missed our connection (weather) had to take grey hound there as they couldn't get everyone there. Driving is not fun, but at least we can be sure to arrive on time.
- tastyfreeze 4y agoAirport security was much better when it was private security not government security. At least privately security had alignment with airport customer service. Airports just have to deal with TSA BS now. I like to remind people, especially kids that don't know different, that the TSA was imposed on us and air travel used to be so much better.
- bagels 4y agoBetter in that it was more effective?
- tastyfreeze 4y agoMore cost effective and answered to the business serving travelers. TSA answers to nobody and customer service is not even a priority. Private security that harassed, berated, and abused patrons would not be working private security for very long. You will have to define effective to tell if TSA or private security is better. TSA is an effective hinderance on travel, jobs program, and public money funnel for scanner companies. Private security was more effective at scaling security for the risk and trying to be a minimal hinderance to travelers.
- ThunderSizzle 4y agoIt's actually one of the reasons I'm hesitant at being pro-public transit. Last thing I need is a TSA equivalent pat down for entering a bus or metro because the government decided it wants to.
- throwaway2037 4y agoHave you ever travelled to and taken mass transit in Israel? This is common.
- ThunderSizzle 4y agoNo, I don't live in or have visited Israel, but it's obvious why Israel would have such precautions compared to many other parts of the world.
- londons_explore 4y agoOutside the USA, especially at smaller airports, xraying all the bags is something thats only done to meet the rules. The staff don't care what you have in your bag - if security has a queue, they'll just pick 100 random people and tell them to skip security and go straight through to departures. Likewise, if there is only 2 people on duty to search bags identified that need searching, and they're busy, then any liquids etc. in other bags will be 'not noticed' so as to not overload the people searching bags and cause queues. Such things make me always deliberately choose small airports - they're just so efficient compared to airports where security theater is done 'properly'.
- bagels 4y agoDomestic flights in New Zealand are incredible. Single X-Ray machine, toss your bag on the conveyor, and it goes through just as fast as you can walk to the other side. No body scanners, no metal detectors.
- spoils19 4y agoThe security 'theater' is what we pay for a high level of freedom in the US, especially in conservative states. You may reach the end of the queue faster, but what if there's a bad guy with a gun there? Where will the good guys be?
- techdmn 4y agoPresumably standing around outside, waiting for the SWAT team, and not letting anyone else enter the building. How the Uvalde PD didn't all get charged with aiding and abetting is beyond me.
- dfxm12 4y agoxraying all the bags is something thats only done to meet the rules. The staff don't care what you have in your bag I wish this was true. In Spain recently something in my bag tripped the Xray alarm. I had to unpack my bag and take "something metal" out for inspection. It turned out it was an empty food packaging with a shiny foil bit on the side. Over all, it's not so big a deal, but they certainly cared about it.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- gnarbarian 4y agoThere is little to no incentive for the TSA or FAA to provide better service to the public. you can't exactly go with a competitor, The best you can do is file a complaint or email your congressman. (source 15 years of federal work experience for multiple agencies)
- jtsiskin 4y agoAirports also have an incentive to keep the TSA lines as variable as possible. If the line can sometimes take 5 minutes and sometimes take 2 hours, you need to arrive 2 hours early. And then if it actually takes just 5 minutes - that’s 1:55 left for buying food and shopping.
- crooked-v 4y agoIt's not TSA, but I was particularly dumbfounded at Heathrow Airport when security exited straight into an extended shopping corridor of champagne, jewelry, and caviar.
- devilbunny 4y agoIt's not quite the same situation as it used to be, but this stuff used to be ideally suited to the dual purpose of buying gifts to take home and burning all your remaining foreign currency.