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Anecdotal gripe : the amount of self-important power tripping and vicious snickering among TSA agents has been getting worse as of late. I feel as if I can't w

by doktrin 13y ago

Anecdotal gripe : the amount of self-important power tripping and vicious snickering among TSA agents has been getting worse as of late. I feel as if I can't walk through a security line without overhearing one of their staff berating some other traveler for offenses as minor as expressing a wish to walk through the X-Ray instead of the 3-d scanner, or for not taking their liquids out of a bag (a rule which is arbitrarily enforced at best). I typically sympathize with positions and roles who are entrusted with security, and where success may be measured by a lone failure rather than otherwise sustained competency (much like a sysadmin). However, given what I perceive to be a pattern of escalating negative experiences this report does not surprise me in the slightest.

JPKab 13y ago
The TSA's hiring process is guaranteed (at least from my wife's personal experience with it here in DC) to hire shit-bags. My wife, after being a stay-at-home mom for years, wanted to get a job while going to college part-time. She applied and was eventually offered a job by the TSA at DCA airport. Upon looking at the hours, it was completely, utterly unworkable. Rather than a 40 hour a week job, they offered her 20 hours a week, which is reasonable, but get this: the 20 hour a week job had a schedule that completely changed week to week. This means that a person can't have ANY, and I mean ANY other responsibilities/jobs/schoolwork while working as an entry level TSA employee. She was told this was the standard in hiring new TSA workers. No wonder the lines are always staffed by people who, predominantly (with a few memorable exceptions), have a shitty work ethic, bad attitude towards customers, and poor problem solving skills. In other words, the people who can't get/hold a job anywhere else end up at TSA.
- rdouble 13y ago
  Not to defend the TSA, but most part time hourly jobs have variable schedules like that. I've even worked high paying sysadmin jobs that were like that.
- sueders101 13y ago
  What you're describing is how most young people(early to mid twenties) I know work. The best you can hope for is to set your availability while applying or during the hiring process so you at least have a few days of the week where you can consistently work on other things. This lessens your chance of getting hired and typically reduces the number of hours you work even on the days you're available.
res0nat0r 13y ago
So as a sysadmin you've never complained about stupid users? I doubt that. :)
- doktrin 13y ago
  I'm not a sysadmin, but I've never worked with one who behaved in the manner I described.

by doktrin 13y ago

JPKab 13y ago

The TSA's hiring process is guaranteed (at least from my wife's personal experience with it here in DC) to hire shit-bags. My wife, after being a stay-at-home mom for years, wanted to get a job while going to college part-time. She applied and was eventually offered a job by the TSA at DCA airport. Upon looking at the hours, it was completely, utterly unworkable. Rather than a 40 hour a week job, they offered her 20 hours a week, which is reasonable, but get this: the 20 hour a week job had a schedule that completely changed week to week. This means that a person can't have ANY, and I mean ANY other responsibilities/jobs/schoolwork while working as an entry level TSA employee. She was told this was the standard in hiring new TSA workers. No wonder the lines are always staffed by people who, predominantly (with a few memorable exceptions), have a shitty work ethic, bad attitude towards customers, and poor problem solving skills. In other words, the people who can't get/hold a job anywhere else end up at TSA.

rdouble 13y ago
Not to defend the TSA, but most part time hourly jobs have variable schedules like that. I've even worked high paying sysadmin jobs that were like that.
sueders101 13y ago
What you're describing is how most young people(early to mid twenties) I know work. The best you can hope for is to set your availability while applying or during the hiring process so you at least have a few days of the week where you can consistently work on other things. This lessens your chance of getting hired and typically reduces the number of hours you work even on the days you're available.

res0nat0r 13y ago

So as a sysadmin you've never complained about stupid users? I doubt that. :)

doktrin 13y ago
I'm not a sysadmin, but I've never worked with one who behaved in the manner I described.