TSA Rant, I feel much safer now... Options

[2000Z-71]

For the last couple of years I've been annoyed with the TSA during business travel but now I'm really pissed!

The family flew up to Denver for the 4th of July weekend. First trip with the daughter at 14 months, it was an adventure to say the least. We get into DIA my wife camps out with my daughter while I go brave the crowd to hunt for bags. My bag shows up on the caurosel, car seat shows up on the oversized bag drop, wife's bag doesn't show up.

We go to the baggage office and find out that we are one of about 30 people with bags that didn't make the flight. It seems that TSA had some of their equipment go down, had to check everything by hand and couldn't keep up with the pace. Southwest assured us that the bag would be there in the afternoon, never the less it's still a trip to the store for diapers and other baby essentials that were in the bag.

I unpack my bag that afternoon and it is an unholy mess. Everything that was neatly folded was rummaged through and thrown back into the bag. The kicker is that they took my bottle of shampoo! WTF? They left the empty ziplock bag that the shampoo was packed in but shampoo was no where to be found. And oh by the way, a rather large pair of women's underwear is at the bottom of my bag. Another trip to the store.

No for the real sand in the crack, I get home, wake up to go to work, go to the sink to shave, pick up the beard trimmer, turn it on, and proceed to put a wide racing stripe from my neck up over my chin. Yes when the TSA went through my bag they turned the adjustment collar on my beard trimmer from 8 down to 0.

I ended up shaving the whole thing off. First time in years without a beard. The wife's stil laughing, my 14 month old daughter stills giggles as she plays with my bald chin and I'm still looking like well, like I did 17 years ago back in college.

I feel much safer now that I've spent money for additional baby necessecities, I've unintentionally shaved my beard, and some fat chick has my shampoo. Thank you TSA.

[Crazy Canuck]

sorry, but gotta (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rotf.gif)
so will you be flying with them again ?
are they compensating anyhow ? (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/nutkick.gif) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rant.gif)

[trackbird]

so will you be flying with them again ?

TSA is our "security" group (agency) that screens bagage. Everyone gets to "fly with them". It's another way our government is making life miserable, creating jobs and accomplishing very little. This is just my opinion, I might be told that I'm wrong.... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif)

[Chris 96 WS6]

so will you be flying with them again ?

TSA is our "security" group (agency) that screens bagage. Everyone gets to "fly with them". It's another way our government is making life miserable, creating jobs and accomplishing very little. This is just my opinion, I might be told that I'm wrong.... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif)

That would be my opinion as well. I think they should have contracted out for the whole thing, but if I remember right a certain left leaning political party that will remain nameless demanded the TSA agents all be included in the Federal Employees union.

FWIW I have never had a beef with Southwest Airlines. Can't argue with their pricing or their safety record.

[CMC #37]

That is the worst TSA story I have ever heard..I also had to laugh though! From what I understand TSA employees are not paid very much, so I am never surprised by anything I hear about their performance.

[Chris 96 WS6]

That is the worst TSA story I have ever heard..I also had to laugh though! From what I understand TSA employees are not paid very much, so I am never surprised by anything I hear about their performance.

They are paid more than you think. I believe the screeners start in the low $40K range.

[trackbird]

That is the worst TSA story I have ever heard..I also had to laugh though! From what I understand TSA employees are not paid very much, so I am never surprised by anything I hear about their performance.

They are paid more than you think. I believe the screeners start in the low $40K range.

Yea, I think starting pay is about $18.xx an hour (a friend of my old room mate was doing that for a while).

[Trance]

That is the worst TSA story I have ever heard..I also had to laugh though! From what I understand TSA employees are not paid very much, so I am never surprised by anything I hear about their performance.

How about the guy flying out of DFW that had to basically throw away a couple hundred dollar key to his VW because the knuckle-dragging-dropout screener told him it was a "switchblade?"

I dread going through security when I fly out to Playa del Carmen in a few weeks. The TSA sucks, but the last time I flew out of Cancun, I had my bag hand searched no less than 3 times, was singled out for the "special" (not THAT special) search. They also xrayed my film about 4 times. I guess they thought I was trying to smuggle drugs out of the country. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Yes, I feel sooooo much safer with a bunch of idiots running security at the airports. Chimps with shotguns would be much more effective.

[2000Z-71]

The funniest TSA story I was ever involved in involved my old boss. This is when TSA was first instated and was doing the random checks at the gate as people boarded the plane. We had just finished a presentation to the client and were leaving to fly back home. My boss had the model scope in his briefcase. It's a small little device for lokking inside of architectural model. Basically a mini periscope. The TSA screener took it out of the case and was examining it and athen sked what it was. My boss responded with, "I'm a proctologist." I've never seen anybody drop anything so fast.

[Absolut Speed]

I don't fly often, but the government took the security out of private hands and made it a government function. While I understand the driving force behind it, what I don't understand is it appears that it's pretty much the same screwballs from the the lower end of the gene pool still performing the duties. When I see most of the screeners, I just think, "what a joke." If they're making that much, I'm shocked. I didn't have confidence when they were making $9 an hour, and I don't have anymore faith just because the same screwballs are now making double that.

[CMC #37]

I don't fly often, but the government took the security out of private hands and made it a government function. While I understand the driving force behind it, what I don't understand is it appears that it's pretty much the same screwballs from the the lower end of the gene pool still performing the duties. When I see most of the screeners, I just think, "what a joke." If they're making that much, I'm shocked. I didn't have confidence when they were making $9 an hour, and I don't have anymore faith just because the same screwballs are now making double that.

Indeed! There was a change here at some point, I know at one time they were competing with McDonald's employees for wages!

[Rob Hood]

My boss had the model scope in his briefcase. It's a small little device for lokking inside of architectural model. Basically a mini periscope. The TSA screener took it out of the case and was examining it and athen sked what it was. My boss responded with, "I'm a proctologist." I've never seen anybody drop anything so fast.

Now that's FUNNY!!! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[CamaroFS34]

Yeah, I just love the friggin' TSA. Bastards stole my digital camera, destroyed an unlocked poker chip case, and left my $9/bottle Redken shampoo and conditioner open when they crammed everything back in, so that I had to wash half my clothes when I got to my destination. I feel sick any time I have to check baggage now.

[Rob Hood]

This was pre-TSA, but essentially the same people, along with Continental Airlines - my wife and I lost ALL our luggage coming back from a trip. Suits, dresses, my PNWCC Camaro Club jacket. At least we were coming home and not going to someplace. I'm more nervous now when I ship my golf clubs, because I'm convinced if they open the case they'll end up damaging a club when they shut it.

I used to wrap narrow electrical tape around the zipper handles, but I think that's a no-no now as well. Best thing to do today is to keep an inventory of what is in the luggage. Also, my wife will put liquids (like shampoo) in ziplock bags, primarily to add a second layer of protection from a spill, but it hopefully will help if the TSA searches the bag.

[Viper99ta]

I flew for the first time since 9/11 this year (June) and had no idea how bad things had progressed. They lost my luggage, broke off the locks on the suitcase (after making me open them, which, I understand) rummaged through all the clothes and stole some toiletries. You know, the cheap stuff in the $1.00 bin at CVS?? I mean come on!!

[CMC #37]

I knew they had theft problems, but this is ridiculous! I'm carrying on my stuff as much as possible!

[CamaroFS34]

And I'm sorry, telling us that we "shouldn't" put particular things in our checked baggage is just admitting that there is a serious theft problem.

[CrashTestDummy]

Yeah, good thing they are raising the speed limits on the Interstates. Now that they have taken all the fun out of flying, it is now almost better to drive. I know my 'distance to drive vs distance to fly' has increased significantly since 2001.

The part I like best is that when you fly, you are guilty of being a terrorist until....

you leave the airport.

"Welcome to our airport. You don't mind if we do a full-body cavity search, do you? We just know you have some C4 packed away somewhere. Oh you do mind? Well, we have a special room for you then. Put this guy on the 'cannot fly' list."