Daniel in Dallas sent us a complaint he made to the TSA. The event he describes took place yesterday afternoon. Feel free to copy us on all your TSA complaints. The ACLU and EPIC are also good places to copy your complaints to.
I saw a very disturbing internal security check being performed by TSA personnel at DFW on November 18 at 4:11 p.m. Eastern time at the main security checkpoint near the Delta terminal. I was putting my computer in a plastic bin to be sent through the scanner. An overweight man with a bright red shirt on and baseball cap bypassed everyone in the line and even those who were pushing their bags through the conveyor to the screening machine. He had a big grin on his face and the TSA agent near the line entering the walk-through screener was smiling at him. The man held has small black bag above his head so the man operating the screening machine — the one who looks at all the bags on the screen — could see it. I turned to the traveler next to me and told him I thought it looked like a random security check to see if the TSA screener is paying attention. The man then walked through the screener and around the conveyor and stood next to the uniformed TSA agent who was operating the machine. They both looked at the screen showing the bag the red-shirted man had put into the machine. I was standing behind them in the adjacent security line and clearly saw what appeared to be a semi-automatic pistol on the screen. The TSA agent pointed at it and both chuckled. The red-shirted gentleman then grabbed his bag when it came out on the conveyor and carried it to the TSA podium that is 10 feet or so from the conveyor. I saw him filling out paperwork on a clipboard. I took a photo of him (blurry) and have it in my camera.
It appeared to me that this was likely a routine check to make sure the TSA agent viewing the monitor was able to catch the weapon contained in the bag. If that was the case, this was a joke. The man essentially announced his arrival, several TSA agents see him and laugh, he holds it up high so the screener can see him putting it on the conveyor belt, then the both laugh when they see it on the screen. If this is how you monitor your security, then you need another TSA job to have someone monitor the person who is monitoring the TSA, who monitors us travelers. This is the type of behavior that makes many of us think your agency is doing a lousy job!
I know the time of the incident because it is recorded on my phone. Another traveler was with me and we both witnessed the same thing and both were shocked that a routine security check was treated like a joke in front of many travelers. I would hope you would look at the video recording to see the incident.
Please reply and let me know if you intend to investigate this situation with the same fervor you use to screen us and pat us down.
That’s just more security theater folks.
CORRECTION: This took place in Detroit. Apologies.
That was likely an equipment calibration, not red team.
I thought the equipment calibration was the pat down.
Possibly an Air Marshal?
I’m not surprised to hear of this type of behaviour going on with TSA agents. The scans and pat downs are not about securtiy at all but about creating fear and humiliation to ordinary people. If they really cared about security they would be using sniffer dogs or other non invasive techniques that would not infringe on civil liberties. I would place more trust in a dog’s nose than in any of these jokers. They are simply on a government sponsored power trip.
He’s probably an Air Marshall. Glad to see they are hiring the obese!
Great test. Makes me feel totally safe… BREAKING TSA NEWS — Bis Sis calls emergency TSA staff meeting in Washington DC https://bit.ly/9Wlghf ; TSA protest rages across US https://bit.ly/bpR7Ac ; TSA adds enhanced neck-licking protocol https://bit.ly/aOd93i ; TSA named in mass-paternity lawsuit by ACLU. “Their DNA is all over it, if you know what we mean.” https://bit.ly/ah1IiQ
I really don’t get it. What price are you willing to pay for ” reasonable security”? What is “reasonable”? More lenient, is that it?
Sniffing dogs mess up. I seen them TWICE have to empty a whole terminal because a dog sniffed a bag and declared it dangerous and nothing was in it. What do you think is going to happen if the dog singles you out, and it turns out it was a false positive? You’re going to get heavily searched.
Secondly…if you want to do nothing but moan and bitch about the security, the rudeness, and the procedures, come up with your OWN ideas, send them to TSA, and see if they could consider it better or not! Has no one thought of this?
Terrorists hate us. Why? Well, maybe because we keep aiding Israel who is always starting shit with other people could be a key indicator. And they tried attacking us recently too. But this is what I get. They won’t try to bring bombs on from the inside anymore. They try to get at us by flying FROM Amsterdam to the U.S., or sending timed bombs in printers through cargo, knowing how laxed we are on cargo planes like UPS and FedEx. Must mean something…maybe they think the security is too tight to get by.
And here is another thing. Can you tell me who a terrorist is? It isn’t going to be some guy coming in wearing a turban. A terrorist is defined as ANYONE who wants to cause chaos or harm to another. I been screened and patted down on various occasions, and I rather be safe than sorry. How do I know if some woman in a long dress doesn’t have some explosive strapped to the inside of her thigh? And if someone is a sociopath, well even questioning them isn’t going to yield results as they are natural born liars.
Just tell me…what is it exactly you want done to in lieu of this kind of security that would provide the same level of security and thoroughness? If we go Israels way, airport security would be ARMED. I feel more comfortable being patted down than some security personnel with a high powered rifle or automatic trying to intimidate me.