My brush with TSA

[CBW1999]

A good example of a prudent decision by the police officer AND the TSA inspector.

The way the inspector phrased his questions sound like he was already handling it as an "oops". "and what goes with it...." prompting you to realize your mistake.

In my career, I have worked with private security and law enforcement. The idea of making prudent decisions is not always first in the minds of the "power" trips some have.

I would have been annoyed as well (until realizing the mistake). I can imagine that the inspectors get grief everyday but, at least this one is actually doing his job well.

 

[Chilly807]

Well, at least they caught you after scanning the computer bag. How many times have you heard stories of what the TSA misses?

MoKelly

That's a whole other discussion..:laughing:

A few years ago (post 9-11) I flew to Spain on business. So, through security in Halifax, NS, then through security in JFK, NY, and finally through security in Madrid, Spain before arriving in Jerez, en route to Rota, Spain. No problems, never so much as a squawk out of three groups of security people, at least two of which I thought were highly competent.

On the way home, the security people in Jerez (minor domestic airport in a small city) scanned my carry-on bag and pulled me aside to discuss a "suspicious item" in it. After looking at the x-ray image to see what they were asking about, I dug into the bottom of the bag and pulled out a 4.5 inch spike that had somehow fallen in after a fence repair job at home.

When you're not allowed to carry so much as a knitting needle or a set of nail clippers, it makes you wonder how much actually gets through without being noticed. I think it's possible that the folks in Jerez were paying more than usual attention to me because I was "out of the ordinary" as opposed to darker complected Spanish-speaking passengers. I'm not a racist by any stretch, but I do think that airport security people here pay more attention to obviously Muslim or Middle-eastern passengers than others. It may be an unconscious reflex, but it happens.

I think the actual efficiency of the scanners and crews here are kept under wraps for obvious reasons, but flying commercial air still isn't high on my list of want-to-do things. A lot of years ago the worst that would happen is an unexpected trip to Cuba, today the prospect of flying into a building to support someone's twisted idea of Holy war doesn't appeal to me.

Sean

 

[TripleR]

For some reason it took the TSA guys about 15-20 minutes to get the rounds out of the mag. They naturally wouldn't let me help, but at the end after the PD said I could go, the TSA super asked me "How do you get rounds out of this? We had the hardest time." I said, "I have never emptied one by hand, I shoot them out". I wasn't trying to be funny but we all busted out laughing. :laughing:

In over thirty years of working with and around Law Enforcement Officers, I was often amazed at how little most actually knew anything about firearms beyond what they carried and sometimes not even them.

 

[BoFuller]

A good example of a prudent decision by the police officer AND the TSA inspector.

The way the inspector phrased his questions sound like he was already handling it as an "oops". "and what goes with it...." prompting you to realize your mistake.

In my career, I have worked with private security and law enforcement. The idea of making prudent decisions is not always first in the minds of the "power" trips some have.

I would have been annoyed as well (until realizing the mistake). I can imagine that the inspectors get grief everyday but, at least this one is actually doing his job well.

Normally I have been annoyed with them, as many don't have a clue about prudent decisions, but in the future I will have a little more respect and appreciation for them.

 

[Bird]

About two months ago I was tired of the AZ heat and I had the barber give me a very short flattop haircut. Several people at work say I look like a Marine recruiter. Even though I'm 62, I work out and am in good shape. My wife has been teasing me about the haircut, but when we walked away from the TSA area to go board the plane, I told her it was the haircut that did it.

Now the funny part. Upon arriving at LA and driving to my son's house, who is also a police officer, we were telling him the story, and when we got to the end, he said as serious as can be, "it's the haircut". My wife couldn't believe he said that since I had said the same thing. Then he said, "really, they figured you were an old jarhead and decided to cut you a break." Who knows, but my wife no longer teases me about the haircut! :thumbsup:

I wore a flattop from the time I was about 15 until I was about 60 when the hairline receded too far for a flattop. But your story reminds me of a time when I'd been an officer for a year or two and made a little trip out of town and went into a little diner to eat, sat down at the counter, and when the waitress approached, the first thing she said, "You a cop or a marine?"

 

[BoFuller]

I wore a flattop from the time I was about 15 until I was about 60 when the hairline receded too far for a flattop. But your story reminds me of a time when I'd been an officer for a year or two and made a little trip out of town and went into a little diner to eat, sat down at the counter, and when the waitress approached, the first thing she said, "You a cop or a marine?"

Just this morning I was filling up at a gas station and a fireman came over and asked if I was a jarhead.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

A buddy of mine and I go to the Government Surplus Auction warehouse outside of Seattle. You can get some decent stuff there at times. They would have metal bins that were about 3'x4' square by about 2' deep full of knives confiscated at airports. We would by those for about $2 a pound. We would get some pretty good knives then. That was not long after the 9-11 thing and people were forgetting their knives on them.
I am glad the TSA is doing their job for the most part well. Coming back from Ecuador in February my daughter had broken her foot there. So we were tossing her on a wheelchair through the airports. They thought she looked risky (age 15) so had to run the wand and pat her down.. I wasn't so happy about hat part.

 

[BoFuller]

I just got back from the police station. I handed over the letter I received in the mail and showed my ID and the lady brought out a bag with not only my magazine, but the 7 rounds also! They had told me at the airport that I would only get back the magazine. :cool2:

 

[RoyJackson]

I am glad the TSA is doing their job for the most part well. Coming back from Ecuador in February my daughter had broken her foot there. So we were tossing her on a wheelchair through the airports. They thought she looked risky (age 15) so had to run the wand and pat her down.. I wasn't so happy about that part.

Since I have a pacemaker, I get the patdown everytime I fly. Kind of sucks, but that's the way it is...
Problem with the patdown is, by now the terrorists know how to get around it.

 

[Rickstir]

Same thing happened to me at the St. Louis airport. Left a speed loader full of .357 HP's. Went through the TSA and ST Louis police interviews. They were nice, asked how much time I had before my flight, which was a lot. End result they kept the 5 rounds, I kept the speed loader.