The TSA: Security, or petty thieves?
Current Affairs 07/14/2004 |Fellow weblogger John Hoke had an interesting experience with the TSA yesterday while flying from LaGuardia to Dulles…
One screener asked to manually inspect one of my bags, knowing that I had nothing in it that was prohibited based on the TSA’s own site I allowed the search. This inspector found a lighter that I was given by my step daughter for our first Father’s Day together. It was a cigar lighter that did not run on Liquid Fuel, but gas. (Unabsorbed Liquid fueled lighters are prohibited based on the above PDF). He looked at it and exclaimed, “Wow I have always wanted one like this”. Then proceeded to tell me that he had to confiscate my lighter.
I calmly explained that it was not on the list of items that are prohibited on his own Department’s website. He replied he was allowed to use his judgement (what little of that there apparently is) and he was confiscating it. I requested to speak with his supervisor as he was not wearing any TSA identification, no name badge, not badge at all. The supervisor came over and the screener was confiscating it, end of story. Tried to be helpful in that unhelpful supervisory way. …I will be writing (and posting here) a letter to the TSA, even though I was told by the supervisor “Go ahead and complain, there is nothing you can do to us.”
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p>Seems to me that this is pretty simple — petty thievery, compounded with harassment and the overbearing attitude that any amount of power will instill upon the small-minded. More and more, the TSA seems to be less concerned with actually providing any amount of security, merely using the power they’ve been granted to harass, humiliate, and steal from anyone coming through the gates of the airports. Sad.
And on a semi-related note, who comes up with these lists of what can and can’t be admitted on the airplanes? My mom came through Seattle on her way Florida from Anchorage a couple of months ago, and I was flabbergasted to see that she was allowed to bring her knitting needles on the airplane. Sure, “knitting needles” sounds innocuous enough — but these were two six-inch long metal spikes connected by an approximately eighteen inch metal wire. Two stabbing implements and a very effective garrote, in other words, should someone choose to use them as such. Yet these are allowed? Just bizarre.
Just watch what you take on the planes these days, folks — and hope you arrive at your destination with everything you left with.
iTunes: “Genauso Wie Ich (Future Pop)” by Beborn Beton from the album Tales From Another World (1994, 5:55).
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14 Responses to “The TSA: Security, or petty thieves?”
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Bryan
Michael Hanscom
Prairie
Ryan Waddell
July 14th, 2004 at 10:51 am
I know, I had my finger nail clippers confiscated last week, yet my shaving blades were allowed on board… interesting.
As a note, tell your buddy to watch in and call the ACLU, they are currently suing the TSA for not releasing information about how such items are listed, as well as how the do not fly list is enacted, created (and if at all a listed can be removed). They are looking for people with such information to join in their fight
July 15th, 2004 at 5:57 am
Thank you
Demonsurfer, Michael, Trinity, Les, and others who have emailed me, linked to, or commented on yesterday’s story: Thank you for the info, support and well just generally good feelings (gak! that sounded all fluffy bunny and whatnot) … I have…
July 17th, 2004 at 11:03 am
As a TSA screener, I apologize for the sub-par experience you had. You sound like the model passenger — some one who did his homework, and was prepared for the security screening process.
While we do have a very important job to do, a little discretion and (gasp!) common sense is paramount. Like the damn knitting needles! (Even we roll our eyes about some of the choices the Powers That Be make…)
In any event, don’t give up on air travel. It’s a learning process for everyone involved, post-you-know-when.
Good luck.
July 23rd, 2004 at 7:42 am
I do not believe a supervisor said “go ahead and complain, there is nothing you can do to us”. Sorry, just don’t believe you. If the lighter you speak of is a “torch” lighter i.e. one that runs on gas, then it is PROHIBITED. If you hold the lighter sideways and the flame or torch still comes out straight (flame doesn’t bend up around the lighter) then it is a prohibited torch lighter. Also, I do not believe a federal screener at a major airport (LaGuardia) had no ID. You simply cannot get into the secured areas where we do our work without identification clearly displayed on your person. Period. I do not believe a supervisor or a lead screener would allow a passenger screener to run around a major airport without ID. It doesn’t happen. Not to mention the local LEO’s would be questioning him as to why he is in a secure area without ID. There are many things that are prohibited to carry on aircraft that are not on public lists. SOP’s are constantly changing and you cannot always have an up to date list. I’m not saying there are not a few bad apples in the TSA, but I just do not believe your story. It sound to me like you are one of the thousands and thousands of passengers I have to deal with that simply does not like authority figures. I’m sick and tired od people complaining when we have to confiscate a personal item. USE SOME COMMON SENSE. If you are trying to bring a torch lighter onboard an aircraft that burns hot enough to melt solder, then of couse it is not allowed. Also you are only allowed to carry 2 lighters of ANY type. Just because he said “wow I’ve always wanted one like this” doesn’t mean he kept it for himself. TSA rules clearly state that no screener can keep any confiscated items. PERIOD. Also to the person who said TSA took their fingernail clippers. I DON’T BELIEVE YOU. Fingernail clippers have NEVER been a prohibited item. NEVER. In my two and a half years as a screener, I have never seen one set of fingernail clippers taken. I have NEVER seen anyone I work with using our power to “harrass, humiliate , or steal” anything from ANYONE. It has been my experience that the people who try to harass, intimidate, and threaten are the passengers. Everyday I have to deal with people like you who think we just singled you out to harass you. You think you are to good for the screening process. Well, the screening process applies to EVERYONE. I don’t care how many times a week you fly, or how much money you make, or what you title is, these laws apply to everyone. Even me. If you don’t like being safe when you board an aircraft, then I suggest you go Greyhound instead. Whether you agree with the procedures or not, the vast majority of TSA screeners are here because we honestly believe we can make a difference. We don’t want to see another Sept. 11th happen and we left other jobs to work for TSA to help protect our fellow citizens and serve our country. And the thanks we get are constant rude comments, negative attitudes, and constant belittlement from the people we protect everyday. I’m sick and tired of people who go to the airport and, because they chose to bring a prohibited item with them, get something confiscated, they have to go and make up lies because we are doing our job. Tell you what, go get yourself another cigar lighter, and use it to light that cigar in your CAR as you drive to you destination so you don’t have to go through us evil nazi screeners. That way you don’t have to deal with us, and we don’t have to deal with you. Then everyone will be happy.
July 23rd, 2004 at 7:27 pm
Michael, Sorry for the above commenter… he spewed forth the same crap on my site as well… here is a link to my response
http://john.hoke.org/archive/2004/07/my_experience_w.php#comments
Gotta love people like this
July 25th, 2004 at 7:43 pm
If you read the prohibited items list a few more times, you will see that torch lighters are a prohibited item. If you want to take them with you, I suggest you go to washington and lobby to get them approved. That’s how the knitting needles made it. There is just so much that you dont know about the screening process, because if you did, you would not have a complaint. I have to agree with the screener above - there is no reason to be so irate when going through the process. Flying is a privilege, not a right. I know there were people bitching through screening on 9-11, too.
July 25th, 2004 at 7:45 pm
If you read the prohibited items list a few more times, you will see that torch lighters are a prohibited item. If you want to take them with you, I suggest you go to washington and lobby to get them approved. That’s how the knitting needles made it. There is just so much that you dont know about the screening process, because if you did, you would not have a complaint. I have to agree with the screener above - there is no reason to be so irate when going through the process. Flying is a privilege, not a right. I know there were people bitching through screening on 9-11, too.
September 2nd, 2004 at 7:25 am
Dear TSA screeners, Interesting that you are Federal employees, your salaries are paid from taxes WE (the public) PAY, passengers are not permitted to LOCK checked luggage, and then 4 TSA screeners are caught stealing from checked luggage at LGA and JFK. What do you have to say to that? What a job, paid by the federal government to steal from the travelling public who pay your salaries … amazing.
December 13th, 2004 at 7:25 am
“Flying is a privilege not a right”? Excuse me? Freedom is a right. Freedom to purse life, liberty and happiness. Stupid TSA Nazis. I had been through much higher security airports in the world and never felt violated like in the US. Flying is a right once you’ve paid for the ticket. Decorum and courtesy are, or couse, always expected of civilized humans. Down with oppression. Down with the TSA.
January 12th, 2005 at 3:54 pm
Reply to Mike on 9-2-04. 4 screeners out of how many thousands??? I am a screener at Boston and I have never stolen a thing from anyone. Cigar torches are a prohibited item, nail clippers with a knife blade, again prohibited. And I whole heartedly agree with the screener from 7-23-04. Quit crying. By the way, you are allowed to lock your bags, it is just strongly discouraged. Oh yeah, last time I checked, I paid taxes too.
January 28th, 2005 at 10:39 pm
Got burned on same deal, had a wimpy cigar lighter, not even crack-style torch. This is a $75 giz. I bought on a whim, never leaves the house, but for this once… First guy on the way out found it, he was a brother and cool, made me empty it outside the gate with bobby pin given by old chick screener. SO out I went with all my shit in three bins, stocking feet, and proceeded to release giant cloud of explosive gas in airport, weee! Guys on next leg missed it. Guys on way back first leg missed it, but second leg cowboy lookin’ chode got it. He started to flip me shit but I got official and aggro and I guess he thought I was a “tester” or something. He got all official and made me go out with pass to get back in. They had little kiosk all set up to mail it back to yourself. Kiosk duty is subbed out to local concession management co, polite fembot there. Cost me $12 but I tossed it in my expense report. Fukka da man!
All in all the dudes were as cool as can be expected. All I ask is that they be official instead of chodes. These guys did that and thanks to the brother who helped me out, sorry I didn’t make it all the way home, homes.
I saw a chick with knitting needles too! Wooden ones but still, I bet I wouldnt have made it on with those.
I think the point is what the fuk is wrong with the sheep of amerika? You see some guy torch-lighting a cusion, bash his ass with the drink cart! Some chode has a box cutter, grab you flotation seatback like a shield and a blanket full of full soda cans like a war hammer and crusade your ass off! If I was on there and some dicks were pulling shit, I’d expect every kid, granny, amputee, and malaria victim to kick, scratch, vomit, faint on, or in some way impede the disaster. Jeezus!!!
January 28th, 2005 at 10:43 pm
Oh yeah, and it looked like my lighter had been disassembled and inspected. The bottom was all loose and janky and I’m not one to walk around like that. I doubt it was from the mailing, it was in a padded pouch, and went UPS…
August 15th, 2005 at 11:25 pm
COMPLAIN!!!!! How many people that do complain suddenly disappear?? Think before you open your mouth.
September 30th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
My flight was out of Orlando in Feb. of this year. I’m handicap in a wheel chair. I told the skycaption to check the large bag and small one was a carry on. I thought he put it on the back handle of my wheel chair. At the gate I ask for my bag and he said he checked it. I told him I had to get it back and he told me to ask a the gate desk. They told me the baggage was already loaded and they could not help me. I had a small case in the bottom of the baggage that had $13,000 in jewelry. My carry on baggage was so full I could hardly close the zipper, no one but the person with TSA that Scanned it would have known it was in there on the very bottom. When I arrived in Michigan my bag had been dumped out the jewelry gone from the case and everything thrown back into the bag and the empty jewerly case was on top, I was devastated, I had a complete breakdown right there, the airline gave me a piece of paper with a web site and said SORRY. I filed a claim 95 form and TSA has now denied me any help. They say it wasn’t TSA and Airline say it wasn’t them and Sky Captions say it wasn’t them and I’m just SOL. It’s Grand Thief Larceny and someone should be in jail, but no one cares and it just continues to happen because no one is slapping there hands, it has to stop, but how do we do it? My Senator here in Florida isn’t doing anything to help me either, Airport police won’t look at video’s to figure out who did it, no one cares. I’m not a rich person and I can’t replace it without my claim being paid by TSA and they tell me hire an attorney. I would like to hire a attorney and do a Class Action Suit against TSA and the Airports. If anyone wants to be in on it write me at actionagainsttsaairlinethieves@yahoo.com If this has happened to you please write me. Thank You