Encounters with the TSA

"Miguel Cruz" wrote in message
...
None wrote:
"JohnT" wrote:
I wasn't asked to remove my shoes, nor did I do so, nor was I subjected
to secondary inspection, on a very recent (October) trip to and within
the USA. I went through security at RDU (twice), DCA and BOS.

You must be special! I can understand your desire to brag!

Neither have I, in very recent flights through DCA, BWI, LGA, CLE, MHT,
and
DTW, wearing Teva-style sandals (rubber bottoms with cloth straps).

That is what I often wear just to get through airports (plus comfrotable on
longer flights), but primarily in the summer. I've been requested to take
my Teva's off several times this past year including at SDF, EWR, and SAN --
but the majority of the time it isn't a problem. At EWR, I got yelled at,
over my Teva's when I told the screener they were ok (what's wrong with this
picture?).

I've cleared security in Europe several times this year and when I am
wearing shoes, they just check them without requiring you to take them off,
and the sandal's have never been a problem. At the Barcelona primary
checkpoint I had my shoes checked by hand inspection while on feet after
beeping (quick wand plus physical look and press town on toes, look at
bottoms).

Anyway, we will see what SDF x 4, LGW x 2, DTW x 2, EWR x1, and JFK x 1,
brings in the next few weeks.. (I'll be doing a good 20,000 "base" miles
over the next few weeks).

Steve

"PTRAVEL" wrote in message
...
Watches (and other things that have to go through the scanner), are
easily stolen.

Yes, but there's a protocol for that, as well. I don't let anything of
mine
be put through the x-ray until I can walk through the metal scanner. That
way, it doesn't wind up sitting on the other side while I'm waiting to get
through (a common mistake that thieves have been known to exploit).

I do the same thing too, as it's pretty much common sense. At the same
time, I've been yelled at by a TSA agent for holding up the line while
awaiting for my belongings to go down the belt and into the x-ray machine.
I refuse to leave valuable belongings on the 'non-sterile' side of the x-ray
machine that I do not have access to. I enter the walk-through arch after
my stuff has entered the machine to where I can view it on the other side
and keep my eyes on it in the event of a secondary.

(FYI: I recently had a TSA agent yell at me over this at JFK, T3. At this
T3 checkpoint, there is a door to the outside about 12 feet away from the
inbound side of the x-ray belt. Anyone could grab my bag, laptop, or items,
and be *outside* in seconds at this particular checkpoint. Needless to say,
I did wait until my stuff had finished entering the x-ray machine despite
the agent complaining about it to me).

If, for
some reason, I'm tagged for secondary inspection, I insist that it be
conducted in sight of my belongings (that's a TSA reg, I think). I've
never
been given trouble about that. Once I'm reunited with my belongings, I
immediately put my watch back on, my pen back in my pocket, etc. That way
I
know that nothing's missing before I leave the TSA area.

I'm not sure if it's a reg, but the TSA is *typically* quite good about
keeping your belongings within eyesight. At the beginning (when the TSA was
first being deployed), I had some problems with this. At least this is one
of the few things that is typically the same at all stations.

Steve

On Wed, 5 Nov 2003 09:51:23 -0800, "PTRAVEL"
wrote:

And, of course, people like the OP, who hold up the line for whatever
reason,

I realised I was holding people up which I guess made me more flustered
instead of taking a deep breath and seeing what was causing the laptop
to stick.

and then get surly with TSA and the other pax waiting behind them,
are a constant annoyance.

funny I don't recall saying I got surly with anyone in fact I said I ask
the TSA guy politely, I made a humourous comment at the guy sucking his
teeth, I guess from the resulting laughter in the queue it broke the
tension of those annoyed at my ineptitude to get the laptop out of the
bag. It was this guy who kindly translated what the TSA woman was
shouting at me so I guess he saw the funny side too and was only too
happy to help.

--
Lansbury

As someone who goes through airport screening systems at a minimum of 20
times a day, who often spends many working hours in the search area, the
removal of watches and belts is not the normal procedures in my working
experience, and on correctly calibrated arches they will not set them
off.

It was Portland (PDX) where the bags went to be screened. They had a
screened off area near the entrance which had x-ray machines and tables
for visual examination.

For your information I haven't exaggerated anything. In fact had I been
inclined to do so I would hardly have mentioned the problems with the
laptop thereby offering myself to your uninformed remarks.


--
Lansbury

Steve wrote:
I refuse to leave valuable belongings on the 'non-sterile' side of the x-ray
machine that I do not have access to.

Isn't it ironic that the security checkpoint of US airports is where most
thefts actually occur ? (You'd think that since it is swarming with security
staff, that it would not be a place to steal stuff.

However, since the USA has made airside accessible only to ticketed
passengers, have security-checkpoint thefts gone done significantly ? Is that
still a big issue ?

Or do thieves simply fake e-tickets or boarding passes to get to airside and
then do their deeds, stealing laptops etc ?

In article ,
Lansbury wrote:
As someone who goes through airport screening systems at a minimum of 20
times a day, who often spends many working hours in the search area, the
removal of watches and belts is not the normal procedures in my working
experience, and on correctly calibrated arches they will not set them
off.

Could you mention this to your colleagues in T2 please . . . as
on the way to Munich, my belt did exactly that ;-)

Angela

On Wed, 5 Nov 2003 09:24:49 -0800, "PTRAVEL"
wrote:

Was this just an oversight on your part, or did you think, "Remove all metal
objects" didn't apply to watches (or to you)?

Mines plastic, apart from a very small amount of metal in the workings,
which I bet is less then that in a wedding ring which you say is
acceptable. Which part of all metal objects don't you understand.

Funny thing is that watch has been through all the detectors at
Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. Some at Chicago, Washington, Los Angles,
San Francisco, Portland, Frankfurt, Geneva, Prague, Barcelona, Madrid
and quite a few others and never set the detectors off.

Not in any of the US airports including LAX on this trip have I taken my
watch off or been asked to do so, so not unnaturally I didn't consider
it necessary this time. Not because the rules don't apply to me but
based on previous practice of TSA officials on my trips through US
airports I didn't need to.

Just incase you have failed to grasp the point I wasn't objecting to
being searched or the need to be searched but to the behaviour of a
small number of TSA officials who I encountered on this trip. I made
those comments because I notice a sharp decline in the manners of the
TSA staff on this trip to previous ones, and is was consistent across
almost all those we had dealings with.
--
Lansbury

On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 05:07:25 GMT, mrtravel wrote:

Why? It's a metal detector. It can see through your other clothing, why
would it have a problem with a cap?

but you can carry weapons which are not metal inside a cap, and hence
not be detected.

I am used to being asked to remove it for examination so I took it off
in advance. No point in placing it in the x-ray machine because that
wouldn't see what might be concealed either.

Different countries do things different ways, that I accept. I did what
is normal to me based on my previous experiences. I didn't need to be
screamed at and indeed if there was a problem with the cap and it should
have gone through the machine why was it ok for me the walk through with
it on my hand as opposed to in my hand.

Unless, as someone has said elsewhere they were asked to take they hands
out of their pockets, so perhaps the problem was she couldn't see my
hand, and was thinking in respect of officer safety. That makes more
sense and might account for why I was screamed at as she wanted my hands
in view in case the cap was concealing a weapon. I doubt I will ever
know, but will certainly put my cap in my bag next time.

--
Lansbury

On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 19:19:51 GMT, mrtravel wrote:



At LAX we transferred terminals and had our first encounter this year
with the TSA. I was expecting to take my laptop out of the rack sack I
was carrying it in, one designed for computers and recommend by others
on this group. It did its job well except for this one time. It refused
to release the laptop for examination. Now why the TSA are incapable of
x-raying laptops in bags like most other security people I don't know

Taking it out of the bag, makes other items in the bag more visible.
What "other" security people?


It doesn't make thing more visible to the x-ray machine. Other security
people is all other places I have travelled to, excluding only the USA.

They are not there to help you get your laptop out of the bag.
You would have done people a big favor if you took it out BEFORE you got
to the screener.


True but when I went to the table there was no one else accept the wife
behind me.

Did she ask for privacy?


If you need to search inside a persons clothing you take them to a
private room, or tell them what you wish to do and ask if they object to
it being done in public. You don't wait for them to ask.

It sounds like you are waiting until it is your turn to be screened
before you remove the laptop...


No both times I was the only one in the queue when I got there and at
PDX was still the only one when they had finished screening me. I am
well aware of the requirements to display good manners and not hold
others up, and in each case checked that would not be so before going to
the tables the trays were on. If that had not have been so I would have
got the laptop out before joining the queue, but there was no queue to
join.

Why wasn't it the thing to say? What you shouldn't have done was
complained about them asking your to remove your belt after you set off
the detector.


It told me something about the machines at PDX, bad security to give
away any information about security systems. By the way I didn't set off
the detector at any time or complain about being ask to remove things, I
just commented that neither set of the detectors. It wasn't a complaint
nor could have been implied as such from my tone of voice.


--
Lansbury

On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 20:18:38 GMT, mrtravel wrote:

If you have a problem, step aside.

If there is room, which there wasn't.
--
Lansbury