[Damn True]

The federal ID thread got me thinking.

IMO Airport security is far better than it was, but is still a bit of a joke.

This past weekend I flew from San Jose to Salt Lake and back. On my return trip through SLC my carry on bag was flagged and searched because the dude at the scanner spotted something. The guy asked me if I was carrying a knife to which I replied, "Pfft, are you kidding. No way."

Well he opened my bag, pulled out my toiletry bag and from one of the tiny side pockets he extracted a small Swiss Army knife that I thought I had lost over four years ago. It had been in that pocket since May of 2001 when I took my trip to Penang, Malaysia. Since 9/11 that toiletry bag has been in my carry on luggage on trips to New Zealand, Germany, Italy, ISRAEL ferchrissakes, North Carolina, Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Austin, New York and a number of other places and was not discovered by airport security in any of those places either going or coming.

Beyond that IMO most TSA officers are one small step above DMV employees. Absolute 'tards. Most likely people that got beat up in school and now given a bit of authority are using it to stick it back to society at large. Give a small minded person a uniform and a walkee talkee and you get a TSA agent or mall security guard, same thing.

When I flew with my grandparents to Austin for my sisters wedding there was this woman who began hollering at my grandmother in an incomprehensible mixture of Tagalog and Engrish. We couldn't understand her and she just started yelling louder and louder and finally grabbed at my 87 year old grandmother and jerked her out of her wheelchair. I got really upset and demanded to speak with a supervisor. The people on duty threatened to have me arrested for interfering with their duties etc etc. until an S.F.P.D. officer intervened and settled the situation down.

I have freakin had it with these knuckleheads.

Anyone else have any bad experiences with TSA?

 

[Transcend]

It is absolutely abysmal. I fly pretty frequently, but i flew much more prior to sept 11. The prospect of flight itself doesn't phase me, in fact i love to fly. Hell I flew to interbike and worlds 1 and 2 weeks after the fact. The problem is that it is now a MEGA hassle.

The problem lies solely in the hands of incompetent screeners, outdated technology and methods and lack of common sense. Hell the staff can barely speak english in many occasions, nor can they show any signs of respect for passengers and the public at large, yet they are somehow qualified to protect 400 people on a 10 million dollar jet.

The rest of the world has had increased airline security since the dawn of commercial flight, north america is only now catching up. The problem is they are catching up badly. They are jumping the gun, rushing into things and not thinking them through. There is no reason to screen people at the gate...they have already passed a metric ****ton of security already just to get there, it is simply posturing at that point.

Their security risk databases flag people for no reason (those who read the last thread will understand what I mean by this). The baggage scanners are from the early 70s for the most part and even after your bag passes security, it can be manhandled by airport staff as locks are no longer allowed. All it takes is one dude stuffing a key or 2 into your bag, with another handler set to pick it up on the other end. No one is screened prior to being given these jobs, yet paying passengers are nearly molested to get to the concorse, it is insane.

edit: this post is largely incomprehensible, as it is simply a rambling collection of thoughts. i am pissed at the airlines, sorry.

 

[Changleen]

I often have thought how a)TSA people don't seem to be the sharpest tools in the shed, and the b)the 'procedures' seem to be the most important thing to them, over common sense. For example, when I was flying from Phoenix to Oregon once in 2002, 'one in four' people were being searched. So, here's the line, the guy counts, one, two, three, pull you aside, one, two, three, pull you aside. The people who got pulled aside in front of me (I got through) were a little old lady and a young girl. Two asian guys just walked through. Not be racist, but, come on... engage brain...

Anyway, if airport security is bad, your port security is beyond a joke.

 

[valve bouncer]

Just got back from a trip and saw how airport security operates in Japan, France, England and Germany. Was quite impressed and how low key and professional everything was. The Japanese were the most polite and friendly, only place I had to remove shoes. Had my water bottle weighed. France was good, very friendly and relaxed. England was also good although had a moment when using my video camera in the terminal at Stansted. Copper came over and told me to stop. For a split second I wanted to argue the toss and it was bullsh*t, the f*cker was just making stuff up I reckon. But I learnt long ago not to argue with the wallopers, especially if you've got a plane to catch.
Germany was very strict and businesslike, not friendly but certainly not overbearing or nasty. Got patted down there (no stiffy).
It helps if you know the drill, you know, empty pockets, take off your jacket and have your documents ready. Unfortunately most people go around with their heads up their arse and hold up the line which gets people pissed off and they take it out on the security goons who take it out on True's nanna. (By the way DT, what did that persons nationality have to do with anything?)
However it's clear if you read travel/airline websites like airliners.net or flyertalk.com that a lot of people are pissed off with the TSA and the general consensus is that they can take a leaf out of Europe's book on security. I mean when even chickensh*t conformists like DT get riled it seems there is a serious problem.

 

[Westy]

I fly quite a bit and deal with security on a regular basis. Most of the security folks at our very small local airport are prison guards working second jobs, they seem pretty professional and I wouldn't ever want to f@# with them. Security at the big airports is a joke.

Worst of all the rules are a joke. They made me remove one of those old fashioned K-ration type can openers from my key chain because it could be used as a weapon, the same day I sat next to an old women knitting on the airplane. It seems that 18" long metal spikes can not be used as weapons as long as they are wrapped in yarn. I checked the rules and knitting needles are perfectly legal. Stupid.

 

[fluff]

It seems that 18" long metal spikes can not be used as weapons as long as they are wrapped in yarn. I checked the rules and knitting needles are perfectly legal. Stupid.

Now that's out of the bag I expect to see al-Qaeda sweaters being knitted everywhere that freedom is envied.

 

[valve bouncer]

Here's one for ya. I guess the security worked, kind of.
http://www.nbc10.com/news/4513498/detail.html

 

[Motionboy2]

I flew from Florida to Colorado a couple years ago and had my camera bag with me. In my bag was a Park AWS11 allen wrench set. They were taking away an allen wrench set from the guy in front of me, when my bag went through and came out on the other side with no problems. I strolled away while the other guy still argued about the allen wrenches... I thought that was a bit wierd, but I haven't had it with me on any flights since.

One thing I can say is that I am psyched that I have not had any real hassles.

I was suprized at how easy passing through the border was on international flights. They hardly said anything and just sent you on your way. I was expecting an interrogation!

 

[Transcend]

I flew from Florida to Colorado a couple years ago and had my camera bag with me. In my bag was a Park AWS11 allen wrench set. They were taking away an allen wrench set from the guy in front of me, when my bag went through and came out on the other side with no problems. I strolled away while the other guy still argued about the allen wrenches... I thought that was a bit wierd, but I haven't had it with me on any flights since.

One thing I can say is that I am psyched that I have not had any real hassles.

I was suprized at how easy passing through the border was on international flights. They hardly said anything and just sent you on your way. I was expecting an interrogation!

I think i get interrogated enough for the entire bike industry, so be happy i am the scapegoat!

 

[$tinkle]

For example, when I was flying from Phoenix to Oregon once in 2002, 'one in four' people were being searched.

further evidence our no-fly-list is utterly useless ink:

Anyway, if airport security is bad, your port security is beyond a joke.

so, dick flew in yesterday to speak at the AFA graduation, and his arrival was absolutely telegraphed. on my ride in i observed no air traffic for the hour beforehand (working behind the airfield upon which dignitaries always land), & AF2 - like any other craft - lands into the wind. there was the normal arteries bristling w/ cruisers & blocking turns onto secondary roads, but nothing much more than that.

if this is the hardest an airborne target gets, yeah, we've got miles to go before we sleep.

 

[Damn True]

It helps if you know the drill, you know, empty pockets, take off your jacket and have your documents ready. Unfortunately most people go around with their heads up their arse and hold up the line which gets people pissed off and they take it out on the security goons who take it out on True's nanna. (By the way DT, what did that persons nationality have to do with anything?)

When a significant portion of somones job duties include communication with a populace who overwhelmingly speaks english it seems to me that said person ought to be able to speak english clearly enough to be understood. Not a lot to ask IMO. Heck, even the woman's supervisor and the S.F.P.D. officer who see this woman every day needed her to repeat things to them 3-4 times so they could understand her.

 

[$tinkle]

from the australian:

THE Australian Crime Commission is to hold a royal commission-style probe into corrupt baggage handlers and other workers in the nation's airports, federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison said.

Senator Ellison yesterday called for an "urgent and detailed" briefing after he and Transport Minister John Anderson admitted they had not seen a damning report detailing rampant corruption at Sydney airport until it appeared yesterday in The Australian.

He had also asked the ACC, which has the same powers as a royal commission, to "conduct a national intelligence investigation in relation to criminal activity at our major airports".

The report by Australian Customs detailed a situation of near anarchy at the airport, with corrupt baggage handlers, many with criminal convictions, and Muslim extremists infiltrating airport security.

 

[valve bouncer]

from the australian:

THE Australian Crime Commission is to hold a royal commission-style probe into corrupt baggage handlers and other workers in the nation's airports, federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison said.

Senator Ellison yesterday called for an "urgent and detailed" briefing after he and Transport Minister John Anderson admitted they had not seen a damning report detailing rampant corruption at Sydney airport until it appeared yesterday in The Australian.

He had also asked the ACC, which has the same powers as a royal commission, to "conduct a national intelligence investigation in relation to criminal activity at our major airports".

The report by Australian Customs detailed a situation of near anarchy at the airport, with corrupt baggage handlers, many with criminal convictions, and Muslim extremists infiltrating airport security.

F*cken disgraceful this whole thing El Stinko. I don't know if you've been following this mate, but it's all connected with the case of Schappele Corby (N8 had a thread in the lounge about it). She was found with 4kgs of KB in her bag on arrival in Bali and claimed it was placed there by baggage handlers in Australia. A prisoner in an Aussie jail claimed he'd heard that baggage handlers had some kind of drug ring happening where they used domestic flights to transport drugs round the country (this woman connected domestically before her flight to Bali). The government have looked into it, this report is the upshot. Talk about turning over a rotten log.

 

[ummbikes]

Does it look like the gal may have been innocent?

 

[valve bouncer]

Does it look like the gal may have been innocent?

I don't personally reckon mate, but I'm in a very small minority of Australians.