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[IP] more on so much for TSA employees





Begin forwarded message:

From:
PM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] more on so much for TSA employees


PLEASE REMOVE MY NAME/IDENTIFICATION

Dave,

If we're serious about security, we need to allow feedback and criticism.

I flew recently with my parents and grandfather, and my mother was "randomly" selected for special screening. I asked if I could join her, given age/language issues, etc. Between the 4 of us, we had 4 carryon roll-aboards, and 3 laptop/backpack bags. We semi-randomly chose whose luggage was whose (since our stuff was shared), and my father and grandfather went in the regular x-ray/metal detector, and my mom and I went to the special security line. There, I walked through "normally" and she was subject to more scrutiny. BUT, we still arbitrarily chose which bags were mine or hers (latter subject to opening up, and mine NOT). They stated sternly, don't touch her stuff coming off the belt, get my stuff off and move to the side to wait, so she could be patted down and "her" bags opened. I meanwhile without thinking was helping her pick up her stuff off the belt, and was castigated for that; "That's not your purse, is it?!"

Can someone PLEASE explain to me what the point is of doing SSSS special security on one person out of an obvious group of persons, and then arbitrarily letting them divvy up luggage? Of course, the alternative is cumbersome, in that everyone in the group must be subject to the same level of extra security, but isn't the current system rather pointless?

Needless to say, I did not attempt to discuss this with TSA at the airport (who, at least at my airport, are reasonably polite and efficient-esp. in comparison to elsewhere).

--On Thursday, September 22, 2005 3:04 PM -0400 David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:






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