[IP] TSA: Incompetent and Not Afraid to Cover It Up]
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: TSA: Incompetent and Not Afraid to Cover It Up
From: "Mary Hodder" <mary@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, September 19, 2006 2:30 am
To: "David Farber" <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
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http://napsterization.org/stories/archives/000622.html
Coming through security last Friday night in JFK for my very delayed
flight (due to weather), I had the following experince:
I walked through the metal detectors, with all my things besides me,
with my boarding pass and driver's license folded together.
The TSA agent standing there asked for my boarding pass, and I gave her
the packet (this is the final round of this, but there are two previous
requests for ID from security and agents at JFK). I kept a close eye on
my bags because once I sent my bags, coat and shoes through the
security thing and my digital camera was taken. Don't know if it was by
another passenger or by a security employee, but I'm not taking any
chances. A woman asked, "who's bag is this" holding up my bag, and I
tell them it's mine. She tells me to get the rest of my things because
she's going to inspect my bag. I get my laptop and shoes, in a separate
bin, and follow that agent.
At this point, I don't get my boarding pass or license back from the
other agent. Later I am told that the woman who gets the Boarding
Passes and Driver's Licenses, as you pass through the metal detector,
hands the one she has off, and then takes the next one from the person
coming through next.
But, she didn't hand it to me. She likely gave it to someone else,
probably the next person in line. I get done after they inspect my bag.
I realize I don't have my ID and Boarding Pass. I go back to the TSA
desk the the security area exit (I'm a few feet away), and an Agent
Derreck says they have nothing of mine, without checking (across the
room from where the actual thing happened). I get him to walk over in
the security line to check for sure. He does and comes back empty
handed. I ask, "How will I get on the plane?" He takes me to Jet Blue
special services, where they cut me another Boarding Pass. But I have
no DL, so the JetBlue woman asks me for other ID, and it turns out that
2 credit cards, my gym ID with picture, and costco ID with picture, are
enough to get me another boarding pass. She double checks my California
address verbally with me which I repeat back to her as I stand next to
Agent Derreck.
While she was printing, Agent Derreck starts to talk about how TSA over
in the security area has an "... ironclad process for bringing people
through the metal detector." Basically, they bring one person through,
check ID and boarding pass again, and then once they give it back,
motion the next person through the metal detector. This is how they
regulate people coming through the metal detector. As he says this, a
different TSA agent, a woman, walks up the JetBlue service desk and
hands a New York State Driver's License to the JetBlue woman, and says,
"This person didn't get their ID back." Agent Derreck grabs the license
from the JetBlue woman's hand, and says to me, "This kind of looks like
you." To which I say, "That woman has tons of blond hair, and mine is
brown, plus I live in CA." He hands it back to the JetBlue woman. A
couple of minutes later, another TSA agent, also a woman, walks up the
the JetBlue service counter with a Driver's License from Kansas, and
hands it in, saying again that someone didn't get their ID returned.
After getting my boarding pass reprinted, I tell Agent Derreck I want
to make a complaint about TSA. He calls Port Authority but only tells
me he's called "someone" and they'll be there in a few minutes to take
it.
Port Authority Officer M. Wapole (#1746) arrives, takes a report, gives
me the report number, a phone number and the name of the officer and
date and time. I ask for a copy of the report and he says I'm not
allowed to have one. I am surprised. He says it's private property. I
ask how I make the complaint against TSA and he says he's not TSA. So I
go back to Agent Derreck of TSA.
Agent Derreck says he won't take a complaint. He says I can make one at
www.tsa.gov (so much for people without computers). I ask for his name
and the agent's name at the metal detector, and he covers his shirt.
But I can see that it says "Agent Derreck" before his hand is fast
enough to cover his name tag, in brass. He says, "I won't give you my
name or hers." And walks off, with his hand over his right breast.
According to the hand written note from Port Authority, the Port
Authority report was taken by Officer Walpole and the time was
September 15, 2006 at 8:35pm. Case #17304.
So much for accountability. The police and the TSA just cover each
other's incompetence.
Meanwhile, I'm stuck without a driver's license, but more importantly,
I think TSA *GAVE* it to some other passenger. After several hours at
JFK, I checked back with the JetBlue service center, and they had not
been given my license.
Wow.
And the kicker. When I arrived back in CA, I realize that I still have
a small tube of toothpaste in my laptop bag (I carry a tube plus a
brush to work) and forgot about it. It went with me through two
screenings by the TSA in Oakland and Seattle, and two more, Oakland and
JFK.
Who are these people kidding. Security Theater it is.
Mary Hodder
CEO: Dabble
Blogs: Dabble.com/blog
Napsterization.org/stories
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