TSA, the Fun Never Ends..

[HowardE]

You should try working a cash register at your local grocery store. Watch out if the scanner is not working quickly, or if the price is not the same as on the advertising flyer.

My wife is a florist. The stories she tells me about the inconsiderate plugs buying flowers is rife with the unpleasantness that you speak of.

I own 3 retail stores... I didn't get there by NOT working the register

I am the one who deals with the jerks when they come in. Our stores call us, and I talk them down (the jerks that is).

 

[RonFrank]

Having worked both retail and now government, I can say that people tend to treat government workers much worse.

I'm not sure it has anything to do with being a Gov Worker. I think that the Government tends to ignore customer service, has zero respect for people time, and in general is rather inefficient, and difficult to deal with. This places gov workers who must interact with upset people on the firing line.

They're expected to be the first line of defense against air terrorism

I would hope the FIRST line of defense are the folks securing the plane. I guess that maybe TSA, but that is not what people are complaining about here.

...an expectation from a populace that expects top-notch security, but doesn't want to pay for it nor does it want to be inconvenienced by it. They are hamstrung by laws and policies enacted by a bunch of overpaid legislators and other officials back in Washington DC, but get crap from some mere citizen who didn't bother to read the signs and the regulations and expect to be exempted "just this one time."

It's a tough, thankless job.

It maybe a boring low paying job, but the paycheck is the thank you. I'm not sure why it's tough, it's unskilled labor.

IMO, they need to prevent passengers from bringing just THREE things on board. Those are Guns, Knives, and explosives. Another option would be to allow Knives, and just see how far a would be terrorist gets with an armed majority against him!

I hardly expect top notch security, nor are we getting it. TSA employees are so busy looking at hair gel, the often fail to prevent more serious items from getting through. I pay for this regardless.

The regulations are vague, constantly change, and are inconsistently enforced. In fact I fly Saturday, and I'm looking at them now. My Hex wrench that was outlawed last year is NOW OK. Nail Clippers are now allowed (have been for a while), and I can arm myself with sharp pointed scissors under 4" in length Go figure.

I don't blame the front line employees for the most part, I blame the people who set policies.

 

[Missdirected]

How did this get to feel sorry for the workers? And those of us pointing out failures or the over-all permeating mentality of the workers are just meanies? :aeh: They are following rules. Got it, no problem. However, the ego trips are a constant thing. It is not in fact, one here and there.

I do not make their jobs difficult. On the contrary, I am ready to go when I get to that line. I have no desire to hold anyone up, let alone my self. Wether or not I feel the TSA is effective.

 

[tedtim]

What is ice wine Dennis?

Sorry, did not see a response from Dennis so I thought that I would jump in here.

Icewine is made when the grapes freeze. The juice from the grapes is highly concentrated. Interesting stuff.

http://www.winesofcanada.com/icewine.html

It is a discovery of serendipity and innovation.

 

[RonDawg]

no...it is a moving target, depending which airport you hit. Look, I fly a lot lately, and frankly the travelers seem to know more about it than the TSA. Did you see my post about the "Zip lock" brand bag?

Anyway, you cannot convince me that people treat the TSA workers badly. I have not seen that. If you travel more than me this month, and you see it, then give some examples. We have cited very specific examples in here. And your side has not. People bashing government workers...I don't see that. I see government workers bashing citizens.

Support your argument, don't just say it is so. tell me please, why would a person consumed with keeping track of their money, their flights, their kids, their stuff, decide to target poor TSA workers?

Okay...TSA workers are frustrated for the reasons you listed.. 1) low pay
2) poor training 3)confusing regulations, so they take it out on travelers. THAT is what is happening my friend. They are frustrated and unhappy so they get on power trips. I never once said anything to them unkind. It is not my problem if they hate their jobs...they should go get one they like. It is not that hard. My 16 year old does it till 1:30 am some nights, and then goes to school at 5:30. Trust me, she is not in there copping an attitude with the customers in the restaurant, or she would get kicked out on her haole butt. Cuz it ain't the government and there aren't any benefits either, BTW.

catherine,

My post was not directed at you specifically.

However, I have worked in government in various positions (both law enforcement and non) for over 20 years. In my opinion (and it is just that), people do have different expectations for government workers than those who work in private sector. Again, it's the whole "I pay your salary" mentality. Some (not all, but a significant number of) people really do think that just because their taxes do help to fund your paycheck, it gives them an excuse to treat you badly.

For example: if you see a bunch of highway workers sitting around under the shade alongside the highway, the first thing that often comes to mind with people is "slackers." Yet, are they not allowed to take breaks like their private sector counterparts? If I'm not mistaken, labor laws require x number of minutes break and a certain amount of meal break for every so many hours worked.

How many of you would have several people from the office go to lunch together? I bet many of you do, and on a regular basis. Now what would your reaction be if you saw the same number of cops at a restaurant, or G-d forbid a donut shop? "OMG who's protecting the city?"

Look, I fly a lot lately, and frankly the travelers seem to know more about it than the TSA. Did you see my post about the "Zip lock" brand bag?

I fly probably 3 or 4 times a year, for the last 10 years or so, for pleasure purposes. I may not be the airline miles king, but for someone who doesn't have to do it for work reasons, I'm on an airplane quite a lot. And I have seen people get into it with TSA personnel, to the point where I've wondered if the cops were going to show up.

Again, the only time I had an issue with TSA was at Honolulu Airport when the agent didn't recognize the weird looking object in my carry-on as a reg and computer setup, and so hand-searched it as well as RE-X-RAYED it :shakehead She didn't give me an attitude about it, and was professional the whole time, but I do wonder why personnel at an airport with as many scuba divers going through it as Honolulu didn't recognize it when TSA personnel at LAX and Seattle never so much as blinked.

I have wondered why there isn't more uniformity at TSA, but catherine you make it sound like it's the individual TSA agent's fault. Have you possibly considered that the agent is following orders from someone higher up on the food chain? Or have you never had a superior's order that you didn't agree with, but were forced to follow if you expected to keep your job?

tell me please, why would a person consumed with keeping track of their money, their flights, their kids, their stuff, decide to target poor TSA workers?

I'm not saying you pulled into the parking lot saying, "I'm gonna give attitude to those white shirted guys and girls."

However, if you already have a low opinion of them when you walk in the door, when problems do arise it's going to affect your perception of the incident. Another person could have witnessed what you went through, and because they don't have such a low opinion of the TSA, would relate a different version than you did.

TSA workers are frustrated for the reasons you listed.. 1) low pay
2) poor training 3)confusing regulations, so they take it out on travelers. THAT is what is happening my friend. They are frustrated and unhappy so they get on power trips. I never once said anything to them unkind. It is not my problem if they hate their jobs...they should go get one they like. It is not that hard. My 16 year old does it till 1:30 am some nights, and then goes to school at 5:30. Trust me, she is not in there copping an attitude with the customers in the restaurant, or she would get kicked out on her haole butt. Cuz it ain't the government and there aren't any benefits either, BTW.

You ask why someone like yourself is "targeting" TSA workers, yet here you are accusing them of doing it to travelers like yourself.

And if your daughter has such a difficult job with long hours and no benefits, why doesn't she just take your advice and get another job, since "It is not that hard?" Especially since I believe making a child work until 1:30 in the morning is not just wrong, but in many areas is also in violation of the law. Not so easy for an unskilled young person in Hawaii, now is it?

 

[RonDawg]

I'm not sure it has anything to do with being a Gov Worker. I think that the Government tends to ignore customer service, has zero respect for people time, and in general is rather inefficient, and difficult to deal with. This places gov workers who must interact with upset people on the firing line.

Again, I am not saying there are NOT government workers with major attitude problems, because there are.

OTOH IMHO a significant number of the population also treat government workers the same way.

It maybe a boring low paying job, but the paycheck is the thank you. I'm not sure why it's tough, it's unskilled labor.

I never said it was tough physically, but between the mind-numbing monotony and the crap you get from the public, I'm sure it takes its toll mentally.

As far as a paycheck being a "thank you", that's not much of a thank you in their case.

IMO, they need to prevent passengers from bringing just THREE things on board. Those are Guns, Knives, and explosives. Another option would be to allow Knives, and just see how far a would be terrorist gets with an armed majority against him!

As I told catherine, the biggest problem is that they are caught between a rock and a hard place. The bureaucrats and legislators in DC expect them to do it one way, and customers who don't think the rules apply to them expect them to do it another.

As far as arming people on planes, considering the incidents that have happened over the years with intoxicated individuals (and sometimes perfectly sober ones too) inside of airplanes, the LAST thing I want to give them is a weapon. There's something about pressurized air cabins that make otherwise reasonable people act stupid. Instead of nitrogen narcosis, they should call this condition "frequent flyer narcosis."

I hardly expect top notch security, nor are we getting it. TSA employees are so busy looking at hair gel, the often fail to prevent more serious items from getting through. I pay for this regardless.

The regulations are vague, constantly change, and are inconsistently enforced. In fact I fly Saturday, and I'm looking at them now. My Hex wrench that was outlawed last year is NOW OK. Nail Clippers are now allowed (have been for a while), and I can arm myself with sharp pointed scissors under 4" in length Go figure.

And I have long wondered about TSA's inconsistencies on this board. But that's not the agent's fault, yet the agent is getting the flak for it.

I don't blame the front line employees for the most part, I blame the people who set policies.

That's what I've been trying to say all along.

 

[Cacia]

She loves her job.

I wish she wouldn't do it.

I don't stop her because she has earned the right to not get more than a few hours sleep if she makes the honor role at Punahou, is a wonderful, helpful family member who is showing all the right signs of growing maturity. I consider the labor laws "none of my business" as long as she and her employer are doing a good job at the arrangement. He can make her scrub the toilets for all I care, if she does not want to do it, she can get a different job.

In fact, it would be very easy for her, because she has a standing offer to make twice as much at her dad's medical practice on the computer. She wants to do her own thing, so I let her.

You have had a different experience with TSA than I have.

They sure did not make my other child's trip any better to go visit his grandparents, which I did not appreciate.
I guess they are just an obstacle for me to overcome, most of the time.

 

[RonDawg]

How did this get to feel sorry for the workers? And those of us pointing out failures or the over-all permeating mentality of the workers are just meanies? :aeh: They are following rules. Got it, no problem. However, the ego trips are a constant thing. It is not in fact, one here and there.

I do not make their jobs difficult. On the contrary, I am ready to go when I get to that line. I have no desire to hold anyone up, let alone my self. Wether or not I feel the TSA is effective.

That's one thing I've learned in my travels. Make their job easier, and your experience will be easier.

However, some people just have to be difficult and always get their way