TSA Question...
 

I just had one of the geniuses working security at DFW today tell me I needed a gate pass to get past security, and as of "a few days ago" a crew badge was no longer enough. I remember a thread a few weeks back talking about this, and someone came up with an actual chapter reference to tell the drones about that states we CAN pass security with a crew badge. Anyone happen to know what that is? (I'm pretty sure it was just another idiot hassling pilots, but I'd like to have something to quote to them rather than "No")

Did you ask for the supervisor? I wouldn't put up with that kind of crap!

Yeah, what was strange about this particular time was that the supervisor AGREED with the tool who sent me back to the ticket counter...

tsa is better than all of us, AND DONT EVER FORGET THAT

I was in Vegas and was told to get a jumpseat pass from the ticket agent, and when I told her I'd never done that before, she said "Well, I dunno if you know that McCarren is one of the largest airports in the world, and we have a lot of people coming in and out of here all day." I promplty responded with "Yea, I've never seen an airport this big. I just flew in from O'Hare which is pretty small and I didn't have to do that, they should take some lessons from you big guys!". Just got a nasty smirk, but some chuckles from other employees who were in the employee line :o

Hey, whenever you are in SYR or someplace that sends TSA out to security check your plane on a turn, don't let them on without checking every single credential they have. If its in a laminate badge, tell them to remove it from the thing so you can really see it close. Ask for a second form of ID too.

They can all suck a $#&@. (I lose my professionalism very quickly when dealing with those assclowns)

"I'm sorry, you guys are going to have to go back to the ticket counter and get boarding passes.... No, it's a new thing... just started the other day. Can't let you on the plane without one"...

That would be classic...

i was jumpseating out of DFW last weekend and their was a lot of people milling around. i wasn't sure where the employee line was so i went up to this one tsa guy who was standing against a wall just watching ppl standing in line. i said politely" Sir excuse me I have a question...." and he cut me off and was like Sir I cannot help you. I was like I'm just looking for the employee line, I'm a pilot and he just stared ahead and wouldn't say anything. I went back and stood in line for another 10 minutes bc i just wanted to get home. i watched him standing there, on duty, text messaging someone on his cell phone.

Ugh those people are not human they are things. How can these clowns that probably slept their way through high school to barely pull off a GED have this "high almighty" authority over us, makes me sick.

Was told in the MEM employee line today that those clear badge covers are not legal anymore.

Hey bud,

Used to commute out of DFW and this isn't something 'new'. I found this out the hard way sometime back in '02. I was standing in line in full uniform and a 'badged' janitor and Burger-king employee went thru the line no problem. I was told to go to the AA ticket counter to get a boarding slip to proceed thru security. Sucks major @$$.

Guess I should've worked for Burger King or become a janitor. (hey I guess they pay more):D

I think every one of us needs to take a few minutes and write our elected officials about this. If a few thousand letters and emails show up on the desks of our representatives and senators they might listen.

We can't get through, in uniform, with proper identification yet a 10 year old can sneak through and get on a Southwest flight for the second time in two years. Makes me feel really confident in the capabilities of TSA officials.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24847377/

I think it's time we do something more than *****ing about a change for the positive.

What's odd, is that in the past year and a half, I've been commuting out of there and have had no problems whatsoever until today... Even the AA ticket agents wondered what the hell was going on... They thought I was kidding when I asked them for a gate pass...

Four letters: FFDO. Problem solved.

Agreed.

However, if we had more competent security the FFDO would never even come into play.

The section you are asking about is: November 1, 2007 Amendment to section 4.3.1.b.1 of the AOSSP

Good luck, however, I think that if little things like "facts" and "procedures" and "law" got in their way, they wouldn't have ended up where they are now, at the peak of the pyramid in the aviation world.

The problem with the TSA is they are not highly trained professionals doing a job like customs or border patrol agents they are community college drop outs with a badge. They know it. We know it. They know that we know it. It's not about the rules it's about the satisfaction they get when they get to exercise authority over a crewmember "you think you're better than me I'll show you who's in charge here..." If they had any real authority they would be able to exercise discretion in those kinds of situations but they don't they're just robots doing what they've been programmed to do. Back before 9/11 no screener would have dared to treat a crewmember that way. But pin that TSA badge on them and now they have "authori-tay". CrewPASS now!

Excuse this if it comes bad I'll fix it in a bit as I'm typing on my iPhone and am really ****ed. This past week in BOS I was nonreving my parents and wanted to go with them past the assclowns and I was going to to down to PHL with them to PHL to see them get on. I passed in front of my parents who had a boarding pass but no seat assignent. The asshat TSA guy nearly had a fit with my dad; he told him he is a security threat, and they hauler him off for more screening. I stepped in and tried to explain what we happening, but the ass would have nothing of it. I had to talk to a state trooper and only then did the problem work itself out. I mean my dad is a normal American wth a slight Portuguese accent, def not a security threat. What ****ed me off us how they treated him, they actually put thief grimy hands on him. This HAS to stop!

The Email I sent to my senators and Representative. It took about 20 minutes to type this up and send it to all three (greetings changed, of course). I hope everybody can take a few minutes and do something similiar:

Senator xxx,

As an airline pilot, I have seen great challenges in the past 8 years. Terrorism, mergers, bankruptcies and now sky-high oil prices have caused a lot of uncertainty.

Recently, a report came out that fewer people are flying. The reason isn't costs, but the hassle. A major source of this hassle is the TSA.

The attacks on 9-11 required us to take a look at how we handled airport security and also required a dramatic change. Tighter checkpoints and more scrutiny of passengers is an unfortunate need in these times. However, the TSA does not provide this. In recent weeks there have been a number of breeches including a homeless man on an aircraft at Lambert St.Louis International and a 10 year old being caught by gate agents in Seattle after observing the security checkpoint and sneaking through.

My question is this: If a 10 year old is capable of doing this, how can we not assume that professionally trained individuals who mean to do harm are not capable of this? What's worse is the fact that this same 10 year old did the same thing last year.

Every day I have the displeasure of dealing with TSA agents. What I encounter is often rude, ignorant and indifferent agents making their own rules to flex what little muscle they have simply for causing a hassle. I've had agents inform me incorrectly of rules, such as the absurd 3-1-1 rule, which doesn't apply to pilots. I've also been required to get a boarding pass to commute to work in Indianapolis despite being in uniform with a valid ID. More and more resources are taken from the normal lines to establish the Clear system, where we find at least three agents standing by doing nothing, in addition to the many standing in the vicinity of the checkpoint waiting to move a few tubs.

With the summer travel season upon us, we have enough to worry about without having the consistent ineptitude of these agents. They are responsible for safety of air travel yet time and time again they have proven regardless of location or time that they are no more capable than the privatized security in place on the day our country changed forever. I hope that congress can take a close look and realize that the system is broken and needs to be fixed.

Respectfully,
Pilotpip

Did you actually sign it "Pilotpip?" ;) LoL

You know it. :)

I resently went to the TSA's website to complain about the protective clear cover issue. I have had two, count them two locations request I remove it, any only once at each of thoses, I actually got a response....not that anything will change but it was nice to send something...same day sent the crewpass to my reps in congress.

Da*&it! I just spent $3.99 on one of those clear covers last week!! One guy in San Antonio tried to make me take it out, but when he saw the back of the ID was visible he let me through. Other than that I have had no problems - never needed a boarding/gate pass, never been hassled, questioned or given any grief.

Is there some sort of clear cover that turns a piece of plastic into a valid looking ID for the airlines? And for that matter...just exactly WHY do I have to take my laptop out of the case for security? I can take as much fluid as I want in my bags and still get to wear my shoes...but for some reason the laptop has to come out? Did I miss something in the news with laptops?

Does TSA have any written regulations that they follow or do they make it up on a day to day basis? If it's written, can someone direct me where I can get a copy so I can put it in their face once and a while...

Thanks