Video JFK TSA "agents" force me to stop recording Part 1

Another example of arbitrary rules at TSA checkpoints. This time the victim gets names. part 1 ends with a thug grabbing his bag and saying he'll take it outside. keep an eye out for part 2.

 

And here we see why "lying TSA employee" is redundant.

 

Perhaps Rugape could give us the TSA policy on this. I find it hard to believe that so many TSA employees are trying to restrict people from taking video if the practice isn't prohibited.

 

I find it hard to believe you'd ask someone who self-identifies as a TSA employee and expect anything resembling "truth" from them.

 

Ah, but we have our reasons.

 

Handing out free rope?

 

The policy has not changed, I have no explanation for the actions in the video, check out the published rules on photography here:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/taking_pictures.shtm

The best blog post we had on it was here, it explains that some of the states and other municipalities and airports may have different rules, but TSA does not prohibit photography and video:

http://blog.tsa.gov/2009/03/can-i-take-photos-at-checkpoint-and.html

The only times it should create a problem is if the person photographing or taking video is interfering with the screening process or if they film the screens on the equipment. Even in those cases, the easiest thing to do is ask the person to move out of the way or change positions and the situation resolves itself 99% of the time.

Of course, being professional and courteous should be the rule, and accomplishes the job much more effectively.

 

Sure you do.

You just won't say it in public.

 

Being professional and courteous is not the TSA way.

So evidence is made public that some TSA employees have not gotten the message. What is TSA doing to correct this person?

Just wondering how has TSA leadership passed the word on this matter? Is it a part of ongoing training, a memo, verbally passed on at staff meetings or what? It certainly seems that as in most things TSA leadership has failed or the public is being told one thing while TSA is clearly doing something else.

Evidence points to TSA telling the public that video is ok but telling its employees to confront people who follow that guidance.

 

Or possibly telling their idiots and thugs that while the policy allows video/stills, it is acceptable to intimidate people into not doing so.

The TSA is certainly doing nothing effective to stop the attempts at intimidation. Whether this is deliberate or not is irrelevant. It simply tells us that either the TSA as an organization is complicit in the intimidation (which is bad) or the employees are simply too stupid to be trained (which is also bad.)

 

Or the trainers and upper so-called management can't train or can't formulate effective training programs.

Ineffective training programs by the suits, ineffective trainers, and employees who can't be trained. Being TSA this sounds to be most likely.

Isn't Bart a trainer?

 

So he claims. Of course, he also claims in public to be an employee of the TSA, which renders anything he (or she, for that matter) might write/type/say as "probably a lie."

 

I can't speak for others, but the way I learned it was to be professional and courteous, that is what I hear all the time from HQ and in all the training I recieve.

I do not have any information on what TSA is doing to correct this particular person, I simply do not know.

The regulations on photography and video are in our training, and are reinforced in briefings.

I have never heard anything to the contrary of the regulations regarding photography/video, either from HQ or local management, and when I have had co-workers that were confused or mistaken about the regulations, I have actively corrected them.

 

I believe everything you stated but am left wondering where the disconnect is. This is not an isolated event. Happens often enough that it should be getting the attention of TSA HQ. Also seems to be a recurrent problem within TSA, that of employees simply trying to enforce or demand compliance with all manner of things that are not SOP.

How can one agency be this (expletive deleted)'ed?

 

Either the TSA is not correcting them at all, or they're simply ignoring the corrections and the TSA hasn't terminated their employment.

Does it really matter which?

 

That's a rhetorical question, yes? Just look at the employees.

 

I can't give you an answer on the disconnect, because I don't have one. I know that there are always going to be disconnects of varying degrees, but on something this basic, there is no reasoning I can give you.

As far as compliance with things outside the SOP, I can give you no reasoning on that either, the SOP is there for a reason, and we are all required to train and test on it. Of course, I am also wise enough to know that if I am in doubt about something, I am going to
1) Elevate it to the STSO/TSM on scene, or
2) Find the proper answer if they don't have it, and most importantly
3) Learn that section of the SOP to prevent any future confusion

I can't comment on the last question you have.

 

Why? Do you disagree with my belief or you're just afraid of possible pushback if you really tell us how things are at TSA?

 

I note that the two sets are not mutually exclusive.

But I do understand why anyone currently "working" for the TSA would be fearful of pointing out the shortcomings of the agency - where else would they find a job if they've already sunk so low as to "work" for the TSA?

 

Sure you do.

You just won't say it in public.