TSA baggage inspectors who can't/won't read.

Flew out of Bismarck, ND a couple weeks ago and landed in MSP. Went to pick up the tool chest and discovered that the locks were unlocked. Found a love note from the inspector in my tool chest. Funny thing is that I have a piece of tape stretching across the top of the tool chest that says:

TSA LOCK LOCKS

with arrows pointing towards the locks. Going back to Bismarck and will have a discussion with the TSA suit type next week. It won't be pleasant. How difficult is it to follow simple directions? Must be pretty hard for some people.

 

This is the TSA you're talking about. Not "difficult," but "impossible."

 

No amount of effort can make the untrainable TSA employees competent. These are people who likely couldn't hold a job of any kind in the private sector.

 

Since having expensive camera gear damaged due to TSA negligence/incompetence/bafoonery and there unwillingness to take responsibility until faced with litigation (IE FSD served with subpoenas/suit paperwork in not such a nice way) then all of sudden there willing to pay for the damage.

Now i do it the easy way i just throw a starter pistol (if im not traveling with my sidearm) and at that point they cant open my bag without me present and if the case is tampered with federal LE gets involved and TSA (expletive deleted) is in a sling.

 

I can't help but wonder if the leaving unlocked is the result of a childish game by the TSA personnel who won't be told what to do by a mere passenger...

 

Could be. I've been told by TSA suit types that TSO's are under no obligation to relock luggage unless those locks are the TSA approved locks.

 

Apparently a large number of screeners don't even feel the need to pit TSA-approved locks back on the luggage post-screening. I've lost three to the blue-shirted thugs.

Never had anything go missing from my bags pre-TSA, either.

 

I've read many accounts of passengers whose TSA-approved locks were broken or not re-locked after rummaging. Bill F probably knows better as he keeps track of TSA thefts.

 

I'm sure this is posted on the website and is uniform practice across airports.


A TSO on another site (trustworthy one) once posted about this. IIRC, he said that there are different 'master keys' and one in particular always broke (I think it was the '#2' key). Said they complained to their supervisor (to no avail, of course). For the unlucky folks who used a TSA-approved lock but happened to unknowingly pick the wrong one, their lock was cut off and the luggage continued on even less secure than it started.

For the record: I've never had my luggage rifled before TSA. Of course, I'm a dinosaur whose checked bags have metal zippers, so it really wasn't worth a baggage handler's time. Every bag is something of a crap shoot for a baggage handler. Unlike TSA, they don't know ahead of time what is likely to be in the bag or where it is in the bag. TSOs, of course, do know.

 

So, ex-TSA?

 

I'm embarrassed to admit that on re-reading my post, it isn't clear whether I'm saying the other website or the TSO is trustworthy - I meant the TSO.

Still with TSA, but I think he works at a small airport, doesn't see many of the things that happen at larger airports, claims his airport isn't one of the nightmare small ones (like BGR, on occasion).

Most uncharacteristic, he doesn't appear to have chips on his shoulders!

Interesting, too, because we used to hear so much about missing locks coming off in the baggage-handling equipment (same equipment before TSA and I don't recall widespread reports of missing/cut off locks). This guy was honest enough to admit that locks got cut off that shouldn't be cut off and HQ lied about why it happens.

(IIRC, another TSO posted elsewhere that the supervisor kept the keys on his/her person at all times. The idea was to establish some kind of control over bags being opened. Unfortunately, according to the TSO, no one ever wanted to waste time (or be observed rifling luggage) finding the supervisor, so they routinely cut the locks (clever supervisor, bet he/she never thought of that!).

Either way, pax is the loser, what else is new?

 

Currently employed by the TSA =/= "trustworthy."

I've never met or conversed with a TSA employee I'd trust to pour urine out of a boot without either trying to steal it or poop in it.

 

It's funny but every TSA employee who posts says the bad things don't happen at their airport.

 

That would require an honest self assessment of the TSO's current airport. Something that even ethical people may have difficulty with, let alone someone who is ethically challenged like many TSA managers.

 

You misspelled "all TSA employees."

 

He's trying to dumb down so he can infiltrate TSA undercover.

 

That should be pretty easy.

"Herp de derp... anything for security... herp de derp..."

It's not the dumbing down that's the hard part. Faking the moral and ethical vacuum that the TSA prefers in place of a soul is nearly impossible for anyone with a moral compass.

 

At least 13 screeners in eight incidents. And those are only the ones that are discovered and reported, I've personally been the victim four times.

 

Update. Got back to BIS, got the luggage and contacted the local TSA folks. They actually seemed responsive. Checked in the tool chest that they didn't lock as per instructions before. Will report back on if their retraining was successful.

 

WooooooHoooooo. Retraining was successful. Now we concentrate on retention.