Video TSA pat down Denver Airport.

It's pretty clear that TSA does not hold employees accountable for intimidation tactics or misstatement of policies. Proof is the video at the top of this thread. The primary harasser is a stso. Then a ltso chips in, then the guy at the podium. That whole checkpoint crew should be decertified and prohibited from screening anything but baggage for a couple of years along with demotion and loss of senority back to day one. The stso should be fired.

 

As I put in my "50,000th post" celebration post (#50,000 was the base post for this thread):

It is fitting that this major milestone contains photos of the "(expletive deleted) TSA Security T-Shirt" and Sea-Tac's eminently clueless TSA supervisor Raymond Evans. Seeing a three-striper this far out to lunch speaks volumes about the overall ineptitude that permeates TSA.​

 

Do you think that it is entirely possible that at some airports this part of training is skipped or that the trainees are instructed to attempt to intimidate with the aim of getting travelers to stop filming/photographing?

It is quite apparent from many reports that intimidation is part of the routine when a traveler begins to question TSA, so why not when they photograph also?

 

I can offer no explanation, as I have no clue what the real issue is. It could be a lack of accountability on this issue, a lack of awareness or training, a systemic process of wilfully ignoring the SOP for their own ends, or some combination of the above or something else not listed.

Intimidation is a non-starter for me, it doesn't serve you well at all as a TSO. Intimidation places otherwise happy passengers on the defensive, and escalates passengers with a chip on their shoulders. The best process I have found is to be polite, professional and help those that need it or seem to need it. Systemic intimidation just has no place in what we are doing, I mean, we are screening people to get on airplanes, not processing suspected terrorists into Gitmo - the vast majority of people we will ever see in our checkpoints are simply trying to get from point A to point B with a minimum of hassle, and should be treated as such.

When I was an OJT monitor, I always made certain to drill the person I was training on everything, SOP on TDC, X-Ray, the advisements, what happens if someone is filming (nothing, ignore them unless they begin to interfere with the process, and then simply ask them to move to a location where they are not interfering), what to do in an emergency situation - all the things that should be an immediate recall for the workforce. This was standard practice when I came on board, and until I ceased being an OJT monitor (I do not know what the process is currently, as I am not involved in it anymore). It made certain that most (if not all) were on essentially the same sheet of music when something happened, it also made for an atmosphere where people are not afraid to ask a question if they do not know an answer or what to do.

One thing I think TSA could do nationwide is give more classes on the passenger interaction phase of the job, interpersonal skills, verbal skills, basic socially acceptable phrasing - this would help to remove some of the cultural differences from the mix as well (because we all know that what passes for polite in NYC is different from what passes for polite in Greensboro). I think that accountability should be ramped up as well, I agree with you guys that someone doing something wrong, needs to be addressed - right now. With the creation and gradual increases in the Professional Standards group at TSA, I think we are beginning to see a crack down of sorts, or at the very least, a reinforcement of expectations from HQ. It shouldn't come down to disciplining people over a video on youtube, it should be done in all cases where it is warranted, to help prevent the videos from getting there in the first place. I mean, if some of the activisits continue to get footage of the TSOs pretty much ignoring them while filming, the discussion truns from TSOs not following SOP/regulations, to the larger discussion of what policies are acceptable to the public. I have no problem with people disagreeing with the policies, I even disagree with some of our policies, and that should be the discussion, not our workforce doing what they shouldn't be doing in the first place.

 

I doubt this very much.

 

This is exactly how people are being treated by TSA. Do something to fix it or I suggest a person of good conscience would not be able to work for the agency.

Have you sent the video the OP posted up the line asking why that many TSA employees are ignorant of TSA SOP including a STSO, a LTSO, and whatever the person at the podium was? Have you done anything personally to address this particular incident? Again a person of good conscience would not be able to work under these circumstances.

 

No persons with ethics, honor, or good conscience "work" for the TSA.

They either lack those qualities entirely, or are simply so stupid that those qualities are incomprehensible to them.

 

I have sent several links to several videos up the chain. Again, I am but a tiny cog in the machine that is TSA, and my opinion does not matter much at all. However, I continue to send vids and other links up, and do what I can here.

Also, I fix what I can, as I can, where I can, and that is all I can do.

 

I would suggest that when you work for a corrupt agency you are either with them or against them.

Where do you stand?

 

I stand on the side of making positive change where I can, I would hope that all people do the same.

And to quote Yoda "Only a Sith deals in absolutes".

 

So your with them. Good enough.

 

Once again, Rugape thinks rearranging deck chairs is a noble pursuit. I do get what you're saying, Rugape -- I spent a fair amount of time years back volunteering in a terribly overcrowded animal shelter giving dogs what was to be for many of them their last walks. But at what point do you look at it and say, my continued involvement in this deplorable situation is part of the problem? Where do you, Rugape, draw the line?