TSA airport security could be a bit more humane

Clearly, the attitude of TSA security personnel differ from city to city, state to state. Getting through security is probably one of the most frustrating times while at the airport. I will always appreciate the elite line where I can get through there as fast as possible.

Last Friday, I was travelling from Newark (EWR) to Cleveland (CLE). While in the security line, I was already done with taking off the shoes, separating the laptop from my backpack, and holding my passport and ticket. The TSA staff member was standing as usual behind the security detector, loudly proclaiming the do's and dont's.

A fellow female traveller in front of me, looks to be Japanese, placed her belongings on the conveyor belt and walked through the detector. Unfortunately, the alarm went off. The TSA person looked at her with a stern eye, and stated in a loud voice about making sure your pockets are empty. Of course, it looks clear to the other travellers that she did not comprehend English, but this fact did not seem to soothe the security officer. She kept on loudly telling her to empty her pockets but she still could not understand. It took another passenger to use hand gestures to get her to empty her pockets, a wallet and some change.

She tried to walk through the detector again, but alas, the alarm went off. Clearly, the security officer was not happy at all. She again loudly berated her about making sure everything metal was off her body. For the rest of us, we probably all knew that it was her cap, but no one spoke. The TSA officer did not even do anything to really help out the situation. All she did for the japanese girl was to mimic like a soldier when walking through the detector. After the second try, the TSA member directed her to stand next to the security detector while the rest of us walked through.

As I was putting on my shoes and putting my laptop in my backpack, I can still see the girl, looking confused as ever, stand there while the loud TSA officer continued to voice the do's and dont's. She did not even signal to another staff member to help out. Some sort of punishment for not obeying her?

One way this could have been avoided was having another TSA officer along the conveyor belt helping or directing passengers to take off their coats, metal belts, laptops out of the backpack, shoes, and what not. There wasn't any. It was a busy Friday, yet if they had just one or two staff person helping out, such a thing would not occur.

Comments

Posted by:
Posted on: September 11, 2007 10:20 AM

Until you work for tsa then you don't really know what goes on, they are understaffed and the government wont approve more manning claiming that they are already over budget. Maybe the lady did not speak English but when you deal with thousands of people a day and hundreds of them DON'T listen to you, it can be frustrating, although I agree she could have been more helpful. And no the box is not punishment, there are usually a handful of people to doing the searches and if you are selected then you just have to wait your turn, the person at the metal detector doesn't do the search or they would be holding up the line, truly the goal is to get the people in as quick as possible but the despite the yelling, the videos, the signs, all the reminders, people still don't pay attention and inevitably hold up the line, and there is no paging system to call someone for help, come on we are talking about the cheap ass govt here, lol.

Posted by: James (Author)
Posted on: September 11, 2007 11:18 AM

I heard that excuse before. I have frequently travelled and I have been to a dozen international airports so I have seen how airport security works in the US and in other countries.

I did not say the box was punishment. The TSA guard directed her to stand next to the security scanner after she went through the metal detector, and left her standing there. By the time I left the security area, she was still standing, and I think about 10 people walked through the detector during that period.

I often wished there was a line for the seasoned traveller, folks that know what to do. I am actually in favor of doin the iris-security check so I can get through security much more quickly.

In fact, I kinda got pissed off when an airport employee went through the metal detector 4 times, and the TSA officers didn't really assist. This happened in Boston.