Don K
Active member
TSA doesnt care about drugs, they are looking for something to take the plane down
Your most inept TSA experience ?
- Thread starter Gunner46
- Start date
Coming through Seattle?
Big Slick
Well-known member
I’ll tell you tomorrow.
glass eye
Well-known member
Yes.
San Diego- SeaTac- Ketchikan
Weirdest was when I was flying out of St Louis with a gallon ziplock of homemade venison smokies. The agent was a rather large woman in her early 20s, and she flagged the carry-on, pulled me aside, and just looked absolutely puzzled when she opened the pack to find the bag. Apparently it looked like a giant pack of dynamite on the scanner.
I said it was venison "slim Jim's", and she actually asked for one! But they were vacuum sealed, and I wasn't about to open them with all those dogs sniffing around.
I said it was venison "slim Jim's", and she actually asked for one! But they were vacuum sealed, and I wasn't about to open them with all those dogs sniffing around.
I've heard some bad stories with firearms going through Seattle- mishandling, damage, tampering, to even full on theft. But apparently threatening to call the police/ATF for a felony firearm theft gets VERY fast results in turning up missing guns.
Had a few issues with locks similar to some others. One case had a place for 4 locks, I had two master locks in place and was told it needed all 4. This was a early flight out and no where to get locks that early or fast enough to not miss my flight.
Then I remembered I had a Sawzall in my truck so I buzzed off the other two areas and went to a different counter. No issues.
Only real pain was years ago flying out of kc if I remember right headed to AZ to go shoot some predators. Had a mtm box with 50 hand loaded 22-250 and was told it had to be in manufacturer boxes. I tried to explain it was handloaded and there was no boxes but after talking to a few people behind the counter it was clear they weren't going to budge so I gave it up and went on.
A few years back I was flying to see a buddy with only a carry on and he needed some 338 bergers so I took him a box. Knew I was going to get pulled after xray.
Guy opens back pack and I tell him what it is and he says no way its getting on. I explained it's nothing more than fishibg weights and no more dangerous. he has dumped all 100 300grn bullets on his table when over comes some other guy who tells him to box them back up and give them to me. I honestly figured I would lose them but this guy understood and let me go. Meanwhile first guy has l
To collect them all and tape my box back up.
.
Then I remembered I had a Sawzall in my truck so I buzzed off the other two areas and went to a different counter. No issues.
Only real pain was years ago flying out of kc if I remember right headed to AZ to go shoot some predators. Had a mtm box with 50 hand loaded 22-250 and was told it had to be in manufacturer boxes. I tried to explain it was handloaded and there was no boxes but after talking to a few people behind the counter it was clear they weren't going to budge so I gave it up and went on.
A few years back I was flying to see a buddy with only a carry on and he needed some 338 bergers so I took him a box. Knew I was going to get pulled after xray.
Guy opens back pack and I tell him what it is and he says no way its getting on. I explained it's nothing more than fishibg weights and no more dangerous. he has dumped all 100 300grn bullets on his table when over comes some other guy who tells him to box them back up and give them to me. I honestly figured I would lose them but this guy understood and let me go. Meanwhile first guy has l
To collect them all and tape my box back up.
.
grizzly_
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2013
- Messages
- 1,246
We were flying out of Nome a month after 9/11 and TSA took my fly fishing floatant because it said "Flammable" on the eye-dropper-size bottle.
The guy with me sneaked a handgun in his carry-on that he picked up in a mining camp and didn't have a case for.
They took my Gink but missed his .44 Mag.
The guy with me sneaked a handgun in his carry-on that he picked up in a mining camp and didn't have a case for.
They took my Gink but missed his .44 Mag.
brownbear932008
Well-known member
Which is exactly why I say their presence doesn't make me feel safe at all. It's been proven many times how incompetent that agency is with test. If someone wanted to do harm I suspect a good plan would be highly successful once again.
ovis2
Well-known member
Not TSA, but similar land border security crossing from one Middle Eastern country to the next. I was one government-sponsored travel, had a "get out of jail free", "please extend all courtesy" letter from the US embassy, before walking through the scanner, I showed the letter, explained that I had metal knees - and as expected the scanner lit up. The personnel were professional and moderately friendly, except for one rather round, bun-haired women, but they pulled me aside, escorted me to a private room, left me alone and asked that I strip down to my underwear. Okay. I do that, clothes piled up on the one metal chair, me standing there for what seemed like a long time wondering how many cameras where watching me. The stout door creaked open, and a guy in full bomb protective gear, holding a detection wand (or whatever there called) waddled in. I'm sure he, and the cameras, where amusingly surprised by the stunned look on my face. To his credit, the guy in the obviously uncomfortable Robosuit apologized and said it was protocol and proceed to wave the wand up and down my body. After I was cleared, he took off his head shield/hood, said I was good to go and wished me safe travels.
davinski
Well-known member
First, IMO, TSA precheck is totally worth it if you fly more than 1-2 times per year. It saves a lot of headaches. And, if you have and you book a flight for you and other family members, usually you all get the precheck treatment.
Anyway, the one time that set me off was going through the scanner at my smallish hometown airport. I was fine, but my bag got flagged for inspection. I don't know if it was random or they saw something. Nobody was behind me. The TSA dude at the bag-grabber siding off the conveyor looked right at me, looked at his compadre at the screen, and said "I'm going on break." He took off and my bag sat there a while until some other TSAgent came to check it out. Bag was fine and I had enough time to make my boarding, but that really chaffed my khakis. That one instance just seemed to sum up a prevalent attitude I see often.
Making a living in the private sector always makes my hypercritical of .gov employees. I know there are great folks out there. But there are a lot of not great folks out there serving the public too.
Anyway, the one time that set me off was going through the scanner at my smallish hometown airport. I was fine, but my bag got flagged for inspection. I don't know if it was random or they saw something. Nobody was behind me. The TSA dude at the bag-grabber siding off the conveyor looked right at me, looked at his compadre at the screen, and said "I'm going on break." He took off and my bag sat there a while until some other TSAgent came to check it out. Bag was fine and I had enough time to make my boarding, but that really chaffed my khakis. That one instance just seemed to sum up a prevalent attitude I see often.
Making a living in the private sector always makes my hypercritical of .gov employees. I know there are great folks out there. But there are a lot of not great folks out there serving the public too.
Wildabeest
Well-known member
My experience has been that this only works for kids under 18. My kids both used to get precheck when traveling with me, but when my son turned 18 he stopped getting. Then the same with my daughter when she turned 18.
I agree about the value of it, so I paid for each of them to get Global Entry when they could no longer piggyback on my Precheck. Delta also gives me a free Clear membership since I fly them so much. That’s nice as well for avoiding the lines.
338win
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2015
- Messages
- 455
Had to buy more locks because you could pry a small section of my case open. I had 3 locks but had to get a 4th and almost missed my flight. When I got my case back that lock had been cut off so tsa could slip in the inspection form.
had $200 worth of ammo stolen that was transported IAW all tsa published criteria.
Has an interesting conversation carrying on a frozen bear leg in a fish box.
chicago agent couldnt figure out a 3 position safety but wouldn’t let me handle the gun to show them it was empty.
got searched because my flash cards with a spiral binding looked like a bomb to the scanner.
Most recent trip I used a bag as carry on that I took on a turkey hunt a few months prior. Forgot a 3.5 inch turkey load and a knife in a zipped up pocket. I found it looking for my tooth brush at my destination.
had $200 worth of ammo stolen that was transported IAW all tsa published criteria.
Has an interesting conversation carrying on a frozen bear leg in a fish box.
chicago agent couldnt figure out a 3 position safety but wouldn’t let me handle the gun to show them it was empty.
got searched because my flash cards with a spiral binding looked like a bomb to the scanner.
Most recent trip I used a bag as carry on that I took on a turkey hunt a few months prior. Forgot a 3.5 inch turkey load and a knife in a zipped up pocket. I found it looking for my tooth brush at my destination.
Cootmeurer
New member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2016
- Messages
- 16
I think the TSA experience varies wildly by airport. Some have great leadership and a positive attitude (Lexington KY, Albany NY) and some are staffed by power tripping POS (Chicago Midway)
My worst was at MDW - I was traveling in full military uniform (Blues) on military orders and I was pulled out of line after the metal detector. Yes - of course it went ding - I was wearing dog tags, a metal belt buckle and a name tag - as required. I was pulled aside asked to disrobe - I objected and eventually a supervisor came over and after opening my shirt I was allowed to proceed. No sorry, no apology, no “hey I know the law provides some quick processing/exemptions for military on orders and in uniform”.
Yes I sent a written letter of complaint along with the names but never got a response.
My worst was at MDW - I was traveling in full military uniform (Blues) on military orders and I was pulled out of line after the metal detector. Yes - of course it went ding - I was wearing dog tags, a metal belt buckle and a name tag - as required. I was pulled aside asked to disrobe - I objected and eventually a supervisor came over and after opening my shirt I was allowed to proceed. No sorry, no apology, no “hey I know the law provides some quick processing/exemptions for military on orders and in uniform”.
Yes I sent a written letter of complaint along with the names but never got a response.
Violent agreement with a fellow road warrior. I travel at a similar clip to @Wildabeast and CLEAR/Global Entry (which includes precheck) have saved me cumulative weeks of my life the last decade or so. My kids and wife all have both memberships, too, as precheck works for the boy based on my membership until he's 18, but Global Entry doesn't.
Beyond the airlines frequent flyer programs themselves (United gives you a free membership for 1K/Global Services members, also, and both Delta and United offer $109 memberships to any level of elite frequent flyer program member - and $119 if you just literally sign up for their FF program) - Amex Platinum reimburses the full $179/year if you purchase CLEAR with the card. I believe the normal Amex Green Card gives you $100 credit and the various and sundry Delta- and United- branded cards also give you $70 credit).
A bunch of cards (Amex Plat as above, CapitalOne Venture, Chase Sapphire, Citi Prestige, Chase Bonvoy, IHG,et al) also reimburse one Global Entry membership ($100) every 5 years. Google will turn them up.
Tl;dr = If you fly more than once a year, get a credit card or join a frequent flyer program that reimburses some or all of both those travel items and you will have a much smoother travel experience for little to no cost (plus with signup bonuses the way they are right now, a ton of bonus miles).
454
Well-known member
A few years after 9/11 but well before a decent smart phone with a gps I was heading to a school in Louisiana connecting through Dallas. Active Duty Army in uniform. I had printed a bunch of MapQuest pages out to some family members I hadn't seen in years thinking I'd go visit if I had time. They confiscated them due to "having too many" addresses printed out. Dumbest thing I ever experienced.
Zach
Well-known member
TSA taking a small 4" flathead screwdriver but missing the folding blade knife...
brendog84cj8
Active member
Had them give me hell over a P38 can opener on my keychain, no big deal until I saw them let the skater kid behind me walk right on though with 6 feet of chain connecting his wallet to his belt loop, darn near blacked out.
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