Airline Travel Tips and Dealing with TSA

Many of us travel throughout the United States and some of us travel all over the world. If we fly, we are all going to have to pass through the gauntlet of the Transportation Safety Administration’s equipment, personnel, rules and attitudes. Most of the time we are met with down-to-earth people, just seeking to do their job of protecting the flying public. When we meet these kinds of people, we can feel like we are all on the same team.

However, our irritation always rises when we are ‘randomly selected’ for secondary inspection. Then, we feel immediately separate from the TSA worker; now it is a potential adversarial relationship. What can make this worse is the new little glass ‘house’ we are put in before we get to retrieve our belongings. Here is the scenario that I personally experienced and how I will be handling it in the future.

1. I went through the initial line where they check your boarding pass and ID.
2. I removed my shoes in a bin.
3. Then I took off my jacket, sweater and put them in a bin.
4. Then I put the plastic bag encased contents of my purse in a bin.
5. Then I put my purse in a bin.
6. Then I put my laptop in a bin.
7. Then I put laptop-carrying case in a bin.
8. Think about it: that is six bins of belongings for one person.
9. ‘Randomly’ I was selected for additional screening in the glass house.
10. At this point I complained that no one was watching my things. I asked if TSA was making sure that my laptop and purse and ID were not taken.
11. TSA bluntly told me that this was my responsibility and that I was to ‘watch my stuff on the line’ and at the same time pay attention to the person who had placed me so that my back was to my things.
12. I pointed out that I could not do both, watch my things and give my attention to the TSA worker ‘wanding’ me. I was brusquely informed that that was not their problem. I was ordered to pay attention.
13. By now I am frantic to make sure that my identity and possessions in those six bins are not stolen or tampered with.
14. When I exit the little house of inspection, all of my things are scrunched up at the end of the assembly line. No one is watching them. People are making sure they can get their own things.
15. When I get out of the secondary inspection I just barely have time to redress, reassemble all the contents of my purse, verifying that all is there, grab my laptop, repack and then get to my gate.

However, the next time I fly, I seek out a TSA supervisor and describe the above scenario and ask about my rights in the situation. I am told the standard line: it’s your responsibility to watch your stuff. At this point I am pretty sure that it is not my responsibility. I point out by showing the supervisor how the person has their back to ‘their stuff’ and cannot possibly watch anything except pay attention to the TSA worker in front of them. I then point out that the individual’s things are now completely unattended and vulnerable to theft. In the rush of people and belongings, no one can say what belongs to whom. I pointed out that it takes mere seconds to steal a wallet, laptop, camera or an iphone.

Finally, this supervisor, understands the problem and gives me a solution: I have the right to always insist that my things be in the little house before I am searched.

What makes all of the above even more unnerving is the fact that in the airport in Philadelphia, a TSA worker placed a bag of white powder in a young woman’s luggage and then grilled her about it before he laughed that he was just ‘joking with her.’ While that man was fired from TSA, this little incident illustrates the vulnerability our belongings experience while on that conveyer belt.

We are each responsible for our things and to be vigilant. If it does become necessary to enter secondary screening, then politely ask for a supervisor – which is your right – and then request that all of your things be in the little house with you. Only then will you know that your things are not being tampered with and that your belongings will remain in tact.