TSA Experiences

[nicholsbears]

This is just for fun and conversation. I am interested in fellow Disneyites experiences in different airports concerning TSA. My wife and I flew for the first time (anywhere) to WDW in Dec. from ALB (Albany, NY) to MCO (Orlando International). Never having flown we followed the lead of other passengers, but eventually had a couple questions for the TSA agents. In Albany they were friendly, and helpful, and throughly professional. On the other hand, for the return trip the agents at MCO behaved more like Gestapo officers. They didn't answer questions...they barked at you. I felt like I was in a prison camp...totally unpleasant experience. There were no friendly skies at MCO.
Too bad considering MCO is almost a theme park in itself. I realize the passenger traffic is totally different at the two airports, but simple consideration is the same everywhere. The MCO agents should be trained by Disney.
Please shaare your experiences.

[MNNHFLTX]

I can't say that I have ever had a bad experience with TSA agents, including MCO, which I have flown in and out of too many times to count. Maybe they seem more down to business to me there, but then again the volume through that airport (and the security lines) might account for that. I have felt very fortunate on my last few flights, as I seem to be on a roll of being put through the Precheck line. Love that!

[tinxmom]

We had a crazy experience at MCO about a year ago We were traveling myself, DH, DS, 2DDs, and my father-in-law (who was CLEARLY the Grandpa in the bunch) My FIL has had two hip replacements, so he carries a medical card explaining that. Made no matter to the TSA, they hauled him off to a room, checked him head to toe and swabbed his hands and in his ears. Even looked in his mouth. Fortunately, he was a good sport about it, but my DH and myself found it a bit ridiculous - he was wearing a mickey shirt and hat and was travelling with his family. And dont get me wrong, I understand they are doing all this to keep us safe, but they we very abrupt and rude to him.

[PirateLover]

Luckily, I have had no recent negative experiences, but I feel like for a while there we always seemed to end up with the agent who thought that a TSA badge was equivalent to FBI. There was the agent who held my purse up above her head and announced to the entire line that I was having a bag check because I kept saying "I don't know" when she asked me 3x in an increasingly hostile tone whether or not I had scissors in my bag (turns out there was a small pair of cuticle scissors I had forgotten about). There was the agent who made my dad unpack everything in his carry-on to get to a "suspicious tool kit" in the bottom, which was just a headphone jack accessory kit.
My favorite one was right after they implemented the first round of body scanners, my whole party "opted out." The agent rolled his eyes as hard as possible and told us "There's nothing wrong with them, just go through." We said no, we'll take the pat down. Then he escorted my husband away from me despite the fact that I knew it was in my rights to keep a member of my traveling party with me. His reply? "Yeah, yeah- whatever." There are more, but these stand out. Since that last incident, though,(2010) I've actually encountered extraordinarily friendly agents.

[RunDMV]

I was flying back home from Little Rock. I had a brand new Columbia jacket that I was literally wearing for the first time. of course, I had to take it off to go through the so-called security checkpoint.

when I was at the gate waiting to board, I realized I left me jacket at the so-called security checkpoint. I went back to get it. it was not there. I started asking about it and I noticed that the "agents" started looking at each other in a manner that suggested "something was up." Finally, one of them spoke up and asked if it he blue. when I replied yes, another stated loudly, "I knew he would come back and get it."

one of the "agents" told me to follow her and we walked toward an office. she reached in a desk drawer and pulled out my jacket and handed it to me. as I was heading back to my gate, I heard he tell another "agent" "I told you you wouldn't be able to keep it."

That is not the only negative experience I have had with them.

[SBETigg]

We fly frequently, so we paid the money and went through the process to get TSA pre check authorization numbers. It's just so much faster and easier now. Well worth it if you fly frequently (unless you're vehemently opposed to the whole idea). It's basically paying for them to do a one-time security check to assess that you're probably not a threat so that you can proceed through security faster using the TSA Pre check lines. They take fingerprints, ID, look into your background, and if approved, issue you a traveler number to give the airlines so that they mark you as pre-check every time. You can keep your shoes on and your laptops in your bags, plus go through much shorter security lines.

One agent stopped me as I was entering the pre check line and told me I did not qualify because I wasn't old or infirm (I'm not, but how would one glance at me prove that?). I flashed him my ticket and he shook his head, apologized, and let me through. Not exactly unfriendly, but it is the only incident I've ever had with TSA. They're usually friendly to me.

[SurferStitch]

My worst experience was flying out of Houston back around 2002. I had never been treated that badly before or since (and we flew to WDW the week after 9/11).

I was leaving to go home after a week-long trip for work where I was building a chemical plant in La Porte, TX. The airport was mobbed, there were problems with security, and the line to get through security was about 2.5-3 hours long (and I arrived 3 hours before my flight).

This was before iPhones, and I had a brand new, super thin, really small Nokia phone. I had it in my back pocket, and honestly just forgot it was there. I was wearing jeans, a very thin cami, and a zip up cardigan over it.

When the agent (a woman) saw my phone in my pocket at the scanner, she pulled be to the side, ripped it out of my pocket, and accused me of trying to hide it (because why???). I explained I had just gotten it the week prior, wasn't used to such a small phone, and simply forgot it was there.

She gave the phone to another TSA (a guy) and told him to scan it to find what was wrong with the phone. In the meantime, she made me take off my cardigan. Now, I had a very thin cami on (thankfully), but she said I would have had to take the cardigan off no matter what (i.e. nothing on but my bra)... IN FRONT OF HUNDEREDS OF PEOPLE. Even with the cami I felt very self conscious.

She then started patting me down.... thoroughly. She heard people making rude comments about my treatment, then offered to take me to a private room. I said, "Oh no.... this is too good... let everyone see how you're treating me." She looked very uncomfortable after that.

The guy came back, and looked and acted very dejected. With a sad tone, he said that they scanned the phone multiple times, but just couldn't find anything wrong with the phone. Yeah... that would be because it was a phone.

With that, she let me go, saying (also dejected), "Well, we can't find anything. I guess you're okay". Yep, this (at the time) 29 year old petite blond was a real sleeper!

I had at least 10 people come up to me after that saying how amazed and appalled they were at my treatment. But honestly, I was so tired of being away from home, I just wanted to get out of there and not miss my flight.

[manutd1]

Never had any bad experiences...here are the reasons why...If folks followed these rules...NO one would ever have a bad day with the TSA
1. Do exactly what you are told. Period.
2. Don't ask stupid questions...just do what you are told.
3. Do what you are told.....\
Its really simple. But it is amazing how many people want to argue and that just doesn't fly...no pun intended.
They want to strip search me...go ahead..what ever it takes to get where I'm going safe....and on time.

[tinkwest]

Just last week I was flying out of Seattle with a pre check boarding pass. I had a water bottle with me on the 2 hour shuttle ride to the airport and forgot to toss it before putting my purse through security check. For that I had to have a pat down. I thought it was a bit extreme but it was my mistake to begin with. No one was rude (although the agent who pulled out the bottle hung their head with a "how many times is this going to happen today" kind of look) and they asked right away if I wanted to go in a private room, which I declined. I actually would have welcomed more interaction than I received. When the agent said I was fine she started walking away and I had to ask her if I could enter the area where my purse was sitting to retrieve it.

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

My sister and I were flying to our grandfather's funeral and because we had one way tickets from little Wilmington NC to ATL - we were subjected to a full pat down and bag search. Even our bibles were wiped down.

I felt sorry for one passenger last time I flew, he was just ahead of me and was German - flying domestic from point a to point b in the US after arriving from Frankfurt (struck up a conversation with him since DH works for a German company - same one this gentleman did also) - he was rudely told he would need to be patted down and searched as he was foreign. I ended up sending an email to the powers that be up the chain of command with TSA at that airport since foreign is not a precursor to being rudely manhandled.

[SurferStitch]

Never had any bad experiences...here are the reasons why...If folks followed these rules...NO one would ever have a bad day with the TSA
1. Do exactly what you are told. Period.
2. Don't ask stupid questions...just do what you are told.
3. Do what you are told.....\
Its really simple. But it is amazing how many people want to argue and that just doesn't fly...no pun intended.
They want to strip search me...go ahead..what ever it takes to get where I'm going safe....and on time.

I did exactly what they said. I was asked the stupid questions (which I ansered), and given an incredible amount of attitude. This was my one and only problem I've ever had in the 20+ years I've been flying. When an agent is looking for trouble, that's a problem for me.

Not to mention the fact that her games made me get to my plane with only a couple minutes to spare. I almost missed my flight so she could go on a power trip.

I felt much worse for an 82 year old woman with Alzheimers that was taken to the side and patted down before me. She was petrified, and didn't understand what was happening. Her family tried to get the TSA's to stop, and kept telling them that she was 82 with advanced Alzheimers, but they insisted that she was a risk since her travel companions were protesting so much. The woman just screamed and cried. I felt horrible for her. They never took her to a private room.

[Figaro]

I've worked in the airline industry, and I've had discussions with TSA agents about all of the negativity they get. Most are doing it for the paycheck, and the agency has an incredibly low morale right now. Most don't believe in the procedures and polices to which they are enforcing. They are basically given a rule book and told to follow it. TSA is given a wide latitude on their on job conduct, and sometimes, some don't always use common sense unfortunately. TSA has caused millions of dollars of aircraft damage, at least on one occasion, and some at MCO have previously scanned my McDonalds hamburger and drink thru the Xray scanner while I was working on the MCO airside. I've also while working on the airside and pushing a wheelchair down to the gate been "randomly selected for additional screening" (All while having a security badge that lets me go thru secured doors with only a simple badge swipe downstairs). Just saying this to let you know the frustrations don't end at the passenger screening line.

With all that said, be prepared when gong thru TSA and the less hassle you'll have. Vast majority of "random selections" are done by TSA agents in the line making judgements. If you set yourself up for success before hand, less chance of being randomly selected or having any hassle. Before approaching security, take your belts, keys, wallets, electronics, etc, and place them into your backpack or carry on. Wear slip on shoes, also. Be prepared with your laptops out, and your liquids in plastic bags and compliant with the 3-1-1 rules and the bags out to be declared to TSA. Make sure you take off any jackets, hats or sunglasses and place them to be scanned. If traveling with children, make best attempts to secure any belts and have them wear slip on shoes, also. Any toy resembling a weapon, make sure it gets left at home. That includes action figures with a fake gun the size of a fingernail, action figures with swords, nail clippers, etc, etc. (they can go in your checked baggage, but not carry ons) I've seen it happen and cause an entire family to be "randomly selected" after it was found. Also, listen to their directions and comply to the best of your abilities.

[MNNHFLTX]

TSA has caused millions of dollars of aircraft damage

i've read and re-read this comment, trying to figure it out. Could you elaborate, please?

[Figaro]

i've read and re-read this comment, trying to figure it out. Could you elaborate, please?

Sure. There was namely one incident that happened in Orlando. A regional airline aircraft was all closed up and on a remote parking spot. A TSA agent doing ramp inspections thought he would climb on the aircraft and ensure it was "safe" and "secure". In doing so, he climbed onto expensive, and sensitive equipment utilized for determining airspeed, etc. to peek into the cockpit windows.

[DonLefNY]

I fly a dozen or so times a year and have never had a problem with TSA. This includes Albany, NY, Baltimore, Orlando, Las Vegas, Orange County, Cali. and Chicago. This does not include the European airports.

The only time I saw a problem was when my sister in law, while flying out of Orlando, got into a heated exchange with a TSA officer over two bottles of Coke she had in her carry on. I had told her to get rid of them but, no, she insisted on keeping them. The TSA officer was very professional and kept her cool, but my sister in law went ballistic. I'm surprised she was not detained. End result was she lost her precious soda.

[Ed]

That damage to aircraft was at Chicago O'Hare, not Orlando. http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/08/20/grounded.jets/