Ken MacTiernan
Veteran
About a year and a half ago I was flying through Orlando, FL's airport heading back to SAN. My wife works for Southwest so I was flying on her passes. I fully expected to be "pulled aside" and being searched. So my ticket is marked for the extra attention I deserve being an airline employee's spouse flying on her airline. No problem.
I am pulled out of line and taken to the front of the line right before the exray machine. I am on the opposite side of the line of passengers standing and waiting to be directed to go through the metal detector. As I am standing there I notice the three men who are waiting to go through the detecetor are waiting for the gray buckets to place their laptops, shoes, etc. in but there are none. They are standing there in their socks waiting, and waiting and waiting.
Since I am on the opposite side of the metal table all their travel stuff is sitting on I look around and there are only three TSA agents here. One is stationed on the opposite side of the detector directing people through, another is sitting at the x-ray machine and a third is standing at the end of the table items come out on after being x-rayed.
Now, there is a stack of gray bins/buckets not 1/2 a step from where I am standing but none of these Master Degree holding examples of government representatives is doing anything and they are all aware there is a log jam on this line. So, thinking logically (which puts me at odds with a TSA employee right off the bat) I take that 1/2 step pick up a stack of buckets and hand them to the grateful passengers.
I must have triggered some invisible "activation of stupidity" mind control device because the agent standing at the opposite end of the table from me sees me move and storms over to where the three passengers are placing their belongings into the buckets and REMOVES all of their items and takes the buckets and tossess them on the ground. He then grabs the remaining stack of buckets which I did not grab and hands them to the stunned passengers. He then points a finger at me while looking at the agent guarding the metal detector and says, "THIS ONE!"
Example of stupidity? Or an example of something we should be afraid of? Does common sense/logic come into play at anytime during the duty of a TSA agent?
I am pulled out of line and taken to the front of the line right before the exray machine. I am on the opposite side of the line of passengers standing and waiting to be directed to go through the metal detector. As I am standing there I notice the three men who are waiting to go through the detecetor are waiting for the gray buckets to place their laptops, shoes, etc. in but there are none. They are standing there in their socks waiting, and waiting and waiting.
Since I am on the opposite side of the metal table all their travel stuff is sitting on I look around and there are only three TSA agents here. One is stationed on the opposite side of the detector directing people through, another is sitting at the x-ray machine and a third is standing at the end of the table items come out on after being x-rayed.
Now, there is a stack of gray bins/buckets not 1/2 a step from where I am standing but none of these Master Degree holding examples of government representatives is doing anything and they are all aware there is a log jam on this line. So, thinking logically (which puts me at odds with a TSA employee right off the bat) I take that 1/2 step pick up a stack of buckets and hand them to the grateful passengers.
I must have triggered some invisible "activation of stupidity" mind control device because the agent standing at the opposite end of the table from me sees me move and storms over to where the three passengers are placing their belongings into the buckets and REMOVES all of their items and takes the buckets and tossess them on the ground. He then grabs the remaining stack of buckets which I did not grab and hands them to the stunned passengers. He then points a finger at me while looking at the agent guarding the metal detector and says, "THIS ONE!"
Example of stupidity? Or an example of something we should be afraid of? Does common sense/logic come into play at anytime during the duty of a TSA agent?
