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Post by melanell on May 19, 2016 16:01:21 GMT
The current TSA situation is ridiculous imo. DH & I flew right at the 1st anniversary of 9/11. One would think that if at any time that they would be hyper vigilant, it would have been then, but aside from a few random people being asked if they could do an extra check, things were no different than before 9/11. And neither DH nor myself felt we were in any extra danger due to the lack of change.
Now, we avoid flying. The whole ordeal just sucks any desire to fly out of us. And we still do not feel one tiny speck safer than before. If anything, we feel a bit less safe, because overall, TSA now looks so bumbling and power-hungry to me that I feel like they'd miss the forest for the trees. Plus, we feel extra stress knowing that we have to deal with longer lines & waits, irregular adherence to rules, etc.
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Post by 2peaornot2pea on May 19, 2016 16:06:07 GMT
Bottom line: government doesn't do big jobs like this well. Fire TSA and allow airports to hire private companies to handle the process. I'm in Atlanta where the lines have been long for years. Our mayor threatens to do away with TSA and hire out to a private group. I hope he does, but I suspect it's political posturing on his part. I don't believe this to be true. The privatization of jails, hiring private security instead of using soldiers in war zones, utility companies, etc. costs the tax payers more, while lining the pockets of the owners. And the likelihood of corruption increases. Research the illegal activities of Haliburton, KBR, Blackwater. I can provide you with more examples if you like. Privatization is not the magic solution.
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Post by 2peaornot2pea on May 19, 2016 16:11:21 GMT
Long security lines at the airport are a fact of life. I expect the lines to be long and plan accordingly. I'm pleasantly surprised if I get through the lines quickly.
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Post by epeanymous on May 19, 2016 16:13:34 GMT
Bottom line: government doesn't do big jobs like this well. Fire TSA and allow airports to hire private companies to handle the process. I'm in Atlanta where the lines have been long for years. Our mayor threatens to do away with TSA and hire out to a private group. I hope he does, but I suspect it's political posturing on his part. I don't believe this to be true. The privatization of jails, hiring private security instead of using soldiers in war zones, utility companies, etc. costs the tax payers more, while lining the pockets of the owners. And the likelihood of corruption increases. Research the illegal activities of Haliburton, KBR, Blackwater. I can provide you with more examples if you like. Privatization is not the magic solution. I also want to say that I flew out of Seatac and Newark last week, and on both ends, the security lines were actually short and manageable, but I lost thirty minutes at the check-in kiosk because I fly with a ticketed infant and some airlines evidently have problems processing that. I had to get a live airline employee to override the error message in the kiosk, which took for.ev.er.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 15, 2024 22:28:57 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2016 16:13:47 GMT
Easy solution - airlines stop charging for checked baggage. The baggage fee was added because of the cost of fuel. Since that time fuel costs have decreased drastically.
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my3freaks
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,206
Location: NH girl living in Colorado
Jun 26, 2014 4:10:56 GMT
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Post by my3freaks on May 19, 2016 17:06:19 GMT
I always fly out of Denver International (DIA), and it sucks. Security always has horrible lines, and the TSA employees are so surly. They talk amongst themselves, but are just short and rude with the travelers. Customer service is obviously not in their job description. A sense of urgency would be nice too. There's nothing more frustrating to lines full of people waiting, than employees that appear to be milling about doing nothing, and the ones that are working, doing everything so slow. We KNOW they have no where else to be, but everyone else DOES, and it IS their job to get everyone on their way. I have chronic back problems, 2 surgeries haven't fixed them, and they're getting steadily worse. Standing in a line for an hour or more is damn near unbearable. I'm pretty sure TSA doesn't care. I wonder if I brought my DMV handicap placard and hung it around my neck if they'd help me out? After you get through the security fiasco at DIA, you have to go squeeze onto the train. I hate it! My luck is, no matter what airline I fly, I'm always at the farthest gate too! I don't understand why anyone would refuse the scanner either. I am horrified at the idea of being patted down.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 15, 2024 22:28:57 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2016 17:22:52 GMT
IMO there is plenty of blame to go around.....travelers included.....do you see what people try to bring as a carry-on to avoid baggage fees? it's ridiculous....or people that aren't prepared once they get to the x-ray machines. I live in a smaller market airport area and I usually get TSA Pre-check and I've never paid for it. I've always wondered if it's because I'm a retired government employee. When I was still working, I ALWAYS got TSA Pre-check.
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Post by papersilly on May 19, 2016 17:26:26 GMT
on one hand, people want diligence and thoroughness when it comes to security but they don't have the patience for it. while I am all for taking the time for safety and sucking up the inconvenience of long lines, I will not tolerate delays that cause me to miss a flight. that is unacceptable.
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Post by cade387 on May 19, 2016 17:27:58 GMT
I've been involved on government contracts and when the scanners came out - I'm not convinced of the results on the amount of radiation. I know lots of people will disagree, but with the amount of flying I do, the lesser amount of radiation I can expose myself to the better. Not to mention I don't think they make us any safer.
The pat downs are nothing. Nothing obtrusive and not groping in anyway for me.
I see many folks that opt out. It isn't as rare as before. In Europe they will not allow me to opt out. I have a problem with that. It is at a US gate with US TSA agents. They should follow the same procedures, but they don't.
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Post by Darcy Collins on May 19, 2016 18:17:53 GMT
Any agency that reduces their staffing by 10% while travel volumes are INCREASING is INCOMPETENT. You don't reduce your workforce HOPING that travelers will embrace your new precheck idea by the millions and that will offset your staffing reductions.
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Post by Darcy Collins on May 19, 2016 18:19:37 GMT
I've been involved on government contracts and when the scanners came out - I'm not convinced of the results on the amount of radiation. I know lots of people will disagree, but with the amount of flying I do, the lesser amount of radiation I can expose myself to the better. Not to mention I don't think they make us any safer. The pat downs are nothing. Nothing obtrusive and not groping in anyway for me. I see many folks that opt out. It isn't as rare as before. In Europe they will not allow me to opt out. I have a problem with that. It is at a US gate with US TSA agents. They should follow the same procedures, but they don't. Children aren't allowed to bypass the scanners while flying into the US either - I was pretty surprised when they required my kids as young as 7 to use the scanners - we bypass in the US.
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Post by annabella on May 19, 2016 18:35:06 GMT
Children aren't allowed to bypass the scanners while flying into the US either - I was pretty surprised when they required my kids as young as 7 to use the scanners - we bypass in the US. In the past I've always seen children and their parent go through the metal detector instead. Airplanes have radiation too that you're exposed to so I don't see it any different than the scanner.
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Post by hollymolly on May 19, 2016 18:59:54 GMT
I've been grounded most of this year, but didn't notice any difference at Little Rock Monday morning. We'll see how it goes flying out of Phoenix tomorrow. I know it will take a while to shuttle from the rental car return, so had already planned to go 2 1/2 hours early. Will bump it to 3 now, hopefully that will be enough.
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Post by 950nancy on May 19, 2016 22:33:36 GMT
The worst lines I have ever had are definitely not in the US. Our security is much quicker than the Caribbean airports. Odd, because I've never had any issues at any of the Caribbean airports I've flown through. Maybe it's a combination of timing and luck.
I'm another one who refuses to go through the scanner. The first time we flew through Miami, the line was huge! We asked one of the TSA agents who was walking through the line what the procedure was for getting the pat-down (at our home airport, people who are asked to go through the scanner are chosen at random while, in Miami everyone goes through) and she pulled us to the front of the line. We've been doing that ever since and we're bumped up probably 50% of the time.
Cancun and Jamaica are especially bad. We also go around spring break so that makes it even worse. They are just slow so we get there very early.
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Post by 950nancy on May 19, 2016 22:35:51 GMT
I always fly out of Denver International (DIA), and it sucks. Security always has horrible lines, and the TSA employees are so surly. They talk amongst themselves, but are just short and rude with the travelers. Customer service is obviously not in their job description. A sense of urgency would be nice too. There's nothing more frustrating to lines full of people waiting, than employees that appear to be milling about doing nothing, and the ones that are working, doing everything so slow. We KNOW they have no where else to be, but everyone else DOES, and it IS their job to get everyone on their way. I have chronic back problems, 2 surgeries haven't fixed them, and they're getting steadily worse. Standing in a line for an hour or more is damn near unbearable. I'm pretty sure TSA doesn't care. I wonder if I brought my DMV handicap placard and hung it around my neck if they'd help me out? After you get through the security fiasco at DIA, you have to go squeeze onto the train. I hate it! My luck is, no matter what airline I fly, I'm always at the farthest gate too! I don't understand why anyone would refuse the scanner either. I am horrified at the idea of being patted down. Yes, but you get to hear that wonderful banjo-y twang music that more than makes up for it!
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Post by epeanymous on May 19, 2016 23:27:40 GMT
I've been involved on government contracts and when the scanners came out - I'm not convinced of the results on the amount of radiation. I know lots of people will disagree, but with the amount of flying I do, the lesser amount of radiation I can expose myself to the better. Not to mention I don't think they make us any safer. The pat downs are nothing. Nothing obtrusive and not groping in anyway for me. I see many folks that opt out. It isn't as rare as before. In Europe they will not allow me to opt out. I have a problem with that. It is at a US gate with US TSA agents. They should follow the same procedures, but they don't. Children aren't allowed to bypass the scanners while flying into the US either - I was pretty surprised when they required my kids as young as 7 to use the scanners - we bypass in the US. It may vary from airport to airport, but my kids haven't had to use the scanners (and my oldest two are 10 and 13). They usually have everyone in my family go through the metal detector, although sometimes they have just dh go through the scanner.
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Post by Darcy Collins on May 20, 2016 2:07:03 GMT
Children aren't allowed to bypass the scanners while flying into the US either - I was pretty surprised when they required my kids as young as 7 to use the scanners - we bypass in the US. It may vary from airport to airport, but my kids haven't had to use the scanners (and my oldest two are 10 and 13). They usually have everyone in my family go through the metal detector, although sometimes they have just dh go through the scanner. Internationally? I have the same experience flying within the US and out of the US to a foreign airport. Flying back home, the children are always directed through the scanner - at least in the airports I can remember:Amsterdam, London, Munich and Rome.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on May 20, 2016 2:25:52 GMT
Easy solution - airlines stop charging for checked baggage. The baggage fee was added because of the cost of fuel. Since that time fuel costs have decreased drastically. When you consider that in 2015, all US airlines combined took in $3.8 Billion in baggage fees alone, you can be pretty sure those fees aren't going anywhere. And now that they have figured out that many will pay extra for those premium economy seats, the leg room isn't going to improve in economy either. People are going to continue to carryon luggage in larger numbers to avoid those fees. The TSA needs to get a grip and figure out what to do.
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Post by epeanymous on May 20, 2016 2:51:44 GMT
It may vary from airport to airport, but my kids haven't had to use the scanners (and my oldest two are 10 and 13). They usually have everyone in my family go through the metal detector, although sometimes they have just dh go through the scanner. Internationally? I have the same experience flying within the US and out of the US to a foreign airport. Flying back home, the children are always directed through the scanner - at least in the airports I can remember:Amsterdam, London, Munich and Rome. I've only flown with kids in and out of London and Montreal, internationally, and my kids (as far as I recall) didn't go through the body scanners. Although on one end of one of those trips we had to use those eye-scanning type things in the customs area, and trying to position my then-eight-year-old correctly for that was a job of work.
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
Jul 12, 2014 21:58:10 GMT
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Post by pridemom on May 20, 2016 15:09:13 GMT
My SIL is flying in today. She got to the Atlanta airport 3 hours early. It only took 15 minutes to get through TSA security. Maybe the media hype is working.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 15, 2024 22:28:57 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2016 15:58:51 GMT
Tsa is a total joke. I travel up to ten times a year and I know the drill, get to the airport early. But when it's peak traveling time and lines are backed up--the tsa just lets everyone through, no shoes or belts off, no screening laptops or bags.
So why exactly are we paying them? Oh, to keep us safe.
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Post by hollymolly on May 20, 2016 16:53:10 GMT
At Phoenix Sky Harbor at a little before 5 this morning, no line at all for precheck and what appeared to be a very small line for regular.
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Post by mirabelleswalker on May 20, 2016 16:56:28 GMT
TSA=Thousands Standing Around
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
Jul 12, 2014 21:58:10 GMT
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Post by pridemom on May 20, 2016 17:13:59 GMT
At Phoenix Sky Harbor at a little before 5 this morning, no line at all for precheck and what appeared to be a very small line for regular. We will be flying in and out of Sky Harbor this summer. I am more worried about Using Orlando airport in July.
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Post by hollymolly on May 21, 2016 2:30:53 GMT
At Phoenix Sky Harbor at a little before 5 this morning, no line at all for precheck and what appeared to be a very small line for regular. We will be flying in and out of Sky Harbor this summer. I am more worried about Using Orlando airport in July. I lived in Orlando the first year that I had this job, so I flew out of MCO 2-3 times every month. They were always very efficient at security and the lines, while crazy long, move faster than you would think. But July will be bad. I'm sorry.
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