TSA: "Ma'am, is this powder yours? JUST KIDDING HAHAHAHA."

[Cry Havoc]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20100121_Daniel_Rubin__It_was_no_joke_at_security_ gate.html

Daniel Rubin: It was no joke at security gate

In the tense new world of air travel, we're stripped of shoes, told not to take too much shampoo on board, frowned on if we crack a smile.

The last thing we expect is a joke from a Transportation Security Administration screener - particularly one this stupid.

Rebecca Solomon is 22 and a student at the University of Michigan, and on Jan. 5 she was flying back to school after holiday break. She made sure she arrived at Philadelphia International Airport 90 minutes before takeoff, given the new regulations.

She would be flying into Detroit on Northwest Airlines, the same city and carrier involved in the attempted bombing on Christmas, just 10 days before. She was tense.

What happened to her lasted only 20 seconds, but she says they were the longest 20 seconds of her life.

After pulling her laptop out of her carry-on bag, sliding the items through the scanning machines, and walking through a detector, she went to collect her things.

A TSA worker was staring at her. He motioned her toward him.

Then he pulled a small, clear plastic bag from her carry-on - the sort of baggie that a pair of earrings might come in. Inside the bag was fine, white powder.

She remembers his words: "Where did you get it?"

Two thoughts came to her in a jumble: A terrorist was using her to sneak bomb-detonating materials on the plane. Or a drug dealer had made her an unwitting mule, planting coke or some other trouble in her bag while she wasn't looking.

She'd left her carry-on by her feet as she handed her license and boarding pass to a security agent at the beginning of the line.

Answer truthfully, the TSA worker informed her, and everything will be OK.

Solomon, 5-foot-3 and traveling alone, looked up at the man in the black shirt and fought back tears.

Put yourself in her place and count out 20 seconds. Her heart pounded. She started to sweat. She panicked at having to explain something she couldn't.

Now picture her expression as the TSA employee started to smile.

Just kidding, he said. He waved the baggie. It was his.

And so she collected her things, stunned, and the tears began to fall.

Another passenger, a woman traveling to Colorado, consoled her as others who had witnessed the confrontation went about their business. Solomon and the woman walked to their gates, where each called for security and reported what had happened.

A joke? You're not serious. Was he hitting on her? Was he flexing his muscle? Who at a time of heightened security and rattled nerves would play so cavalierly with a passenger's emotions?

When someone is trying to blow planes out of the sky, what is a TSA employee doing with his eyes off the ball?

When she complained to airport security, Solomon said, she was told the TSA worker had been training the staff to detect contraband. She was shocked that no one took him off the floor, she said.

"It was such a violation," the Wynnewood native told me by phone. "I'd come early. I'd done everything right. And they were kidding about it."

I ran her story past Ann Davis, regional TSA spokeswoman, who said she knew nothing to contradict the young traveler's account.

Davis said privacy law prevents her from identifying the TSA employee. The law prevents her from disclosing what sort of discipline he might have received.

"The TSA views this employee's behavior to be highly inappropriate and unprofessional," she wrote. "We can assure travelers this employee has been disciplined by TSA management at Philadelphia International Airport, and he has expressed remorse for his actions."

Maybe he's been punished enough. That Solomon's father, Jeffrey, is a Center City litigator might mean this story isn't over.

In the meantime, I think the TSA worker should spend time following passengers through the scanners, handing them their shoes. Maybe he could tie them, too.

Update: Ann Davis, the TSA spokeswoman, said this afternoon that the worker is no longer employed by the agency as of today. She said privacy laws prevented her from saying if he was fired or left on his own.

[BacktoBasics]

This world has no sense of humor.

[I. Hustle]

My response would have been:


WHHHHAAATTTTT? It was funnnyyyy... must be a lesbian.

[TeyshaBlue]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt9IdPttScQ

[ElNono]

LOL @ privacy laws for TSA employees must be respected but private citizens are SOL...

I wonder if you need to file a FOIA to get any oversight on these guys... pathetic

[I. Hustle]

He handled the situation all wrong. I would have pointed at my crotch and theeenn asked "Is this yours?"

[jack sommerset]

He should be fired. TSA does not like jokes from passengers and they should expect passengers do not like jokes from them. Shit can the douchebag.

[panic giraffe]

did it for the lulz?

[coyotes_geek]

What could possibly be funnier than a law enforcement officer tricking an average citizen into thinking they're about to be arrested for a felony? Hell, I think the local sherriff should toss a dead body on that TSA screener's front lawn, knock on the door and ask "where'd you get that?"

[spursncowboys]

This reminds of when a Southwest flight attendant said "In the event of a crash in water, your seat can be used as a floatation device...although we'll all probably die from the impact".

[spursncowboys]

WHen getting in the plane heading to Iraq. I had an m4 with 8 30 round mags; a m249 SAW with 4 drums and a 9 mil with 3 15 round mags. With all that, they made us break off the file from our nail clippers. An entire plane filled with soldiers were unable to have files and leathermens. TSA is the worst thing Bush did!

[hater]

what a drama bitch.

[SnakeBoy]

WHen getting in the plane heading to Iraq. I had an m4 with 8 30 round mags; a m249 SAW with 4 drums and a 9 mil with 3 15 round mags. With all that, they made us break off the file from our nail clippers. An entire plane filled with soldiers were unable to have files and leathermens. TSA is the worst thing Bush did!

Srsly?

[spursncowboys]

unfortunately so.

[symple19]

WHen getting in the plane heading to Iraq. I had an m4 with 8 30 round mags; a m249 SAW with 4 drums and a 9 mil with 3 15 round mags. With all that, they made us break off the file from our nail clippers. An entire plane filled with soldiers were unable to have files and leathermens. TSA is the worst thing Bush did!

SnC... What kind of unit were you in? In my unit, only officers and medics carry M-9s. If you had an M-4 or a M-16 then there is no way you'd also be carrying a SAW. We also didn't bring live ammo on our Charter flight, that stuff is in place once you get to your final location. And nobody fucked with us about anything. I had a Gerber and 5 in Blade on me.

The Flight attendants said we were their favorite duty because military charters are 100% guaranteed to be terrorist free. :lol

[symple19]

And yeah, the TSA is a bunch of nitwits. That poor girl didn't deserve that bullshit

[spursncowboys]

SnC... What kind of unit were you in? In my unit, only officers and medics carry M-9s. If you had an M-4 or a M-16 then there is no way you'd also be carrying a SAW. We also didn't bring live ammo on our Charter flight, that stuff is in place once you get to your final location. And nobody fucked with us about anything. I had a Gerber and 5 in Blade on me.

The Flight attendants said we were their favorite duty because military charters are 100% guaranteed to be terrorist free. :lol

It was 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. I was the gunner for a THT team so I got alot of weapons. I had a 240 signed to me but luckily they boxed it up to take there. The SAW was just me helping my buddy carry it. Everyone in my unit got a 9. I bought one of those holsters that go to your belt. My team got to go sterile so everyone would see my holster and salute me.
It sounds like your unit wasn't jacked up. Mine was not in that category. Going there was bad. They also made us carry ancd's over there too. Every soldier had like 6 on them. What unit were you in?

[symple19]

It was 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. I was the gunner for a THT team so I got alot of weapons. I had a 240 signed to me but luckily they boxed it up to take there. The SAW was just me helping my buddy carry it. Everyone in my unit got a 9. I bought one of those holsters that go to your belt. My team got to go sterile so everyone would see my holster and salute me.
It sounds like your unit wasn't jacked up. Mine was not in that category. Going there was bad. They also made us carry ancd's over there too. Every soldier had like 6 on them. What unit were you in?

Initially 6/27 FA, but I volunteered to stay and I ended up doing most of my time with 1/17 FA BN - 75th FA BDE - III Corps Arty Since there was no need for Paladins or MLRS, we were used as mech infantry. I served around the Baquba/Balad-ruz area in Diyala. My first month or so was at LSA Anaconda. We operated with a Cav troop mostly, and were called Task Force Copperhead

Both units were good units, squared away. I was lucky in that respect. Except I did have one horrible Eltee(I was his driver) who wouldn't get out of the Humvee on Raids because he had to, "Monitor the radio". That's a code phrase for, "I'm a fucking pussy". Luckily, we never got hit while I was his driver.


ANCDs!!! 6 of em per person?!! WTF!! Our armorer had a giant trunk (for lack of a better term) that he kept all those in. We had a guy lose one in Korea and it was like an international incident. We stayed in the fuckin' field a whole extra day looking for it, and a ROK soldier ended up with it and brought it in. Dude got a field-grade article 15 for that shit.

What exactly did your unit do? Sounds like a MI unit. I was a 13-M

[symple19]

:tu and thanks for your service

[Cry Havoc]

Repeating what symple said, thank you for serving, SnC.

[symple19]

Repeating what symple said, thank you for serving, SnC.

Didn't mean to hijack your thread CH

[spursncowboys]

Initially 6/27 FA, but I volunteered to stay and I ended up doing most of my time with 1/17 FA BN - 75th FA BDE - III Corps Arty Since there was no need for Paladins or MLRS, we were used as mech infantry. I served around the Baquba/Balad-ruz area in Diyala. My first month or so was at LSA Anaconda. We operated with a Cav troop mostly, and were called Task Force Copperhead

Both units were good units, squared away. I was lucky in that respect. Except I did have one horrible Eltee(I was his driver) who wouldn't get out of the Humvee on Raids because he had to, "Monitor the radio". That's a code phrase for, "I'm a fucking pussy". Luckily, we never got hit while I was his driver.


ANCDs!!! 6 of em per person?!! WTF!! Our armorer had a giant trunk (for lack of a better term) that he kept all those in. We had a guy lose one in Korea and it was like an international incident. We stayed in the fuckin' field a whole extra day looking for it, and a ROK soldier ended up with it and brought it in. Dude got a field-grade article 15 for that shit.

What exactly did your unit do? Sounds like a MI unit. I was a 13-M
It is a fancy name for a MI unit. The only dif with a BFSB is they have one Cav Sqn with a LRRS Co. The THT's are Tactical Humint Teams. They are MI guys that have a dif. mission on the FOB than the S-2. Each team had a combat arms guy that was their security. Mostly I was their gunner. My first two months I worked at a holding facility on a fob ran by spec. forces. in Baghdad. Then they moved me to a team a little south in Mahmudiyah where I did most of my deployment there (it was ran by 2-15 fa 10 mtn). Then they moved me to Kalsu for a month about. When the surge guys came in, they put some paladins in the fob. F'in loud is an understatement!!

[spursncowboys]

Thanks Cry Havok and Symple. Cry Havok: Sorry for the name calling.

[symple19]

It is a fancy name for a MI unit. The only dif with a BFSB is they have one Cav Sqn with a LRRS Co. The THT's are Tactical Humint Teams. They are MI guys that have a dif. mission on the FOB than the S-2. Each team had a combat arms guy that was their security. Mostly I was their gunner. My first two months I worked at a holding facility on a fob ran by spec. forces. in Baghdad. Then they moved me to a team a little south in Mahmudiyah where I did most of my deployment there (it was ran by 2-15 fa 10 mtn). Then they moved me to Kalsu for a month about. When the surge guys came in, they put some paladins in the fob. F'in loud is an understatement!!

Damn, I bet you have lot's of interesting stories that you'll never be able to tell. MI guys get a lot of shit, but in Iraq that was probably an interesting job, thankless, and hard. Moreso since you were an officer. I was E-4 while I was there.

(From my personal collection) http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs295.ash1/22253_107812842567060_100000150349722_198556_55570 91_a.jpgI'm the worlds worst photographer, and liked taking pictures of blown up tanks.

Got stuck with the 249 in the photo here. Fuckin' SAW is a piece of shit. We were lucky in that we had M-60s as well. Heavier, but better in every other respect.

I was there in 03/04 when there were still supply issues. This pick was me on top of a turtle-back humvee. (our whole battery had only 2 up-armored Humvees)

I drove nothing but soft-back and turtle-backs the whole goddamn time(our tracks stayed at the FOB). I still can't believe I'm alive, TBH. Every firefight I was in was either on a raid or while I was on the MK-19 on top of the 1st Sgts up-armored humvee. When I didn't drive for the pussy LT, I was the 1st Sgts gunner. I much preferred being up top than driving.

[Cry Havoc]

Thanks Cry Havok and Symple. Cry Havok: Sorry for the name calling.

My dad's a disabled vet from 'Nam (PTSD, Agent Orange exposure). Regardless of how I feel about your political stance, I respect the fact that you spent time serving this country. It is not an easy or a simple thing to do.

[symple19]

My dad's a disabled vet from 'Nam (PTSD, Agent Orange exposure). Regardless of how I feel about your political stance, I respect the fact that you spent time serving this country. It is not an easy or a simple thing to do.

My dad is vet as well CH, but he flew B-52s during the Linebacker campaigns.

I know all about PTSD...

I'm a military history buff, so I know a fair amount about the Vietnam War. Was your dad infantry CH? You remember where it was he served in-country?

Even though I served in Iraq, I still can't even imagine what it was like in Nam. My Uncle was a recon marine who did some burly things, and he struggles to cope with his time there mightily. Him being in I corps in 69' was as hardcore as it gets, facing nothing but NVA regulars. There's stuff he did while there that he still can't talk about, not because he doesn't want to, but because it's still classified. Recon Marines are roughly the equivalent of Green Berets and SEALs.

Hope you dad is doing well, and I'm glad this country learned a lesson from treating those guys like shit upon their return home

[BlackSwordsMan]

Lulz if she indeed was smuggling coke and started to cry because she was caught

[symple19]

Lulz if she indeed was smuggling coke and started to cry because she was caught

nah, I'm pretty sure it was just an ignorant TSA asshole doing what they do best...Being ignorant assholes

[spursncowboys]

My dad is vet as well CH, but he flew B-52s during the Linebacker campaigns.

I know all about PTSD...

I'm a military history buff, so I know a fair amount about the Vietnam War. Was your dad infantry CH? You remember where it was he served in-country?

Even though I served in Iraq, I still can't even imagine what it was like in Nam. My Uncle was a recon marine who did some burly things, and he struggles to cope with his time there mightily. Him being in I corps in 69' was as hardcore as it gets, facing nothing but NVA regulars. There's stuff he did while there that he still can't talk about, not because he doesn't want to, but because it's still classified. Recon Marines are roughly the equivalent of Green Berets and SEALs.

Hope you dad is doing well, and I'm glad this country learned a lesson from treating those guys like shit upon their return home
+1. I couldn't imagine being apart of something where you come back and are the bad guys.

[spursncowboys]

Damn, I bet you have lot's of interesting stories that you'll never be able to tell. MI guys get a lot of shit, but in Iraq that was probably an interesting job, thankless, and hard. Moreso since you were an officer. I was E-4 while I was there.

(From my personal collection) http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs295.ash1/22253_107812842567060_100000150349722_198556_55570 91_a.jpgI'm the worlds worst photographer, and liked taking pictures of blown up tanks.

Got stuck with the 249 in the photo here. Fuckin' SAW is a piece of shit. We were lucky in that we had M-60s as well. Heavier, but better in every other respect.

I was there in 03/04 when there were still supply issues. This pick was me on top of a turtle-back humvee. (our whole battery had only 2 up-armored Humvees)

I drove nothing but soft-back and turtle-backs the whole goddamn time(our tracks stayed at the FOB). I still can't believe I'm alive, TBH. Every firefight I was in was either on a raid or while I was on the MK-19 on top of the 1st Sgts up-armored humvee. When I didn't drive for the pussy LT, I was the 1st Sgts gunner. I much preferred being up top than driving.
I was a e-3 there. Damn, soft-back?? Hell no!! Thats crazy. We don't use m-60's at all anymore. We have the 240 or the 249. BTW thanks for your service :toast

[Horn Tooter]

My dad is vet


he flew B-52s


I know all about PTSD..


I'm a military history buff, .


My Uncle was a recon marine