I have been instructed to remove my (analog) watch on occasion, and I've strolled on through the detectors with it securely and obviously on my wrist. Hat? It's been x-rayed, it's been left on my head, it's been looked under. Hell, I just walked through security a couple of months ago having accidentally carried several items containing substantially more than the TSA-approved 3 ounces of liquid, and no one said a thing to me -- meanwhile, there's a garbage can (well within my reach, I might add) filled to the brim with other people's confiscated shampoos, lotions, etcetera. Bang up job the TSA is doing, chief.

I've been berated by a security screener who was demanding that I take off my belt (as in, they loudly and repeatedly shouted "take off your belt! Your belt, take it off! YOUR BELT!") -- until I held it up and waved it at her, having taken it off five minuted before while I was waiting in the interminable and incomprehensibly-organized line. Or, of course, there is the experience I had wherein I was asked to put all my various items and devices in separate bins -- and then CARRY THEM MYSELF the 20 feet or so to the x-ray machines. When one has six or eight individual bins to carry, how -- pray tell -- is one to do this?

Why are we passengers upset at giving up "five minutes" (yeah, right -- if we're lucky) for security screening? Maybe it's because the screeners are invariably surly and rude, not paying attention, constantly barking at the passengers with their rote, vague, arcane instructions which utterly contradict the rules as they had been explained to them just days before at another airport? Or maybe it's because we're aware that every time one of us at the head of the line is subjected to some particularly elaborate form of screening, it means everyone behind us has just had their own screening process lengthened by an additional "five minutes".

Or maybe it's because we all know it's bullshit.

Any person with a modicum of intelligence could hijack a plane using ONLY the items approved by the TSA, without a single pocket knife, nail clipper, or full size bottle of Pert fucking Plus. If one were so inclined, it would be pretty goddamned easy to stab someone with a pen, a piece of plastic silverware, or god-knows-what-else you can find with no difficulty whatsoever on a passenger plane. What about glass? Last I checked, I can take an empty bottle, vase or whatever on any plane, no questions asked. All I have to do is break it, and I have a variety of deadly weapons for me and however many people I'm flying with. Bet i can take fishing weights -- it'd be pretty easy to brain somebody with one of those. And for that matter, all these electronic devices are allowed on any plane in the world -- why? Each one is a veritable cornucopia of potentially lethal components; I just heard it's easy to turn a disposable camera into a taser using nothing but rubber bands and a small length of wire -- I'm betting all those parts are A-OK as far as the TSA is concerned.

So the next time you whine to a co-worker (or worse, a message board) about these ingrate passengers not wanting to have their bags full of Disneyland souvenirs scrutinized for pipe bombs, I suggest you remind yourself that what you do is about 10% effective, and about 90% for show. Travellers are a major backbone of the US economy, and as such they deserve some dignity and respect, ALONG with their safety. Until they receive it, I suggest you quit patting yourself on the back and talk to your superiors about how to actually make this process work.

Next initiative - mandatory shower caps to prevent hair-bombs. Or, fliers must go thru security in jockstraps only to be totally secure and easily facilitate cavity searches. Heh. Jockstraps.

If you want to live where no one uses electronics, feel free to move to the middle of nowhere in Africa.

oh, wait, it DOESN'T EXIST.

Simple answer: don't fly. TSA don't want you to. GWB don't want you to. Global warming don't want you to. Stay home. Get some dude in San Diego already to install the firewall - there's some smart guys over there. (Yeah, yeah, nobody else can do it, ya hafta fly, no alternative, yadda yadda. There *is* an alternative.)

While this will suck, we have to remember that big brother is watching (althought I'm not sure if it'd bacuse of Bin Ladin, or Bush)...

Where is the 12 items or less line... I won't be in it:
Laptop1, Laptop2, Cellphone, Bluetooth headset, RSA Token, IPOD, Charger(AC), Charger(DC), GPS, Camera, USB Key, Bose Headsphones

Wait, I do qualify... But I'm sure they will take my mail clippers...

As it is, I had three trays, my backpack and a carry-on bag to go through. How exactly long would that train be and what exactly is the definition of electronics I have to take out? This will take more time for them to bitch to all the people who have no clue what has to come out and what doesn't and back up the line to remove things.

I can tell you, I won't change things one whit either - I will make sure that going through that security line is just as hellish an experience for the screeners as it is for me if they put this in place.

Positively moronic, but I expect nothing less from the TSA at this point.

I am a TSA Screener and I am hard pressed to understand why passengers are so upset by taking five minutes of their "precious" time to remove some of the many items they crammed into their carry on bag. We don't ask them to remove these items just to upset them, we ask them to do this so that our X-ray operator can see a clear view of all the items they are bringing with them.
As far as the consitency between the airports go, we have Federal Operating Procedures as well as airport specific operating procedures. It may seem "inconsistent" to the general public but I assure you we have good reasons to do things the way we do.
We as screeners are not out to belittle or harass the flying public, our job is to make sure that you have a safe flight. We cannot distinguish between age, race, sex, or religious preference, in our eyes any man, woman, or child could pose a possible threat. Our job is to protect our country from foreign and home-grown terrorists.
Before your next flight I suggest you call the TSA Contact Center if you have any questions or concerns about Travel Tips (including what needs to be removed from carry on luggage), Permitted and Prohibited Items, or if you need information on filing a claim for lost, stolen or damaged items.

Phone: 1-866-289-9673 toll-free
E-mail: TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov

I've already ranted against this jackbooted Fatherland security shit, but it's not helping.

Soon they will stop you IN YOUR CAR at state borders in the name of 'security' and the Unaware Sheep of America will collectively say "Well it's for OUR OWN GOOD"

They already do it at Philadelphia's airport. It's a giant time waster as I had several bins, and end up holding the line up while I repack all my gear to my liking. They weren't to happy I was taking my time, but if the stuff isn't packed right it could get broken... will they pay me for that?

I also had to go through the same crap coming back from Orlando's airport on the return trip...

I think someone got bored and had to create a new rule to make everyone think he's doing something.

It really does feel like TSA is just making baby steps towards an eventual goal of completely banning all carry-on luggage. The terrorists hate us for our freedom, so let's get rid of freedom, and we'll win!

This is nothing new, when I flew back to the states on R&R in SEPT into ATL we had to take out all the electronics into a special bin.

My only problem is that TSA employee's do not follow their own policies. If you go to TSA's webpage it shows the updated list of what is approved for carry-on, checked and non-approved. I would think that a list would be posted up against the machine so that TSA personnel could reference it instead of enforcing old policies that are no longer valid or just making up policies.

Last time I flew into ATL from overseas, we basically stripped down to just top and bottom's in the terminal and it took forever to process though.

There is no point in protesting about the constitution - or the bill of rights, that isn't how your administration works.

Write to Steve Jobs or your mobile phone provider. If you remember, after the "shoe bomber" incident, lighters and matches were banned from planes.

It took the tobacco industry no time to persuade Homeland Security, that just one lighter or two books of matches weren't enough to ignite anything of significance.

Anyway- yes, this is dumb. Even China's better about this.

It seems screeners there were receiving the training in the above-mentioned process as I was made to do exactly what article says.

At first, I thought they wanted laptop in one bin, all other electronics in one. But no... screener was actually so anal he had me place -every- electronic component in its own bin. Now, between being a geek and an IT tech on a business trip, here's how the thing looked in the end:

Bin 1 : Wallet, belt, watch, ziploc bag of hygiene.
Bin 2 : Laptop.
Bin 3 : Spare battery for laptop.
Bin 4 : Charger for laptop.
Bin 5 : MP3 player.
Bin 6 : Cellphone.
Bin 7 : E-book reader.
Bins 8-14 : Various electronic tools and test devices (some of them as small as a box of matches, each in its own bin).
Bin 15 : CDs. (Screener declared them electronics).
Bin 16 : Box of Flash Cards.

And no... as god-awful as it says, it is as it was. It took me 20 min to get through the screening - and there was no-one in front of me when I got there. I politely expressed my opinion about the new screening and was cheerfully told that "Oh, we're just testing the possible new method - don't think it'll be implemented, personally". At that point I asked why was I not informed I was being their hamster and was informed that "You were directed to this screening line because screener saw you have more than an hour 'till your flight."

That, obivously, was all the justification they needed to harass me early in the bloody morning...

Only thing I had to remove was my shoes and laptop (and later my deodorant, we know what a threat to national security BO can be)

@Nakko: "The peasants are revolting!"

Yes, my carry-on case has all of that, neatly arranged into specific spaces and compartments.

I've said it before, but now I'm dead serious -- how to we get rid of the TSA?

As it stands now, the TSA is making air travel even more unsafe by pissing off passengers who are already pissed off about the airport delays & airline mistreatment. We've seen plenty of passenger-goes-apeshit stories in recent years since the TSA was created. They're not doing any actual security, as cargo and supplies are 100% unscreened. Very simple to slip into the secure area and then gain entry to the airport gate/plane from there.

I don't see what good they've done other than employ the otherwise unemployable. If we really need to employ these people, there's plenty of graffiti to be painted, grass to be mowed, trash to be picked up around the country. Or hell, roads to build! Bring back the WPA if we really need to employ this many people and give them something PRODUCTIVE to do.

Sometimes I see workers actually talking with each other and skimming the ID. This has occurred several times at Reagan airport in the old wing. There you have two employees about 3 feet apart sitting there while customers pass. Usually they are just talking to each other and look pissed when you hand them your ID.

...and with all of this, didnt a recent story state that TSA is missing upwards of 70% of "suspicious items" when they were tested at LAX and over 50% missed as a national average?

Its funny what people will give up for a percieved sense of security.

@Landru: Nah, we'll just take the train, or drive. Airlines will become only long-haul carriers. Then we'll have fewer people in lines, and everything will balance out.

@finite_elephant: Nice.

@jrstren: That's what they did pre-9/11 at the now Bob Hope Burbank Airport.

I guess the TSAs ultimate goal is that no one goes anywhere. Just make it so inconvenient that we all jus stay home.

I had to do this last fall flying out of Hartford, CT. It was posted at the security line. Definitely slowed things down.

'cause we've TOTALLY adjusted to the "liquids" thing. You never hear anything about that anymore. People will take this totally in stride.

IT WILL ALL BE FINE I PROMISE

YOUR SHOES LOOK SUSPICIOUS

NINE ELEVEN

That can be read that you cell phone,camera,pda,ipod, headphone etc are all placed in the SAME bin.
That would be same and could save time if there was a question.

It can also be read that each device needs it's own bin. That would be anarchy.

Anyone know where to get clarification?

And would ANY of this stop a thin piece of aircraft grade nylon sharpened to a point & taped to a leg or inside a roller bag tube from getting through? No, it would not, can a person threaten and control a cabin attendant with one?, you bet.

Would anything like that, or anything else you could carry on ever then bring down a plane, now?

Of course not - the best security in the world now is the pent-up stress and anger of flyers who would rip the attacker to death.

Best security advertisement in the world would be that poor jerk coming off the plane in parts, 1,2,3,4,5....

The real reason is to acclimatize us to the process of surrendering our rights folks. One lttle cut at a time.

1,2,3,4,5......

@Leiterfluid:

Yeah, I guess you're right. Another reason I haven't flown since 2000.

Although if the highly-competent TSA agent doesn't say "Simon says" first, you have to do it all over again.

@Canadian Impostor: Wow. You get my nomination for least informed post of the year. You're up against some pretty strong competition, but I think you've got a shot.

As for the mater at hand, words cannot describe the stupidity (yet again) of the TSA with it's "everyone's a terrorist" mentaility and highly trained staff of high school dropouts.

I have no problem with it as long as

* Safeguards are but in place to prevent theft
* I am allowed as much time as needed to get dressed again and time to properly repack my back back.
* Clearly posted policy on dealing with stolen and/or damaged electronics
* Guarantee that the TSA agent will actually look at the screen when my items pass through. There's nothing like going through the drill only to watch the TSA agent looking somewhere other than the monitor. This happened about a month ago coming back to US from Europe. Was forced to go through the extra bag scan coming into the country and a bunch of us watched as bags passed through the machine and the agent was turned around in his chair talking to someone else. If I'm going to go through with this hassle then the TSA should as well.

* I know profiling is "illegal", but c'mom the little blue-haired grandmother taking her shoes off emptying her purse etc. is ridiculous.

*TSA uses common sense in creating their security screening protocols.

Need I go on....heading to Asia in a week...I'm sure I can contribute more on the return.

NJTrout

The TSA could not explain how they thought this would speed things up but they seemed sure that this additional screening will make all of traveling lives much easier, "once everyone gets used to it."

Hmm hasn't that idea been used before? Say 1930's Germany. Submit to our authority or be crushed.

I'm sure people behind me will be jumping of joy at seeing me speeding up the security line so much...

They told me it was because they can't scan through the laptop battery...doesn't the DVD player use a similar battery?

And besides, so many people travel with so many portable electronics that this will only serve to make things more complicated for everyone involved.

Of course, I also think Starbucks should have a separate line for those who just want coffee.

Let's see, that would be bins for:

-shoes
-jacket/sweater
-laptop
-digital camera
-cell phone
-car opener
-mp3 player
-dignity

Oh, wait, my dignity actually goes into the trash bin...the minute I step into the airport.

I will award a small cash prize to the first person who goes there with a carry-on bag filled with half a million loose resistors.

The problem is that most people are complacent about it it because they don't have any other option. How else are going you to get from Seattle to Phoenix in just a few hours (as I did last night, and had to take my laptop, portable DVD player, Nintendo DS, iPod, and cell phone out).

Guess whose wife got scrutinized when he forgot to take a pocketknife out of her carry-on. ;)

I'm sorry but anyone who thinks TSA is actually making air travel any safer is sadly mistaken. Anyone remember the federal Air Marshall who was allowed to board a plane with a loaded gun (in the performance of his duties) but had the finger-nail clippers on his keychain confiscated because they were unauthorized?

They have not made us any safer, and the terrorists know this.

DIRTMONEY:

The cups would be:

the wrong size
cost extra of course
an express lane would be started for the rest of the idiots who refuse to see the pogrom for the trees, since they have seem to have no balls to be scanned.

eventually we are going to be forced to send all our luggage/possessions in days in advance so they can be screened/searched/inpsected .... while we will have to strip down & given cups to put our genitals in as we pass thru the security checkpoint.

lol

@tedyc03: Gotta love those Krishna cases...

I don't want to give them any more ideas, but there is one federal agency that I frequent here in DC that makes you actually TURN ON and use any electronic equipment that goes through security. Yes, that means that if you bring in a laptop for a presentation, you must take it out of your briefcase and boot it up in front of the security guard to prove that it actually works. Same thing for all cell phones, blackberries, etc. Think about how long of a line THAT would create if done in an airport...

See International Society for Krishna Consciousness v. Lee (505 U.S. 672, 1992). You can read it here: [caselaw.lp.findlaw.com]

Well first the comment was based anger from a personal experience this past spring. I was refused entry into the local IRS office to get a booklet on the law about independant contractors and the tax law that applies.

Because my state issued ID was 3 days out of date!! I had with me also my photo ID for my secured building, all the other ID anyone in modern America would have in their pocket and the rent-a-thug stopped me and the whole experince was one step away from a taser event. I KNEW I had to ask permission to just leave because if I turned to exit I would have been jumped.

Now do I have a right to go into a public building? THAT is not in the Constitution in specific words either.

So just where does one draw the line?, I draw it under the words "the right of the people."

Guess I lose,....... huh?

@Canadian Impostor:

Wow. You have zero idea what you're talking about do you?

@Kezzerxir:

And if you call them on the damage they do to your stuff.... they threaten to have you arrested.

I, for one, would like to thank Kip Hawley for the increase in the chocolate ration.

Can I get a small bin to put my shredded copy of the Bill of Rights?

Maybe a sandwich size baggie to go in the same bin with my 3 oz. K-Y gel?

However, I feel that the current method is FAR more efficient than making every business traveler use 8 bins.

Agreed that this will just slow things down. How many things do I need to go through and pick out, and then have to remember to retrieve? It would certainly take longer and cause more confusion to do all that than the current situation.

Oh yeah and don't forget:

- Car keys remote
- Home security system remote
- SecureID FOB
- ...

Methinks TSA didn't think this through. They don't have enough trays for one each, I guarantee it. This will die the first time they implement it somewhere big, like Chicago or LaGuardia.

I see a rise in theft from sticking all of your valuable electronics in bins to be inspected.

Isnt there a scam where someone puts their bag on the conveyer belt & another person holds up the line so someone else can steal the first person's bag as it comes thru on the other side?

Lordy! Its bad enough that your electronic get stolen if left in checked luggage.... now they are gonna get swiped when you attempt to bring them on in carryon luggage!

I got pulled aside for a patdown while my passport & other important travel documents were put thru the conveyer-belt x-ray (they FORCED me to do it) & I was watching it like a furkin' HAWK!

Airport thieves must be jizzing in their pants hoping this new procedure takes permanent effect all across the country!

I already use three trays:

- Shoes
- Laptop
- Pocket contents

(Because you're supposed to keep the shoes and laptop in a separate tray than everything else).

So now I need a tray for shoes, laptop, pocket contents (unless some of those are electronic, in which case each needs it's own tray), USB Key, cell phone, airplane AC inverter, IPOD, ... I'm up to seven trays. Just for me to go through. And I'm not nearly as loaded with electronic crap as other travellers I see.

Yeah, sure, it'll make things go lots quicker.