Just had my tweezers confiscated

[rustypigeon]

I am going through security in Toronto over the weekend and I am the first of my crew to go through the detector. As I wait for my bags they decide they need to look in my overnight bag. I politely give them permission (like I have a choice) and they look around for a couple of minutes. Then they find a pair of tiny 2" long tweezers in my bag. The girl shows them to her supervisor and he decides that they are "too sharp" for me to bring through. While he is confiscating my "tactical tweezers" they decide they need to look in my flight bag. The same gal pulls out my telex 750 headsets and shows them to her supervisor. He nods to her letting her know that I can keep them. They then say I am free to go and leave my bags open with all the contents thrown about in such a fasion that my bag won't close until I reorganize them. The flight attendant is right behind me and they feel the need to go through her purse. They look through it for a few minutes probably looking for some anti-personel tampons or something. They finally decided she is not a threat and then let her go. Out of 3 crew members 2 of us had our bags inspected and one confiscated item. I just can't think of any reason this was done other than to harass us crewmembers. Does Canadian security feel the need to devote extra resources toward those who are so clearly not a security threat? And finally, if I can't be trusted with a pair of tweezers, why did they allow me to fly the airplane that day? Through this whole ordeal I just sat there and let them do their thing, knowing that if I questioned their actions, I would surely be detained and/or imprisoned.

 

[CA1900]

I am going through security in Toronto ... confiscating my "tactical tweezers" ... Does Canadian security feel the need to devote extra resources toward those who are so clearly not a security threat?

I think it's safe to say that Canada doesn't come close to having a monopoly on the pointless screening and harassment of flight crews.

This morning, I got flagged with the SSSSpecial sign on my boarding pass, and watched the TSA drone scrubbing every single object separately to run through his little explosive detector. The outside of my laptop. Scrub. Wait. Then the inside of my laptop. Scrub. Wait. Next comes the Blackberry. Scrub. Wait. OK, let's take it out of the holster and scrub the other side...

TEN freaking minutes he spent on my bags just with the explosive detector. He must not be meeting his swipes-per-hour quota or whatever metric they use to measure the effectiveness of these goons.


So no, Canada isn't anywhere close to the level of crew harassment that the US has attained. Not by a long shot.

And finally, if I can't be trusted with a pair of tweezers, why did they allow me to fly the airplane that day?

It's only until they can figure out how to do it without you. Perhaps this will explain:
http://www.despair.com/worth.html

 

[SnowBoardBum]

That really sucks. I just got home the other night and when I was cleaning out my lunch box I take on my trips, I forgot I had a steak knife in there. HAHA Fcuking TSA didnt say a thing when I was commuting home the other day, I was out of uniform as well. Fools!

 

[capt. megadeth]

Too bad they didn't try to confiscate your headset. Then you could call the company and tell them you can't fly because they won't let you through with them. It would be interesting to see what the company would do at that point.....probably depends where you work but it would be interesting nonetheless.

 

[champ2kt]

Although Canada don't have a monopoly on the pointless... they seem to have a hardon for it, good luck.

 

[sweptback]

Too bad they didn't try to confiscate your headset. Then you could call the company and tell them you can't fly because they won't let you through with them. It would be interesting to see what the company would do at that point.....probably depends where you work but it would be interesting nonetheless.

They'd just tell you to use the company headset on the airplane.

 

[jonjuan]

Then they find a pair of tiny 2" long tweezers in my bag.

LOL.....

 

[zawillif]

I carry my jump rope with me on all my trips. The handles are "weighted for a more intense workout." There are steel bars in the handles and they are surrounded by metal springs to hold everything together. I must have carried that rope with me for 2 months, every time thinking that was going to be the day some TSA harassed me about it. No one EVER said anything, except once in Toronto. I took it out and showed them and they let me through. I just wonder how effective the TSA really is if steel bars surrounded by springs goes through every time. Then again, maybe a lot of people carry jump ropes around . . .

 

[DAS at 10/250]

I airline to work out of IAH. Polo and jeans. I only whip out the badge (135) to jump the screening line. No problems ever. I don't even pull off my Adidas.

Land SLC with little time to catch my flight home. In uniform, badge, etc., and my Capt and I are doing the scarecrow with full pat down and explosives check.

NOTHING TSA does makes sense. I even got into an arguement in LAS with a guy about my watch. It never sets off the metal alarm. He says I must take it off or I'm not getting through. I said no. He gets real upset about it and starts to threaten me. I finally said look pal, I'm not pulling this 5K Rolex off and handing it to any of you dip ********************s. Hand wand baby! I've got the time!

TSA. Sleep well knowing you're safe.

 

[dbchandler1]

Has anyone ever asked how come I can't carry ____________ , but I can fly the plane behind a locked door, I would love to hear the answers from some of these guys and gals.

oh yeah, and with an axe behind your seat?

 

[ReverseSensing]

Has anyone ever asked how come I can't carry ____________ , but I can fly the plane behind a locked door, I would love to hear the answers from some of these guys and gals.

Answer: "Uhhhhhhh....."

 

[jayme]

For a while at our domicile you weren't allowed to walk from the crew lounge to the airplane (under any circumstances, even if you had already gone through security earlier) because you would bypass security, but you could of course walk to the crewlounge from the airplane. So after going through security to go to the airplane, you could take the crash ax out of the cockpit and take it in to the crew lounge and sharpen it. I'd love to see how TSA would deal with it when you tried to go back to the plane with it.

 

[Windsor]

Everyone at the TSA should do all crew members favor and take a deep breath and pull their heads out of eachothers a$$'$ before they start stealing tweezers.

Security should be left up to the flight crews. They should stand in the jet way and decide who can ride and who cant. If you look like a terrorist, no ride for you.

 

[capt. megadeth]

They'd just tell you to use the company headset on the airplane.

Probably but I would tell them that they owe me a headset then.

 

[Say Again Over]

In LAS last month was checking my broken drag bag on an AWA flight to LA, after checking in I am instructed to deliver my bag to TSA, just before getting to the inspection point I lower the handle and tape it up to keep it from coming unstowed (previously broken when it extended during handling), the clown at TSA approaches me and says not to tape it up, I tell him it's broken from a previous flight, he says I'll just take off the tape anyway. I gave him the bag, he then rips off the tape and rolls it the 20 ft to the conveyor, I told the other TSA guy "you wonder why no one likes you?"
What a bunch of morons.

 

[Occam's Razor]

Has anyone ever asked how come I can't carry ____________ , but I can fly the plane behind a locked door, I would love to hear the answers from some of these guys and gals.

oh yeah, and with an axe behind your seat?

The answer from the Oracle of Security is: "We can't be sure it's you"

In late 2002, as all the screening gymnastics and TSA buffoonery was reaching ridiculous levels, I sat on a panel at the MSP airport along with suit-covered drones from the FAA and TSA. We pleaded with them to explain why properly-badged, background-checked pilots were being subjected to intense screening. They kept returning to the same theme: "Your uniform and badge(s) can be stolen and/or forged."

I pointed to the Airport Police lieutenant at the meeting, and said, "How do you know his badge hasn't been stolen or forged?"

The answer, andIcouldn'tmakethisup: "Well...he has a gun."

[pause here for forehead slapping incredulity]

Ultimately, they explained that the screeners and cops at the airport work there every day, and are known to the others...whereas we traipse around the system, going through security at mulitple airports, where no one knows us.

The NWA Chief Pilot at the meeting asked why we couldn't go with the FAA/GAO approved TWIC card, with it's biometeric data. The FAA guy started smiling like a loon, and muttered under his breath, "This oughta be good..."

The TSA drone had no response other than, "We're looking into that."

My calendar indicates it's now 2007. Over 4-years of "looking".

Perhaps it might be a good time to contact your congresspersons, and ask them "WTF?"

 

[timmay]

All this brings me to ask a question is the FFDO program still accepting applications???

 

[bertengineer]

Now you were talking about the security in Toronto...Did you get a good look at who was doing the screening in Toronto? Muslims! 95 percent of them are! THe TSA agent must have needed the tweezers to remove her/his (whatever) bert and ernie eyebrows!

 

[stearnst]

Now you were talking about the security in Toronto...Did you get a good look at who was doing the screening in Toronto? Muslims! 95 percent of them are! THe TSA agant must have needed the tweezers to remove her/his (whatever) bert and ernie eyebrows!

You, sir, are a tool.

 

[rtmcfi]

Now you were talking about the security in Toronto...Did you get a good look at who was doing the screening in Toronto? Muslims! 95 percent of them are! THe TSA agent must have needed the tweezers to remove her/his (whatever) bert and ernie eyebrows!

Now that' funny! I don't care who you are.

 

[Blucher]

Here's a fun one. Every time you go through security, ask what the deal is with people having to put all their liquids/gels into a quart sized ziplock bag. So far, I haven't found anyone who can tell me why. I did find one guy who said "it's because there are too many cubicles in Washington." I must admit I was rather impressed at his candor, and surprised that the TSA would hire anyone who could think for themselves.

-Blucher

 

[DrewBlows]

Just had my tweezers confiscated

You could use the sharp edge of the teezers to sharpen the crash axe. I bet that's what you were going to do. Whew, another catatrophy narrowly averted!

 

[~~~^~~~]

Several observations worth mentioning:

First, last time I went through the TSA Agents were complaining that they had to work holidays when other government workers got the same days off - it wasn't fair and they were not going to take it.... (DUH)

Second, TSA agents often pick airline employees for extra screening simply because we are easier. We are more compliant and complain less while getting bossed around. After all, who would you rather screen, a submissive exhausted pilot commuting home, or some scary looking nut who appears to be itching for a fight?

Third, at some TSA stations people who write on their clear baggies are being detained. Apparently writing - "this is stupid and ineffective" on a bag is reason for being held against your will, at least long enough to miss your flight.

Fourth, the US government seems to have unlimited funds for TSA Agents, Security Guards, Airport Police and other officials working in in security. However, they can't seem to find funding to put Air Traffic Controllers in control towers during 121 operations.

 

[Huggyu2]

Someone save me from looking for a while, if you know the answer: where can I find the dirty details on how a TSA screener may do their job; what they can ask me to do and what they can't; where on my body they can touch me and how; what discretion they have in allow certain items to go through or be confiscated. I'm assuming it's some sort of TSA training website, but I don't know.
Buehler? Anyone??

 

[SSDD]

Someone save me from looking for a while, if you know the answer: where can I find the dirty details on how a TSA screener may do their job; what they can ask me to do and what they can't; where on my body they can touch me and how; what discretion they have in allow certain items to go through or be confiscated. I'm assuming it's some sort of TSA training website, but I don't know.
Buehler? Anyone??

Most of that is classified based on...security...

 

[Spiritflight]

At least in Canada they don't require you to take your laptop out of the bag and put it through separately. How stupid is this TSA rule? Consider the following "computers" that TSA does not require to be removed from a bag and put through separately:

1. iPod - the big ones even have hard drives, and lack only a keyboard to differentiate them from a full fledged computer.
2. Xbox/Playstation - I once flew with a pilot who brought along his PS2 on overnights. Kept it in his overnight bag- never had to take it out. (TSA even asked him if it was a computer because if it was he would have to take it out of the bag. He replied it was a playstation and they said oh, nevermind!)

Stupid people, stupid rules. All of the foreign countries I fly to North/South/Central America do not require the computer to be removed from the bag. I wonder how many laptops have been destroyed by being accidentally dropped or crushed in the x-ray machine?

 

[FL420]

Here is a number I always carry in my contacts list on my cell phone:
TSA Complaints
1-800-255-1111

 

[Tarzan]

Just rememeber, Boys and Girls.......

You can't professionalize unless you federalize!
The former "esteemed" Senator from South Dakota,
Tom Daschle

Thank God we have people like this to protect us!

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Mostly because the can contract out Haliburton for $800 trillion to produce a 99 cent pamphlet at Kinko's.

 

[ehoulli]

I got yelled at in Canada because my bottle of water wasn't in my carry-on bag and passengers (none were standing around) "might get jealous". But still, better than the TSA stateside. I personally love Mexico security. Don't have to take anything off, laptop stays in the bag, everyone beeps but it only takes about 5 seconds to get wanded and off you go! They call everyone Sir down there too...not just the Captains!