The dreaded SSSS

[Geronimo4497]

It has been my experience that if you are not 121, most ticket agents will not remove the SSSS. USairways in BOS will, but that seems to be the extent of it.

 

[Crobar]

I think it just depends on how well the lady likes you, or how good of mood she's in that day, some times you win sometimes you lose. I always statr with "my you look pretty", if theres not a chick working I skip it and accept the ssssssss'sss

 

[nomore]

Ssss

Show the SSSS ticket to the first line of TSA defense and they move you to a speedy line. Not everywhere but often enough, and the TSA person when they see my I.D. usually give a perfunctory pat down and off I go. At least when I had a job they did.

 

[bailout]

Im confused.. Do you guys actually show your boarding pass in the security lines? Never do, never had a problem. Yes even in DEN.

 

[Flex-ible]

Im confused.. Do you guys actually show your boarding pass in the security lines? Never do, never had a problem. Yes even in DEN.

A ticket agent suggested I try that once. Didn't work. I wound up getting stopped by the gate agent who said I could not get on because I didn't have the "secret stamp" from TSA. They called TSA - to the GATE - and did the secondary screening right there. Totally ridiculous!!

 

[414Flyer]

Oh god, this reminds me of when I was trying to jumpseat in uniform at MKE. I had gotten listed at the ticket counter and the boarding pass she printed up for me, has SSSS on it.

So I get in line (not sure if there was even a flight crew line then) and before the x-ray, they put me into this penalty box off to the side until they can actually search me. I sat there, and sat there. They just said they did not have time to get to me yet, and I told them I am just about to miss the flight I am listed on.

They TSA agent either did not care or did not understand what I am talking about. I told them I have now missed the flight I was listed for, and I need to go back and try and get listed. They told me I could not leave, until one of them could escort me back down, or until I was searched. So I missed my flight, and now I had to wait to leave the box, they had no one available to clear me through, and no one available to escort me back down.

Finally, a supervisor is around and I tell them what happened, and at least they let me leave their little SSSS penalty box so i can go back down and look for a flight again.

In hindsight, I could have probably not gotten listed at the ticket counter and gone right through security line, but was my first time to jumpseat again post 9/11 (this was 2005) and thought I needed something like a boarding pass or ticket to get through the security lines, when the ID probably would have been fine.

It was just still maddening to be stuck in their SSSS jail while I miss a flight, and then I cant get out of that jail to get listed onto another flight.

 

[tankerswede]

A ticket agent suggested I try that once. Didn't work. I wound up getting stopped by the gate agent who said I could not get on because I didn't have the "secret stamp" from TSA. They called TSA - to the GATE - and did the secondary screening right there. Totally ridiculous!!

I got the SSSS out of DEN, didn't show my pass, went through the crew line, and when I got to the gate they gave me a new boarding pass with no SSSS on it. In retrospect, they could probably have sent me back through security or had TSA come to the gate but in a moment of weakness they chose to be cool about it.

It seems that the FF# is helpful in keeping the SSSS off of the ticket, but in my case only if the company has made the reservation with the FF# included. For some reason, there are a few airlines where the company can't attach the FF# to the reservation. I have gone to the airline website and attached my number to the record locator but the Great TSA Threat Analysis Computer sees through such shallow trickery. Still got the SSSS.

 

[dash_trash]

Flying out of LIT one evening and couldn't print the boarding ticket at the hotel, so I know what was coming and traveld in uniform. Well, the TSA dude must either take a lot of pride in his job or be very new, because he spent 25-30 minutes on the pat down and bag check. He took every single item out of my suit case and my computer bag. He used a min. of 20 wipes ... camera, computer, mp3, etc. ... all cables for said devices ... shoes and a couple of new ones for me ... actually took my electric razon out and swiped it and the cord in addition to my contact saline solution bottle, and toothpaste. All while standing there in uniform.

Finished repacking my stuff about 10 minutes prior to departure.

Absolutely the worst experience ever.

 

[nomore]

Dash he wanted a date!

That fellow in AR was trying to seduce you Dash. You're such a handsome devil!

 

[dash_trash]

Well ... I did hear bango's playing in the background!

 

[-FlyAuburn-]

He used a min. of 20 wipes ... camera, computer, mp3, etc. ... all cables for said devices ... shoes and a couple of new ones for me ... actually took my electric razon out and swiped it and the cord in addition to my contact saline solution bottle, and toothpaste. All while standing there in uniform.

Finished repacking my stuff about 10 minutes prior to departure.

Absolutely the worst experience ever.

Exactly what I'm talking about. Ridiculous. Sometimes you get somebody cool, sometimes you get a Gomer like this guy who thinks the TSA is best darned job in the universe and takes great pleasure in seeing how many bomb wipes he can use on your junk.

I love it when some poor unsuspecting bastard who doesn't know what the SSSS is gets up there and the overzealous TSA agent practically screams "secondary!" to all of the other agents behind him. You see the color drain from the guys face and they get that guilty look even though they have done nothing wrong.

Guess that's the world we live in today. Thanks a lot terrorists.

 

[av8tor4239]

I was in AUS a couple of weeks ago sitting at the gate waiting for the flight to board and a group of 5 TSA agents, all old/handicapped/beer gutts hangin out came walking down the concourse with table on wheels and their metal detecting wands in hand.

They walked up to the gate area set up shop near a support column and began randomly grabbing people from their seats while waiting in the gate area to board for additional random screening.

They were wanding this one guy and he looked scared sh!tless.

When they finally approached me and said "sir are you on this flight", I said, "NO". They looked at each other and you could see the brain cells popping. The lead beer gut then asked me "Will you please stand up for additional screening" I again said " no sir I will not, I have already been thru security". They did not know what to do, and they moved on to the next guy.

 

[-FlyAuburn-]

I was in AUS a couple of weeks ago sitting at the gate waiting for the flight to board and a group of 5 TSA agents, all old/handicapped/beer gutts hangin out came walking down the concourse with table on wheels and their metal detecting wands in hand.

They walked up to the gate area set up shop near a support column and began randomly grabbing people from their seats while waiting in the gate area to board for additional random screening.

They were wanding this one guy and he looked scared sh!tless.

When they finally approached me and said "sir are you on this flight", I said, "NO". They looked at each other and you could see the brain cells popping. The lead beer gut then asked me "Will you please stand up for additional screening" I again said " no sir I will not, I have already been thru security". They did not know what to do, and they moved on to the next guy.

Are you kidding? You're saying this is AFTER you had already been through the security line? WTF? Good for you that you stood your ground.

 

[172driver]

I wear my uniform no matter where I travel, even if I travel on vacation, I wear that thing

TOOL ALERT!!!

 

[CA1900]

TOOL ALERT!!!

http://www.mdculpepper.org/Pilot/Pictures/Matt_Pilot.jpg

:laugh:

 

[Trash8Mofo]

Here is an attitude adjustment: we should all love the TSA, and, the more SSSS the better! The worse airline-traveling gets, the better for fractional ops. which means profitability and pay raises for us (eventually):beer:.

 

[CA1900]

Believe me, that's the only thing that keeps me sane when I go though the dog-and-pony show that is TSA.

Remember, these are the same idiots that made penguins walk through the metal detector not too long ago...

 

[skyaddict]

The same thing happens to me on US Airways, with United being my FF#. I always seem to get SSSS'd even though I have flown them a ton of times now. I'm even considering flying a bunch of their legs on my US Airways FF# until the SSSS stops, but I'd lose too much mileage consolidation. I haven't been asking CSRs to get the stupid things removed, ever since all those company memos making it sound like some sort of big 'finable' felony or something.

Most SSSS cavity searches have been quick and painless- even quicker than the regular line in some places since you get pulled aside (CMH and its bias against the hometown team being the exception- I guess the rumor is that the TSA guy in charge once was some dork who got fired by NJA and so he bears a grudge?) But when you do get the toothpaste cap bozo, the biggest pain is not having them bust your bag's zippers when they repack sloppily. I try to persuade them to just dump it all in the empty tray and let me repack from scratch.

The Clear program doesn't do anything for SSSSing does it? I assume the only thing it does is allow for an express line, the equivalent (often the same line as) as a crew/employee line.

 

[NJAPLT]

Believe me, that's the only thing that keeps me sane when I go though the dog-and-pony show that is TSA.

Remember, these are the same idiots that made penguins walk through the metal detector not too long ago...

I have to put this one in the YGTBSM file... Thank god the TSA is our last line of defense vs terrorist penguins....