As a former Corrections Officer, I know and have seen how and what inmates smuggled as contraband. Is the TSA really that naive thinking they will find all contraband and prevent anything from being brought past security? If so, they need to learn the same thing Corrections Officer are taught. Contraband will get through at much higher levels. You can not prevent that. But they are looking in the wrong places shaking down uniformed crewmembers, 80 year old men who proudly served this nation against the Nazis and the Japanese. Or little old ladies in wheelchairs, or making 5 year old autistic children selectees. When people bitch about selectees, the airlines say it's the TSA and the TSA says it's the airlines. So, searching in the wrong places will allow contraband to get through security checkpoints.
I remember when cigarette lighters were not allowed beyond the checkpoint, how many times was I approached by somebody looking for the smoking area, while holding a cigarette and a lighter in their hands beyond the checkpoints?
As for this having to be in uniform, what B.S. Alot of times I bring a cooler to help offset the high costs of eating out. If I have time after my trip I will change into regular clothing to commute home. One time I got stopped THE SECURITY A--HOLES and was told either get back into my uniform or forfeit the contents of my cooler since I was only allowed to take it through if I was in uniform.
Another joke, why is it some airports, if a crew is working a flight they can bypass security and at some airports we can't? OR some airports, one week we can bypass security and the next week, we can't. Anyone ever go through in CLT? IF you are a US Airways mainline employee, you get to bypass the Security Nazis at the checkpoints and the other crews can't. Or in PHL, I have seen rampers bypass security as well. And if you look close enough at them, there are several wearing ankle monitors, and trust me, I know what they look like, I used to attach them to an offender and program them. So, now you have a parolee bypassing security and working in the alleged security area. Oh, did I mention how preflighting an airplane in the mornings, we now have to pop open service doors and we are now doing the TSAs job? Because they are too inefficient hiring guys who look like Coolhio and Hells Angels wannabes?
I am done with my rant. Sorry if I offended anyone, but when it comes to the shullbit of the TSA, it sets me off.
