Turns out RSW TSA not thieves just incompetent

[Whiskey Tango]

I picked up my girlfriend at the airport last night. She flew out of Fort Myers. When she got her bag it was open with numerous items missing and damaged. She had some jewelry in her bag (god knows why she checked it) and we could not find that initially but after we got home we found it. But it seems that putting everything back in the bag after you search it is way too much work.



Missing:

New Nike Sneakers

Designer Scarf

3 Shirts

Designer Purse

1 Dose of antibiotics (it was the last dose, took the pills left the bottle)



Damaged:

Blanket

Shoes



I am so pissed off at the ineptitude of the TSA. If they ever do get to jumpseat, they sure as hell won’t be allowed on my plane.



I am sure that those responsible will have no liability, and Frontier will get to fit the bill if this stuff does not show up.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

screw that! I would be spitting nails right now too.
I've learned a long time ago not to check anything you wouldn't mind loosing, but now since we're all living in a post 911 world, I just don't check anything at all.
I don't know if the TSA is really that careless to take out items to inspect a bag and then not put them back. That's what leads me to believe your gfriend was probably robbed by a ramp worker.
The dumba$$ who took her antibiotics was probably drug seeking, but too stupid to realize that the pills were only antibiotics.

 

[Dep676]

I would be on the phone like right now and not off until I got everything replaced.

I do not check anything either. When I do get molested by these pinheads that are supposed to be saving us from terrorists. They can't put anything back in the bag properly. They just shove it in there with no respect for my stuff. I have taken it my bag back and told them your exact words. Seems to be to much of chore for you to put it back the way it was, I will do it. I wouldn't let these guys pack my kids lunch let a lone put my clothes back in my bag.

The family and I went to England for ten days. I wouldn't cheack anything becuase of cases like that. My wife wasn't to happy but we didn't lose anything or better yet have anything stolen from these incompetent TSA workers.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Knowing my girlfrind, I'm sure the bag was very full and she used a few of those plastic bags to compress the clothes. It could have been a ramper. We had one that was a crossdresser and stole womens underware, he got fired. I think TSA just did not take the time to repack the bag.
The worst thing of all is those dumbasses make more money then I do with there High School Diploma or Equivalent.

 

[Dep676]

Equivalent.[/font]

Excatly. Some are also ex-con's. Makes me feel safe. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's just a glorified welfare program.

 

[avbug]

You're rich. Really. Those dumbasses,huh? You don't have any idea where those things went or even how anything was packed, just that certain things are missing, or allegedly missing. but you're absolutely convinced of the perpetrator. You need to get out of avaition and apply for a judgeship. You'll save us a lot of money. We won't need investigators, prosecutors, and you've saved the accused the price of a good defense.

You sound like the old suits vs. dungarees wailers. Us against them. Those overpaid dirty, unscrupulous men and women. And you're better then them. You have more education. And you're a pilot. Which apparently makes you a better human being, worth more, a greater benifit to society. Piety and self-righteousness become you. Keep it up.

I get patted down, wanded down, my shoes looked over and my belt pulled off every time I go through security (except for once last week; inexplicably they didn't touch me). Usually I have a friendly conversation (albiet brief) with the TSA folks, sometimes not. Never confrontational, never unpleasant. My carry on always gets searched, sampled. Sometimes my shoes get x-rayed. They thank me for my time, I thank them for their time, often as not they apologise for being required to do their job, I always tell them I appreciate their efforts. And I move on.

When I do check something occasionally I'll see evidence of a search, but rarely. A few days ago a bag came back missing an exterior logo. The same thing has been happening since moses was a corporal, it's the price of moving luggage and cargo the way we do. I gotta tell you though, nothing is different than ten or twenty years ago, and I don't have any heartburn or loose sleep over it. Why you?

 

[Whiskey Tango]

No the fact that I have more education and get paid less makes me stupid. I do not think I am a better person, but I do believe that the greater the effort one puts into something the great the reward should be.

TSA gives awards out to the stations with the fewest thefts from checked luggage. It clearly is a problem if they have to have a program to reduce it.

I don’t mind if TSA searches my bag either carry-on or checked luggage. I have a problem when things are missing.
As I said I don’t think they stole it I just think they did not take the time to repack the bag, for that they are incompetent or lazy you decide.

You are right, however I do not know that a TSA agent is responsible for losing these articles, it could have been a ramper or anyone with access to the luggage. Without any evidence only logic it would make sense that TSA is to blame. I am not a Judge or Cop of even someone’s supervisor who could impose any type of punitive action. I am just pissed off.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

I get patted down, wanded down, my shoes looked over and my belt pulled off every time I go through security (except for once last week; inexplicably they didn't touch me). Usually I have a friendly conversation (albiet brief) with the TSA folks, sometimes not. Never confrontational, never unpleasant. My carry on always gets searched, sampled. Sometimes my shoes get x-rayed. They thank me for my time, I thank them for their time, often as not they apologise for being required to do their job, I always tell them I appreciate their efforts. And I move on.

When I do check something occasionally I'll see evidence of a search, but rarely. A few days ago a bag came back missing an exterior logo. The same thing has been happening since moses was a corporal, it's the price of moving luggage and cargo the way we do. I gotta tell you though, nothing is different than ten or twenty years ago, and I don't have any heartburn or loose sleep over it. Why you?

I used to be a ramp rat and loaded aircraft before I became a pilot. I saw how some of the other guys treaded people's luggage. When you're an $8 per hour laborer loading thousands of bags a day, you get real rough with them. I observed guys who would intentionally look for high dollar bags and rip off the exterior logo simpy out of spite. It's like they were jealous that some passengers had money to spend on airtravel. The airline's way to get around replacing bags is to call it "normal wear and tear". There is no way that a bag should be damaged from simply going down the belt, into a cart, into the airplane's belley and back. Now after a year or so of repeated trips, well yes, it should show signs of wear. However, I think most rips, tears, damage and cuts are a result of intentional vandilism and/or treating the bags rougher than you would treat your own bag.

I have no problem with TSA searching my bag if it's checked. It's happened to me once. They inserted a note saying it's been searched. Nothing was missing and everything was put neatly in place. But that was my only experience.

Remember, when you pay a worker $8/per hour, quality will suffer because you're getting only $8/per hour worth of work; you get what you pay for basically. If WhiskyTango's girlfriends bag was over stuffed or difficult to repack, then the TSA worker probably did his minimal "$8/per hour's worth" and stuffed it all back into the bag the best he could within 5 seconds, and whatever didn't easily fit, he just said "fukc it" and just left it there.

And as for Dep676's comment regarding that alot of airport workers are ex-cons, he is right on. I used to be in law enforcement and later assisted in placing offenders/ex-cons in work release programs and regular employment, and I know for a fact that more airline workers are ex cons than you would ever know. How they pass the security background check to be allowed on the AOA I don't know, but it happened.

 

[avbug]

Remember, when you pay a worker $8/per hour, quality will suffer because you're getting only $8/per hour worth of work; you get what you pay for basically.

Interesting. I've worked for far less than eight dollars an hour (and lived places where those are dream wages for most people), and have always given 100% on the job. No matter what the pay. You must think very little of people that they will lower their standards or drop their ethics based on their wage.

Conversely, no matter how much more someone pays me, they'll never get more work out of me or improve the quality of my performance; it's maxed out all the time.

Is there any other way?

 

[NEDude]

I tell everyone in my family these days to get a 24" rollaboard and a large backpack (or computer case, purse, etc) and that is all. If it can't fit in one of those two things, don't take it. And don't check a darn thing!

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Interesting. I've worked for far less than eight dollars an hour (and lived places where those are dream wages for most people), and have always given 100% on the job. No matter what the pay. You must think very little of people that they will lower their standards or drop their ethics based on their wage.
Conversely, no matter how much more someone pays me, they'll never get more work out of me or improve the quality of my performance; it's maxed out all the time.

Is there any other way?

AvBug, I think you misunderstood my post. Maybe you're hearing me, but not listening. I too have worked for far less than 8 dollars an hour. I simply used that figure because that is what I was making at the height of my career as a ramprat. Minimum wage in my state is just over $5 an hour and I think it's safe to assume that entry level airport workers probably start at minimum wage or close to it.
I admire you for maxing out your performance regardless of your wages. I, too, am the same way. What I was shedding light on in my above post, was that the ramprats that I worked next to did not have the same morals and work ethics as I did. I do not think that they "lowered their standards or droped their ethics", just because they were poorly paid. The truth is, is that most of those workers I worked with had poor ethics and low personal standards to begin with, simply because they didn't know any better. I worked with these people for several years and I really got to know them. None of them had a college degree and only a few of them even had some college. I am a firm believer in that you get what you pay for in regards to minimum wage airport workers. I'm not saying it's right, but it's just the way it is. I personally would give my passengers the same high level of service regardless if I was making $19,000/yr or $300,000/yr. I have been flying for a long time and also have worked in many different fields, in several different levels of employ. I have seen first hand, time in and time out, that educated people and people who know better purposely lower their standards based on their wage. For example, when the pilots at my airline received an across the board paycut, several of the pilots I flew with purposely lowered their standards and took on a more "I don't give a schitt" attitude. Their flying suffered, the customer suffered and the industry as a whole is dragged through the mud when the public witnesses the attitude of some of the pilots.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Interesting. I've worked for far less than eight dollars an hour (and lived places where those are dream wages for most people), and have always given 100% on the job. No matter what the pay. You must think very little of people that they will lower their standards or drop their ethics based on their wage.

Conversely, no matter how much more someone pays me, they'll never get more work out of me or improve the quality of my performance; it's maxed out all the time.

Is there any other way?

And TSA people are making substantially more than "$8 per hour". TSA is not a minimum-wage prospect for either the screeners or especially the supervisors.

 

[Big Duke Six]

Avbug,

I'll throw in my respect for you in doing every job to the best of your abilities. Long ago, I read a phrase that said:

"Every job carries the signature of the person who did it".

I have applied this to my life and the things I do, no matter how mundane. I always keep it in the back of my head. While I am not perfect, at least I try.

But, your belief that everyone does it is a little naive. I've witnessed people screw things up on purpose on many occasions. These were people ranging from those who were at the bottom and felt they didn't have any chance of getting ahead to those who were once "at the top", fell back and are pissed. It also applies to many union workers I've known. Yes, sad to say, there are many people out there who will knowingly only give what they feel they are getting. It's sick, but very common. It can hard not to fall into the trap when you're around them too.

It's self-fulfilling prophecy in action.