The agency says it has a zero-tolerance policy for theft and terminates the contracts of all thieves within the TSA. In the past ten years, almost 400 TSA officers have been fired for stealing, 11 of which were fired this year.

And how many of them were arrested? Imprisoned? Here's an easy way to stop this tomorrow: make any instance of theft by an on-duty TSA agent a felony punishable by a minimum 10-year prison term. Punishments for misconduct by on-duty police, government officials, etc., should be similar. Society must hold so-called authority figures to a higher bar.

ParaHandy: It's doubly aggrieving because the whole thing is a waste of time and money. As taxpayers, we are footing the bill for being involuntarily harassed, delayed and having our shiat stolen. Exactly what OBL wanted.

Yep, been screaming this from the rooftops for years. OBL didn't care so much about killing 3000 people in those planes and towers. He cared about getting 300,000,000 people to destroy themselves. He won, we lost.

It's doubly aggrieving because the whole thing is a waste of time and money. As taxpayers, we are footing the bill for being involuntarily harassed, delayed and having our shiat stolen. Exactly what OBL wanted.

In the first two months of this year, a TSA baggage screener in Orlando was arrested for stealing valuables by hiding them in a laptop-sized hidden pocket in his jacket and selling the goods on Craigslist.

He sounds fat.

hasty ambush: Creoena: [www.networkworld.com image 480x480]

Also, fark you TSA.

"When you hear somebody doing it [criticizing the federal government], you ought to stand up and double up your fist and stick it in the sky and shout them down."
Bill Clinton, Billings, Montana, 1 June '95

"You can't say you love your country and hate your government." - Bill Clinton, 1995

What the hell does a quote from Clinton 1995 have to do with the TSA, which was created in 2001?

CSB mode ON

While enrolled at USNA, I was flying from Norfolk to Baltimore after leave. TSA guy gives my issue duffel a test for explosive residue (using a swab on a baton, said swab then put into a reader of some sort). Test comes back positive.

TSA guy looks at me askance. I return a look that I hoped portrayed "I have no idea why that reading came back positive, as I am not carrying any explosive devices of any sort." This is the dialogue that followed (been burnt into my skull since then).

TSA: "Son, have you been around any sort of explosive devices?"
Me: "No, sir. I've been home on leave for a full week."
TSA: "Well, I'm sure in that time you've been to a firing range at least once (sly smile). You probably just got some residue on your bag afterwords."
Me: (Mentally debating my company officer's stance on tardiness, realizing I really needed to catch that flight rather than wait for the next, and knowing full well I was lying) "You know, you're right. Went to the range just yesterday with my dad."
TSA: (Now smiling fully). "Well, glad we got to the bottom of that. Have a safe flight. And thank you for your service."

Didn't ask for my military ID. Didn't ask to inspect the duffel. For all he knew, I was a bad, bad man with a duffel full of C-4, who happened to be wearing a uniform seen in Top Gun.

It was that moment exactly that I lost total faith in government institutions.

/Sadly haven't gotten it back.

A few days ago in the aerodrome the TSA happened to have a shift change while I was awaiting a full body scan. One of the incoming TSA dudes was wearing a backpack. They all went jovially through the regular metal detector. Detector went off when backpack guy went through it. Not a single fark was given. Smiles and "hellos" were exchanged all around. The new crew was officially on-duty.

What was in that backpack?

/don't even get me started on how local law enforcement peeps casually walk through security screening zones with their live-assed Glocks on their hips )and whatever other weapons are strapped to their legs(

//are they above being paid off to leave some pistols around for Atta's son and crew?

Next up: TSA agents admit picking out passengers of both genders and various ages for legal molestation.

gilgigamesh: How the hell do you go through the checkpoint and not notice your laptop is missing? They make you take it out and put it in a separate tray.

If I put my laptop in the machine and when the tray came through 45 seconds later without my laptop in it, I am pretty sure I would (a) notice and (b) scream like a banshee that some farking TSA crook stole my farking laptop until I got it back.

These thefts largely involve checked luggage. Good luck proving the contents of your bag.

What a bunch of Freedom hating non-patriots in this thread.

I feel safer.

I worked as a TSO at PVD Rhode Island for 8.5 years. My grossly sexually harassing female supervisor gave me a an unflattering annual review in 2010 because I kept "turning my mouth away" when she went to kiss me on our nightly walks out to the parking lot so I ratted her out to the Admins.

The consequences of this came when I was investigated 2 months later for purportedly posting SSI here on Fark describing the new pat-down procedures that involved the sliding hand technique back in Nov. of 2010. They called me in on Feb. 6th 2011 and threatened to arrest me if I didn't resign. I had no chance of having representation it being Super Bowl Sunday and so I found a lawyer after my 'Constructive Discharge' I think what really pissed them off was the recitation of being a 'TSA Ossifer', I swear.

I had to appeal the initial charge because my atty thought it best to go the sexual harassment path rather than whistleblowers and he didn't file in a timely fashion so I'm kinda SOL presently.

Wish I could say there was a happy ending and these assholes got their comeuppance but it doesn't look likely.

Snarcoleptic_Hoosier: Thousands of Stupid Assholes

I always called them the Thousands Standing Around, protecting America from Toothpaste, Soda, and Aftershave.

Seriously, you hire people using ads on pizza boxes, pay them fast-food level wages, and give them quasi-police power and don't expect a huge corruption problem?

If you've flown at any major airport lately, and you've seen the kind of people who are working, well, EVERYTHING, it's no surprise a bunch of stuff gets stolen. It's probably getting stolen at every level possible.

I like packing weird stuff in my carry on that might trigger a hand search. I put the items (wrapped in a bag) in a separate compartment with all my dirty socks and underwear.

Sometimes I make comments while they are searching for the hidden treasure...It's fun!

Of course they steal. Look at the neighborhoods they hire from.

gilgigamesh: DittoToo: gilgigamesh: If I put my laptop in the machine and when the tray came through 45 seconds later without my laptop in it, I am pretty sure I would (a) notice and (b) scream like a banshee that some farking TSA crook stole my farking laptop until I got it back.

Then they just taser you, drag you off into a side room with no witnesses, charge you with causing a riot or attacking a government official or some other such bullshiat, and then enjoy slapping their gloves on and cramming their whole fist up your ass to check for explosives. After you get out of jail you will find yourself on the No Fly list.

Since the TSA has no actual authority to touch me let alone arrest or detain me, no. I don't think so.

Look, TSA sucks enough balls as it is without having to make shiat up out of whole cloth.

What airport do you fly in that doesn't have law enforcement right there at security or on call at the beckoning of the TSA?

You're gonna miss your flight but by gods, call the REAL law enforcement.

Somehow.

Maybe I should go chat with the local po-po and see what they think.

Don't pack anything that looks good, including expensive clothes. If you have those, wear them. Well, at least none of my bras and panties have ever gone missing...then again I have n't done a lot of screening and I don't bring lacy.

gilgigamesh: If I put my laptop in the machine and when the tray came through 45 seconds later without my laptop in it, I am pretty sure I would (a) notice and (b) scream like a banshee that some farking TSA crook stole my farking laptop until I got it back.

Then they just taser you, drag you off into a side room with no witnesses, charge you with causing a riot or attacking a government official or some other such bullshiat, and then enjoy slapping their gloves on and cramming their whole fist up your ass to check for explosives. After you get out of jail you will find yourself on the No Fly list.

Glad I have driven everywhere I need to go since 9/11.

gilgigamesh: How the hell do you go through the checkpoint and not notice your laptop is missing? They make you take it out and put it in a separate tray.

If I put my laptop in the machine and when the tray came through 45 seconds later without my laptop in it, I am pretty sure I would (a) notice and (b) scream like a banshee that some farking TSA crook stole my farking laptop until I got it back.

Ah-freaking-men. If it doesn't come through I would be screaming to high heaven. A good laptop is worth more than airfare, even if you add bag fees.

Well, I think the lesson learned here is quite clear: don't bring any electronics or items of value with you when you travel.

Problem solved.

Is it that the story keeps repeating?

Or that the story keeps repeating?

Feel safer yet?