TSA pat downs: 'Horrible' screener job gets worse

TSA pat downs: 'Horrible' screener job gets worse

money.cnn.com

"The work life here is horrible," said McCoy, president of his local union representing officers. Turnover is like a "revolving door" and health benefits are "atrocious," he said. Morale is low and so is the pay, he added.

Officers typically start at $29,000, but that's only if they're working full-time. New officers often start as part-time workers, said McCoy, at about $14 per hour. He said that part-timers, who make up 37% of the screener workforce at O'Hare, typically have to work four-hour days for at least three years before they're considered for full-time.

"I can't

(visit the link for the full news article)

Well, with all the TSA is touching me threads, I felt the other side should get a voice as well. In saying that I am not saying I agree with the policies in effect, I just feel all sides should get a voice.

"They're not paid a very high wage and they're not necessarily trained in customer service," said Banas. She said that some of the officers she's encountered are "great and gracious," while others are "power-tripping and controlling," with a "not my problem" attitude.
The best way to deal with stressed-out screeners, said Banas, is to "be as polite as you can. Don't make demands. Try to keep a cool head if you get pulled aside for pat downs."

I think the above bolded part can be said about every career out there for the most part.

The pat downs result in some embarrassing contact between officers and passengers who consider the procedure to be too intrusive. Airline security blogger Steven Frischling has been posting anonymous complaints from officers on his blog, www.flyingwithfish.com, including this one:
"It is not comfortable to come to work knowing full well that my hands will be feeling another man's private parts, their butt, their inner thigh."

I can say as a heterosexual man I would find it difficult to be putting my hands near another man’s “junk”, using the now famous word.

"We're reminding people that these agents didn't create the policy," said John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing 600,000 federal workers. "Taking out your frustration on them is inappropriate."

The last part also makes sense. Sort of like when you go out to eat and your food is under/over cooked. Your frustration should not be with the server but with the kitchen staff.

Again, I am not saying I agree with the policies, I think they very much need to be looked at and changed. However, These people are doing their jobs. They are not holding guns to people heads or beating them down (well at least not yet). They are trying to feed their families and get their work day over with.

Yes, there are some freak TSA officers out there enjoying this I am sure. Just as the one part says some are on power trips. As mentioned early on though that can be found anywhere you go. A manager at a clothing store might show you or an employee a power trip.

Those that are kind to you though should be treated with kindness. Each individual should be given a chance to show kindness. I know that if someone comes at me with a sense of hate when I simply want to get home to my family with the money I worked for, will get a bit of attitude back. If they are friendly with me they will receive friendliness in kind.

Raist


money.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

What is the old saying??? Feed them bananas and you will get monkeys.

Of course I am talking about pay.

Peace.

reply to post by spav5


True, an increase of pay may increase their performance to be more of a positive one. Though I think better training might help as well.

Certainly they are far undertrained for most situations. A better pay might help with the turn over and keeping quality employees. Also starting them out as full time instead of part time would be another option as well to look at.

From a mental stand point though I think grabbing around on other people all day could begin to affect an individual. I wonder how this is affecting many of the officers mental health, putting them on edge and ready to break? How many months before we hear about one or more TSA officers going to work and blasting people or running people over in a parking lot?

I might be able to search bags all day long but there is no way I could feel up people all day long. Sorry but I want to save that sort of thing for my wife.

Raist

No one is telling them they will go to jail if they quit their jobs, no one is forcing them to fondle/molest/search people. They can leave anytime.

If someone cannot deal with the consequences, then they ought not do the job. If fondling people makes one upset, then one should not get a job where one will be expected to fondle/molest/search people.

Pretty friggin' simple.


This dog understands that he shouldn't do things which upset him. Why cannot TSA outhink this dog?
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b07e1bc4ab15.jpg[/atsimg]

Originally posted by Raist
However, These people are doing their jobs. They are not holding guns to people heads or beating them down (well at least not yet). They are trying to feed their families and get their work day over with.

These people are also neglecting their societal, patriotic duty to protect the U.S. Constitution. Their personal career concerns do not trump my right as a free U.S. citizen to travel freely in my country without unreasonable searches.

Humans are always trying to feed their families, so that is no excuse to setting substandard levels of society. If we ALL decide to change and IMPROVE this airport security, EVERYONE will be happier (except for the terrorists).

We don't have to submit to stupidity just because some corrupt former government officials want to get rich using their professional ties sell their unhealthy, ineffective machines (and the disgusting alternative as a negative reinforcement designed to condition us to submit to the machines).

OP has a point. Don't demonize the TSA employees. Articles and tirades characterizing them all as pedophiles and power tripping sociopaths address little and solve nothing.

The POLICIES are what need to be challenged. And these are determined by lawmakers. It is the representatives in Congress, and their corporate leash holders on Wall St. who hold the responsibility for this monstrosity.

Don't let the MSM distract you from the real problem.

This whole TSA debacle is a massive misdirection campaign designed to distract from the monetary and fiscal policies under consideration by the current batch of criminals in government.

reply to post by Exuberant1


Many had the job before there was a policy for “fondling” people.

With the employment rates as they are and the economy as it is you want people to just walk away from a job that feeds their family?

Are you ready to give up your income so quick and leave your family in the cold?

It is highly possible some are only holding onto the job until they can find another place to go.

Raist

reply to post by harrytuttle


I refer you to my reply post to the poster above you.

Just in case though. Understand that many had the job before the policies took effect. Look at the economy and the employment rate. Would you just drop your family’s income without a backup plan? I for one would never leave a job without having another I was going into immediately afterward.

I would imagine that several officers are looking to leave as we type this out.

Raist

reply to post by RedBird


At least we have one voice of reason.

It is easy to attack the low man on the “totem pole” so to speak, but few go after the top people and the policies they have written.

Why go after the real problem, when we can just give another American trying to feed their family a beat down.

Raist

Originally posted by harrytuttle
These people are also neglecting their societal, patriotic duty to protect the U.S. Constitution. Their personal career concerns do not trump my right as a free U.S. citizen to travel freely in my country without unreasonable searches.

Could you help me out? I have seen some rather frightening stories about the TSA. I mean I have seen some legit, scary, and upsetting stories. The problem is that every TSA story keeps getting mired in talk of the constitution and freedom. I am so very confused. What part of the constitution is in violation here? Which freedoms are being infringed? I really feel that each time this comes up, it just confuses the issue at hand and takes away focus so if we could just clear it up and set it aside, that would be great.

Originally posted by Raist
reply to post by Exuberant1

 

Are you ready to give up your income so quick and leave your family in the cold?

I wouldn't have gotten myself into such a situation where my family was dependent on a job which required I fondle/molest/search people.

It just wouldn't happen.

*Most people are like me. Most people have avoided putting themselves in such a situation.

Oh please. Cry us a river.
It's their constitutional right to work wherever they please and it's peoples constitutional right to not like it and let them know.
And it's a customer service based job so the onus is on THEM to be understanding, not the general public who have to put up with being groped and molested just to fly and see their families and go about their business.

reply to post by Exuberant1


You did not include the full post in that quote. You are leaving out important information to lead to that question. I never said that they took the job knowing they were going to be “fondling” people. What I said was.

Most had the job before the policies took place.

If you were working a job that suddenly changed policies and your family depended on that income would you still be so willing to just drop it or would you hang out until you could supplement that income?

Then remember the economy is not the greatest and unemployment is up. It is nice to sit behind your computer and say people should just quit their jobs but unless you are in their shoes and have families to feed it is another story.

Raist

reply to post by Raist


Didn't the article say a fair share of them were part time blow ins?
I'm sure the careerists are in the minority.

Let me state right off the bat, I am entirely against both the AIT scanners and the patdowns. I am in no way affilliated with the TSA, nor do I have any contact with any TSA worker outside of security checkpoints. Okay that said...

I agree. I posted in another thread a few days ago, that folks need to remember that many of these folks are good and decent people who are just trying to support themselves and their fanilies. They are as trapped in this situation as we are. Walking away from a job in this economy isn't necessarily a luxury some have. Some of them have children to feed, and that may trump all other concerns for them.

The anger needs to be directed at the source of these measures which is the DHS and the high muckity mucks at the TSA like Pistole. The same way that we are raising the hue and cry of 'reasonable suspicion', I think the guys on the front lines deserve the same. Unless a TSA screener is actually acting in a nasty/aggressive/negative fashion, we should not simply assume that all screeners are pedos/perverts out to cop a feel or get some sexual gratification out of it.

I will say, I live in the suburbs of Chicago, and I have never once had a bad experience with the screeners at O'Hare. It always takes me ages to get my belongings back together (I travel with tons of electronics) and more often than not I strike up a friendly conversation with the screeners. Which they, in turn, always seem to really appreicate. I am always polite (as I was raised to be) and offer smiles, and I have unfailingly recieved the same in return when dealing with TSA at O'Hare.

reply to post by Flighty


Yes, it also said they have to work part time for four years before being considered for full time.

A part time job if that is all you have is better than no job when it comes to feeding a family.

Raist

reply to post by Cassandra5Finish


I am far from an expert on this, but I will try to field your question and answer as best I can. According to the fourth ammendment of the Constituion, any search of a person requires the party doing the searching to have 'reasonable suspicion' of the searched party having broken the law. When law enforcement wants to carry out a thourough seach it is required that reasonable suspicion is met by presenting a warrant to a judge in a court of law, who then rules whether or not those conditions have been met and either issue the warrant for the search, or denies it if there is not enough evidence to prove the reasonable suspicion.

Therefore these scans are a violation of that, in that to pat us down in such a manner implies that everyone that recieves the patdown has met 'reasonable suspicion' of being a terrorist. In this country, according to law, we are innocent until proven guilty... if one holds to the Constition of the United States.

I am sure there are many here who can explain it better, but that's the best I can manage at 3AM Hope that helps, and I hope I got all my facts correct!

reply to post by Raist


The scary thing about that is that people who are that desperate are a lot easier to control, for fear
of losing their jobs. It's a dangerous combination in a job like this that really requires not only well trained people
but people who the general public can respect. IF this ridiculous scheme must go ahead. I can't see it lasting myself and those people are going to be out of work anyway.

Originally posted by Raist
reply to post by spav5

 

...there is no way I could feel up people all day long. Sorry but I want to save that sort of thing for my wife.
Raist

Absolutely!

I'm sure that many other couples; like my wife and I; have used this horrid, nearly unspeakable acts of the TSA for fun!

Every since this started, I always give my wife the TSA treatment! And more!

It's just one more excuse to check for explosive items... Of which WE BOTH FIND!

No one is leaving on a jet plane today!

Every cloud has a silver lining.