Unexpected TSA Experience

Yesterday I had to fly out of Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. I had not flown in a couple of years and after hearing all of the TSA horror stories lately I did not know what to expect! Since what happened is so surprising I thought I'd share with the whole Scooby Gang!

The big shocker: not only was I not patted down, I didn't see ANYBODY get patted down! The TSA agents were all friendly and were smiling and making nice chit chat. I don't know if it was because of all that's been going on in the Texas house of Reps or a public relations play or what.

Please be aware- I am no kind of disinfo agent. I was really surprised. I figured I'd have a groping horror story for everyone, but I'm even more surprised by the fact that I don't! Who knows? Maybe they're afraid of "messing with Texas".

You met some nice people, but the problem is their policies, not just the people.

they are just trying to do there job and keep us safe
i would rather be groped by them instead of blown up by some crazy raghead

Was everyone walking through the scanners though? It doesn't make a lot of sense that they'd have more lax security than before 9/11, especially with underwear/shoe CIA implant bombers.

reply to post by littled16


You still had to go through the body scanner though right?

My sister flew out on the fourth, shes in a wheel chair and it took them 10 minutes to make sure she was ok to go through. It used to take them 2-3

reply to post by JibbyJedi


Nope, just regular metal detector. Don't approve of the new scanners cuz of radiation. I only saw a couple of people in the full body scanner line. Only things that got scanned were my shoes and purse. Like I said- I was REALLY surprised!

It's really nice to hear that they are not all molesting psychopaths. I believe that thier policies are what gets them in trouble, they are trying to do a job, but due to these policies made up by a bunch of power hungry morons, they are getting the short end of the stick. Now mind you that may be the majority of them, but a lot of the stories I have heard cannot be explained away so easily. Some are just on a power trip with thier new found authority. I am happy to hear that you had a nice experience, maybe they are starting to see the light at the end of a tunnel and realize that it is an oncoming train!

reply to post by mb2591

No, I did not go through the full body scanner. I saw just a couple of people ( three of them) in the scanner line. Everybody else was in the pat down line like me and I didn't see them pat down ANYONE. It was a fairly long line too. Regular metal detector to walk through,and shoes and carry ons on the conveyor belt through scanner.

After reading all of the news stories about TSA gropings I was really surprised. The only thing I can figure is that maybe they are walking on eggshells because of all the ruckus that's been stirred up in Texas about all of it.

reply to post by littled16



That's good I think that means the TSA realizes us Texans aren't going to take that bs.
Anyone from other states having similar experiences?
This could be because those body scanners cause cancer.

Originally posted by littled16
reply to post by mb2591

 

No, I did not go through the full body scanner. I saw just a couple of people ( three of them) in the scanner line. Everybody else was in the pat down line like me and I didn't see them pat down ANYONE. It was a fairly long line too. Regular metal detector to walk through,and shoes and carry ons on the conveyor belt through scanner.

After reading all of the news stories about TSA gropings I was really surprised. The only thing I can figure is that maybe they are walking on eggshells because of all the ruckus that's been stirred up in Texas about all of it.

Hmm..maybe, we the people, can actually make a change.

Welcome to the experience that 99% of all Americans get when flying. No body scanner. No enhanced pat down. Just the typical walk through the metal detector while your belongings go through x-ray. People on ATS act like everyone has to pick the body scanner or enhanced pat down, when the reality is that only 1-2 percent are subjected to anything outside the normal screening process.

I'll be flying to Las Vegas next week and I don't anticipate any problems.

Most TSA agents are good people just doing there jobs. Now if you were to believe all the blow hard hype here on ATS you would think they only hire pedophiles and rapists. But as you have experienced personally millions of people fly everyday without any problems. Its just one of the issues that gets blown out of proportion by a few people on these boards.

reply to post by littled16

The truth here is the same with the truth in any story.
The only people complaining are the ones who are directly affected. Some louder than most.

LOL My first thought when I read your OP though, was, "way to tell them where the holes are".

I do think I read somewhere that only about 3% of all passengers are pat down.
Forgive me for being too lazy to look it up.
Glad you weren't in the 3% and can come back with good news! ♥

Originally posted by usernameconspiracy
Welcome to the experience that 99% of all Americans get when flying. No body scanner. No enhanced pat down. Just the typical walk through the metal detector while your belongings go through x-ray. People on ATS act like everyone has to pick the body scanner or enhanced pat down, when the reality is that only 1-2 percent are subjected to anything outside the normal screening process.

I'll be flying to Las Vegas next week and I don't anticipate any problems.

Exactly. Unless you trigger the metal detector or they see an unreported item in the full body scanner, they aren't going to pat you down. Folks act like they are doing this to everyone at the airport. I've flown just about every week this year, the patdowns in the US are minimal as compared to Asia/India.

I had a similar experience just recently flying between two major cities.

Standard metal detector, no pat down and not even wanded.
People who triggered the metal detector did get wanded, yet I didn't see any pat downs.
Very few people going through the x-ray body scanner. Many intentionally avoid it and this was obvious. I did notice a TSA agent looking at people in line before they entered security.

Although it went smoothly and they didn't pat me down, my concern is that they still can, on a whim.
Still I was an unlikely threat. Others there seemed like unlikely threats. Also I was only there for 10 minutes.

It's almost like the TSA agents knew there wasn't a real threat and where just going through the motions. I have nothing against most TSA agents (except those with the LEO mindset who frisk infants and elderly). They are just the pawns and fall guys of DHS.

My Theory.
The DHS must continue with the illusion of a terrorist threat to maintain their forward momentum of stripping away personal rights in the name of national security. If everyone knew that it's now safer to fly than it has ever been in the history of aviation then people will start to question their actions (and motives).