You know, bullying and coercion is so not allowed, especially from a governmental agency. But does the TSA care? Nope… Not one bit.
I entered the TSA security line at the ABC concourse at around 11:10am (I don’t know the exact time, since I didn’t have my watch on, but I walked into the airport around 11:05am). Security was slow, like always; the friggin’ porno-scanners are slow, and the TSA had lots of people hanging around – like normal.
As soon as I got up to the front of the line, I said I was opting out of the porno scanners. The lady manning the security for lines 5/6 at the ABC concourse just looked at me and started moving other passengers through. I said, “Shouldn’t you call for a male assist opt out?”, and she glared at me. She was more concerned about where I should stand (right next to the radiation-throwing x-ray machine baggage has to go through) than getting someone to help me. About forty-five seconds after my initial opt-out, she finally keyed the mic on her radio and reported me as an opt out.
Two minutes later I was still there. She called again. I added, “Second call.”
Two minutes later, she called and I added, “Third call”.
This went on for at least fifteen minutes. I was getting agitated, because I could not see my luggage – there were a lot of people standing around in front of it. She glared at me every time I tried to peek around to watch my stuff, which was at the very end of the x-ray line.
About ten minutes into the ordeal, six TSA agents walked through security right next to the woman TSA agent that was “helping” me. She didn’t ask them to assist me at all.
Twenty minutes later, and EIGHT calls for a male assist opt-out, I had finally had it. I could no longer see my stuff, and was worried that my backpack and/or laptop had been stolen since I hadn’t seen them at all. I finally barged into the porno scanner so that I could at least get my luggage, laptop, and backpack.
Upon retrieving it, I asked for the TSA supervisor and was directed to a man on the phone in the ABC security checkpoint booth. I waited for him to get off the phone, and then told him of what I just went through. He didn’t even bother to look at me and rolled his eyes. In the middle of me asking him a question, an older gentleman walked up, and the TSA supervisor turned to him (having never turned to look me in the eye even once) and started talking to him. I stood there in shock for about fifteen seconds, said, “Seriously?” as loud as I could, and then walked off.
So TSA, you want to know why everyone hates you? THIS. Your clear disregard and outright contempt for the traveling public is why. You don’t deserve to represent our government.
