Be careful with your carry on items.

[Keith Zimmerman]

I was going through security at the Harrisburg PA airport and was caught with my Leatherman in my backpack.  I didn't realize I had put it in there.  I thought I had stuffed it in my Checked Luggage. So it was promptly "thrown away".  Yeah, right.

I also had some 200 grain field points in the backpack in dz packs in a plastic bag labeled.  He took those and said they could be used as a weapon.  I replied, "How can those be used as a weapon?"  He replied, "You could screw them onto the end of an arrow and use it."  I said, "Where am I going to get an arrow on a plane??!!"  He looked at me funny.  Then I said, "What about pens and pencils?  They are allowed?"

He didn't respond...

I just don't get it sometimes.  I did have the choice of starting all over and checking that bag for $50.  It wasn't worth it.

[gringol]

$10/hr gets employees that think like that.  I once had a tsa agent take a ratchet from me because he said it was 3/8" too long.  As if that 3/8" makes it a weapon.  The crazy thing is that was a return flight.  The agents at the other airport didn't see a problem.  Bunch of dopes making up rules as they go.

[TommyBoy]

Is it just me or have those little Nazi's been getting worse lately?  I shocked two of the little bastages last week when they were putting me through the new scanner system. He told me to put my wallet on the conveyor belt. I said I would not and his machine wasn't worth a million dollars if it couldn't tell what a wallet was. I carried it through with me and they did a physical inspection of it on the other side.

FYI - for those you don't already know - NEVER let your wallet leave your person.  There are small scanning devices that can read the RFID chips in your credit cards and I would not trust any TSA goon not to try it.

[Rhill]

They took my new sealed toothpaste, they are rather dumb.

[Irish Archer]

I haven't been on a plane for quite a few years now. I'm kinda glad about it too.

[Marc B.]

I arrived on a trip and found my Buck 55 pocket knife was in my computer bag. I put in the same place on the way back. It was never noticed. As soon as I cleared security I dug it out and put it in my pocket for the 2 flights home. I've had zero confidence in the TSA since.

[Bladepeek]

I ran into one coming back from LA. I have a knee replacement and tripped the metal detector and they didn't have a body scan machine available so the very polite security lady said they would have to have someone do a pat-down search. I told her "No problem" and waited for a guy to pat me down. He swaggered out and said "come with me Sir". I told him my personal stuff was on the conveyer belt and reached for the plastic dish with my car keys, coins, wallet. He screamed at me "Don't touch that!" and everybody turned around to see what I was about to touch. I told him I wasn't going off to be searched without my stuff and he said "Don't touch anything. Point to it and I will pick it up". I said, "OK, that's my wallet, that's my comb, that's my dime, that's my dime ...." He asked me if I was trying to be a smart a$$ and I said I was not. I was just trying to deal with someone who certainly WAS one. You can imagine how it all sort of went down hill from there.

He told me in the future, I should put my wallet in my carry on luggage and let it go through the scanner, (in which case it would be sitting unattended on the conveyer belt when he dragged me off to the "pat down" area). I assured him that would never happen and he hoped I would not pass through his airport again. I told him he could take that to the bank.

First time I've ever experienced any trouble in an airport.

[r-man]

they just take what they want, like a personal shopping day for them, at your cost. you know they do.

[cacciatore]

Travelling so much oversea I have learned what I have to do.

I would travel on planes, but I just hate being felt up.  But really we should appreciate the TSA they keep us safe from dangerous people that have field points in bags and babies that may be packing a pocket knife in their diapers.

[Keefer]

Shoot that ain't nothing on my way back from adopting our 3rd daughter we landed in Chicago and waiting in line through customs and this little rabbit beagle that was cute as can be was bomb checking bags and was lead by a female trainer and when it got to my wife and I he looked t our diaper bag laying on the floor next to our luggage then looked at the (trainer/"backup cop") and looked back at me and my wife and baby as to say O.k whats in the bag...The trainer asked Whats in the bag Sir and we were like    

[monterey]

You should direct complaints about TSA directly to TSA supervisors and to the airline you are flying.  The airlines have the most skin in the game.

[centaur]

A buddy of mine was on a prisoner transfer/carrying a sidearm. TSA allowed the sidearm and took his fingernail clippers. I am serious as a heart attack.

[ChuckC]

Keefer, the "bomb sniffing dog" was more than likely a dog used by the USDA to smell and stop incoming fruit and veggies, not bombs.  They are all over the airport. That said, they can still be a PIA.

Their job is tough, everybody hates them, but the reason they are there is still, in my mind, pretty solid.  A few of them could use some classes in being human.

ChuckC

[bretto]

I've got Bi-lateral knee replacements so I get patted down every time I fly. It's funny how professional they can be when they wand a 6'3" 350 lb. guy in shorts with 8" long scars.

bretto

[VictoryHunter]

They should have been classified as "non-essential"    They are as corrupt as the rest of the government and need to be replaced with a private security company.

[joe ashton]

As inconvenient as they are, I still am glad they are there to make me safer.  I'd hate to have that job.
Joe

[subsonic]

I really enjoy the pat downs and encourage them to do a thorough job. I just tell them to be careful around my groin since I have a hot contagious rash :-)

[Keith Zimmerman]

I felt stupid when he said he saw a Leatherman on the scanner.  I didn't know it was in there.  I was carrying an ACU military backpack with lots of zippers.  He was having trouble finding it.  When I reached over and said try this...he slapped my hand away.  That was my fault.  But the points are what got me.

[nineworlds9]

Infuriating.  Since 9/11 I try to avoid flying if at all possible.  Not cause of terrorists but because of the "brilliant minds" handling security.