Korean Job Discussion Forums

[periwinkle]

If any of you are planning a trip to visit the U.S., I feel I should share my lovely experience with a TSA staffer. Since this experience, I have written a letter to the TSA civil rights dept. as well as e-mailed them. I can't locate the name or contact info. for any of the officials at Chicago O'Hare. Also, through a google search, I found an article about a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) staffer who stabbed a man on the Chicago el train. Unbelievable. I'll try to keep this short.

I set off the metal detector as I usually do, so I get a pat down in full view of everyone. The Mexican woman ahead of me also set it off, and she got a 2 min. pat down. I got a 10 min. pat down, and the woman repeatedly told me to keep me arms spread out at a 90 degree angle. When they started to droop, she barked at me to keep my arms out. She rubbed me EVERYWHERE with the wand, and made me turn down the buttons on my jeans, which of course exposed my panties. After I passed, she tossed my brand new shoes at me. Not once during this whole ordeal did I complain. The new shoes, though- oho, that did it.

Me: I don't appreciate you treating my property with such disrespect.

her: (no response)

Me: You're very rude, and you have no right to treat pax this way.

her: You were rude.

Me: And how was I rude?

her: You didn't take your shoes off.

Me: I wasn't instructed to take my shoes off, nor did the pax in front of me.

Her: You just keep talkin', and you ain't gettin' on that flight.

At that point, another TSA staffer stepped in and asked what the problem was. I told him she was too invasive in full view of everyone, and it was humiliating. I also said she was rude. He said he would speak to his supervisor. Yeah, right.

I know it was all about reverse racism. She barely gave a second thought to the poor Mexican pax in front of me. I, however (32 year old nicely dressed white woman), CLEARLY fit the profile of a terrorist.

If they hadn't made the last call for boarding, I would've demanded to speak to her supervisor. Grrrrrrr....

[BigBlackEquus]

I'd like to take your story more seriously, but I am too busy laughing at your avatar.

[periwinkle]

Funny thing is, the TSA bitch was about the same size...

[Yo!Chingo]

Yeah...ain't the fear of profiling wonderful? People who should be searched aren't b/c of the TSA's fear that they'll ( the red flag waving possible terrorist ) say they're being "labeled". Then their's the solid middle class citizen who's being manhandled. I've been through a search twice and everytime I end up laughing b/c it's so frigin' stupid! They just love that, let me tell ya!
Report her butt Periwinkle

[andrew]

*****

[sistersarah]

i had the exact same experience at chicago airport. rude woman actually let me to a separate place to be patted down....me with my orange sneakers and hello kitty blanket.

she was very rude and abrupt. i understand that they have to check people and sometimes it's random, but it was kind of humiliating being isolated and led away by security.

i've only been to chicago airport once, but it was my worst flying experience. stuck in a customer service line for over 3 hours while the reps took their sweet time going for coffee breaks. there was a major snow storm and all these flights were delayed. i thought it called for speedier action, but apparently they didn't.

[billybrobby]

I love when I'm in line somewhere and some prince/princess feels the need to start crying and making that "I deserve more respect! I want to talk to you manager" speech. While this thin-skinned, self-absorbed moron is asserting his rights, everybody behind him in line grows slightly angrier because he's making everything go slower. But does he realize that? No, because that'd involve thinking about other people for just a second.


sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

[Wangja]

In 20 flights from and within US in the past 2 years, I have only avoided the "second" level check once.

Of course, I am exactly the profile of a flying terrorist: white male, mid 50's, blond hair, blue eyes, usually in a suit.

I soon learnt not to prat around carrying my computer in hand baggage tho' ....

[Swiss James]

OK- travelling sucks, and the security check is one of the biggest headaches.

But you see, if I was a terrorist mastermind, then the ideal person I would chose to carry my bomb onto a plane would be a middle-class white woman with a hello kitty blanket, 2 litre bottle of evian water and strong sense of personal space.

You can only get away with that whole '5 middle-eastern guys carrying box cutters' thing once after all.

Bottom line is, the plane you were on didn't blow up- and at the end of the day I'll have my shoes tossed at me to ensure that doesn't happen.

[periwinkle]

[denverdeath]

I remember a few years back when the bells and whistles were going off after I had come back inside from having a smoke outside the airport in Toronto. The East-Indian-Canadian fella told me to open my belt. I think I misunderstood him because I not only opened the belt but also unbuttoned the button-fly on my jeans. The guy got all excited and started saying, "No, no, SIR! Please! Just HOLD the belt with your hands, like this. Do not unbutton your pants, sir!" He was looking at me like I was on crack; I looked at him in the same damned way. Next, the thing was beeping again, apparently because of my boots and I had to remove them too. Actually, not too stressful. I was trying really hard not to laugh in the guy's face. I think it's sometimes good to laugh, while at other times, it's not. And, sometimes when I start, I just can't stop. Then, there was another time a guy was yelling at me when my cat I brought from Korea almost escaped...fun times.

p.s. I've been through O'Hare twice. The only problem I had the first time was trying to comprehend why the hell I had to take a train to get to the plane. No problems the second time.

[sistersarah]

[anyway]

simple solution...don't wear panties

[RACETRAITOR]

If you don't like it, don't fly into or through America.

[Swiss James]