[Lennyjoe]

So here's the story....

My daughter went with her DECA business class from High School to visit New York City for a week. She found me a nice belt buckle that was shaped like a Glock. Bought it for $35 bucks for her pops who she knows is a gun nut. As she was going thru security at the Newark Airport they searched her backpack and seen the buckle. It was still attached to the belt and she explained that it was mearly a buckle and it was for me.

Well.......they confiscated it and told her that she couldnt have it back. Told her the reason why was cause it would scare the passengers if she pulled the belt out on the plane. My daughter told them that it was only a buckle and not a gun. So, says the security folks. So the daughter asked how to get it back and they told her no dice, they were gonna discard it and she cant have it back. Wont send it to her either.

The daughter told them it was BS and the gal there says, "Dont you know where you are and what happened on Sept 11"? Of course said the daughter, and guns had nothing to do with it and besides, its only a damn buckle.

Folks still told her she cant have it back and if she persists to argue they will call the police.

The question is, anyone got any contact numbers or address's so I can file a complaint and see if I can obtain at least the cost of the buckle back.

Truely unbelievable. :cuss:

[Standing Wolf]

Folks still told her she cant have it back and if she persists to argue they will call the police.

If it had been me, I'd have told the rent-a-cop to call the real police.

Mineta should have been fired a long time ago!

[another okie]

Checked luggage.

[Jeff White]

Does anyone know if employment by TSA gives civil torts protection? I think a few large awards to victimized passengers would change the thinking of TSA and the individual screeners quite a bit.

Jeff

[AZRickD]

"Dont you know where you are and what happened on Sept 11"? This lame-??? excuse is nearly as bad as the Zero-Tolerance BS.

So bad that a few weeks ago, Saturday Night Live has a skit concerning the weenies at TSA.

It's not too late to get the person's name and file a civil suit. At least it will cost them time and money.

Rick

[Sodbuster]

Sorry your daughter had to endure that, Lennyjoe. I would bet the airport administration office at Tucson could put you in touch with the TSA at the national level or at the airport where this occured. Good luck.

[Gordon Fink]

Mineta should have been fired a long time ago!

Maybe we should talk to his boss about that.

~G. Fink

[Standing Wolf]

Maybe we should talk to his boss about that.

His boss is a Republicrat or a Democan, so he's too busy to be bothered listening to commoners.

[Old Fuff]

Lennyjoe:

I think the reason those jerks at the airport took the belt and buckle was because one of them wanted to take it home. Had they given her a chance she could have mailed it home. Mailing belts and buckles in not illegal. Had she whipped it out on the plane it's highly doubtful that anyone would have been fooled, and besides aren't they're supposed to be armed air-marshals on those flights? Among other things I'd write a letter to Sen. Jon Kyle. Of course you can forget about McCain.

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

This is the reason I refuse to fly. A bunch of low-end, former burger flippers sorting through my bags and questioning not just my motives, but my patriotism.

I tried a few times, but the recent issues (~1 yr ago) where it is nearly mandatory that the belt and shoes come off was too much. Well, to be honest, the whole affair is a joke. Air travel is a priviledge, so they tell me.

Well, I am voting with my wallet. Too bad my vote will not hurt the agency responsible: TSA.

In summary, the goon should be fired. Report him.

[4v50 Gary]

Belt buckles are not on the restricted list for "carry-on" items. If the belt buckle was clearly too small to be a gun and cannot be mistaken for a gun, the TSA overstepped its authority. Tort is conversion - substantial interference with the chattel of another. Recovery - cost of buckle & consequential damages (filing fees in small claim, time off, parking, process service, postage, etc.). Betcha anything the TSA settles out of court.

I hate the TSA. Federalized security guards who as private individuals could never make over $12 an hour. I'd privatize them and the airports should have on duty 24/7 (or during operating hours) a Security Supervisor to act as overseer. Cheaper for us and the airlines.

[rayjay]

I'm with Old Fuff on this one. Someone wanted that buckle.:cuss:

[Bill Hook]

I tried a few times, but the recent issues (~1 yr ago) where it is nearly mandatory that the belt and shoes come off was too much. Well, to be honest, the whole affair is a joke. Air travel is a priviledge, so they tell me.

Wear your funkiest old shoes - your privilege. :evil:

[Parker Dean]

Wear your funkiest old shoes - your privilege.


I was noticing the last time I flew, back around September, that the screeners had a definite preference for NEW shoes. Or at least those that appeared new.

And if I wanted to get really specific then I would say that (nearly) new, white, high-top, baskeball shoes were the number one "selected" shoe by a large margin.

[Bill Hook]

Must be b/c they read that was what Richard Reid was wearing. Don't think outside the box folks. :rolleyes:

[c_yeager]

Personally if someone is trying to screw me the way these guys tried to screw your daughter and they were kind enough to OFFER to call the police for me then i would have been quite happy not to have to call them myself. TSA people may tend to be over officious and mindless of the regulations that they are tasked to enforce. But airport cops are the same generally reasonable peopel that they have always been. And if you think that YOUR sick of these TSA morons think about how the cops feel having to deal with them every day. I think not allowing her to have it back in order to send it to herself was a direct violation of TSA policy anyways.

[0007]

Take the belt back and walk over to the nearest bathroom and dispose of it if they want it that bad, let'em dig for it... I've done this with cigarette lighters that some bozo wanted...

[Kharn]

I remember reading about one guy (TFL'er?) that wanted to get on a plane pre-9/11 and the guard wouldnt let him carry his <3" folding knife (totally legal at the time) on the plane. The poster figured out that the rent-a-cop just wanted his knife, so he shoved the blade between two hard objects and snapped the blade off. He then handed the blade to the rent-a-cop and got on the plane with the handle.

I think the manufacturer even replaced the whole knife when they heard the story, but I could be wrong.

Kharn

[Lennyjoe]

Checked luggage.

Would of been possible to put in in there had she had her luggage. But it was already checked in.

I will make a visit today to the Tucson airport to get contact numbers to send the complaint or even a request for payment of lost item. Should that not work, small claims court will be the next step.

[jimpeel]

They are supposed to give passengers the opportunity to go back into the unsecured area and mail the "contraband" home. If they did not give this opportunity, they were in the wrong. This was theft under color of law and I would have gotten the person's name and filed a suit against them personally.

In the absence of this, she should have asked to see a supervisor.

[AJ Dual]

If it were my teenaged daughter, I'd be glad all they "wanted" was the belt.

We've all heard that young female passengers seem to get selected for more personal "searches" an inordinate ammount of the time.

So sad.

[Ol' Badger]

Just wait until they do searchs at roadside check points!

TSA GOON " I'll take this and this" "Oh, you can go now citizen "

It reminds me of a 3rd world nation at Customs. Remember that scene from the movie The Dogs Of War. Thats the TSA!

[Carlos]

Belt buckles are not on the restricted list for "carry-on" items. If the belt buckle was clearly too small to be a gun and cannot be mistaken for a gun, the TSA overstepped its authority.

What about he chef who had his frying pan confiscated? Think that was on the list?

TSA is an agency made up or morons pure and simple.

Makes me sick.

When it comes down to roadside inspections of me and my vehicle, we will have reached that certain plateau ... so to speak.

:fire:

[HankB]

So the daughter asked how to get it back and they told her no dice, they were gonna discard it and she cant have it back. Easily intimidated high school girl + neat belt buckle = stocking stuffer for TSA employee. Her loss will probably brighten some underpaid Federal employee's Christmas morning.

[Phil Ca]

Just heard on the radio that TSA is having to lay off 6000 security people due to budget problems.

When my wife and I flew to NYC several months ago, I made sure my carry-on was equipped as a BOB. I had duct tape, several different types of flashlights, maps, compass, protractor, ballpoint pens, cardboard dowel from my fax machine roll, sanitizing spray, caribiners of several sizes, retracting reel key holder, and two Australian style P-38 can openers with spoon all neatly attached at the factory by plastic wrap to the cardboard.

On the trip over everything passes with out a hitch out of Oakland. The return trip was a bit different. Out of all the potential self defense or holding devices they picked on my $1.19 P-38s. One was in my wifes bag and it passed OK. The very polite female TSA person took one look at the evil sharp edge on the P-38 and said it was not allowed. She called over her supervisor and that worthy took one look and in mock horror stated that,"Sir, look at that edge, that cannot be carried on the plane!" I just shrugged and said well you got my .60 cent can opener. For that very reason I chose not to bring my original issue P-38 from 1956 that I got while aboard a flight from Macguire AFB enroute to my assignment in Germany/ I would have been really upset to have lost that.

BTW, I carry a padded 6 X 9 envelope with 5 each, $1.00 stamps inside. This is to use to mail something back to myself if the TSA dweebs say something in not allowed. Get the name and ID of the person you give it to if you have to give something up. Obviously I was not going to mail back a small brand new P-38.

Let your imagination run wild and figure out what you could do with the items I listed above.

:cool:

[Orthonym]

For me, the last straw was the Photo ID/Secret Internal Passport Law, back in '98 or thenabouts.


As to right or wrong shoes, if I ever HAVE to fly aboard a commercial airliner under current conditions (Think: Dad died, and he and I have to get to the cemetery before he starts to swell up and turn green, or something) you betcha I'll keep some, ah, aromatic, well-used, and RIGID socks in reserve to display to those busybodies when they demand I unshoe.

[jungleman]

The only way we are going to stop this bull???? is to boycott anyone who tries this stuff. Boycott with your wallet. We have the power.

[Daniel T]

What about he chef who had his frying pan confiscated? Think that was on the list?

He actually managed to get it back. Of course, he's famous, has a TV show, and has a lot of fans who wrote a lot of letters and made a lot of phone calls. I'm guessing the TSA manager had to track down the peon who took it home and told them to bring it back. I doubt that's going to happen for this buckle, though.

I dated a girl who worked for the TSA. She spent a few months stationed at Dulles Int.. She was always suprised by people getting angry about crap like this. Needless to say, we didn't date long.

As an aside, having them call the cops is a bad idea. The cop isn't going to care that you're being treated unfairly, he's just going to arrest you for causing a distubance. At minimum, you'll miss your flight, even if you're in the right. It's up for you to decide if it's worth it.

[Correia]

A good friend of mine was out of work last year, and took the TSA entrance exam. He said that a monkey could have passed it.

After the test some of the other testees ( :) ) complained about how hard the test was, and that they hoped that they had passed. My buddy told them that if he had failed it he would have went home and killed himself.

Luckily he was able to find work. :p

[MicroBalrog]

Mineta? LOL! Hope he doesn't know russian.


(Minet - russian for fellatio).

[GSB]

We've all heard that young female passengers seem to get selected for more personal "searches" an inordinate ammount of the time.

This is absolutely true (and I'm not saying this merely because I read it or heard it somewhere -- I'll leave it at that). And they are not above making suggestive comments either. And don't you dare open your mouth in defense of your wife or girlfriend during one of these humiliations or they'll threaten to have you arrested. These people think they are untouchable.

[cidirkona]

So how'd the trip to the airport go?

-Colin, fellow Tucsonan

[Bainx]

Hey LennyJoe, how bout going over to the thread shown below
and telling a couple of Patriot Act defending jokers about this happening.
I'm sure they will tell you that "its all OK and in good accordance to our constitution" and that the authorities are absolutely in their right to take the belt buckle.

You would have to pay me big bucks to fly the "Nazi Harassment Skies" these days!http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?threadid=51457 (http://http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?threadid=51457)

[AZLibertarian]

To offer a minor defense of the TSA...they have an absolutely impossible mission--Perform a thorough search for dangerous items in a short time span without unnecessarily intruding into one's privacy. An associated problem is that they purposely let the public believe that once through screening, there are no weapons. Absolute perfection is demanded, but of course, it is not possible. Ask any prison guard.

With that said, the TSA are a bunch of maroons. BTW, their second administrator, Admiral Loy, has been "kicked upstairs" to a promotion to some Assistant Secretary in the Homeland Security Department. There is currently no head of the TSA. This allows the TSA to avoid sending their head to Congress to answer complaints.

The Air Marshals have recently moved out of the TSA and into the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE). They were quite unhappy working in the TSA, and BICE has at least some common sense (for a .gov, that is).

And finally, Standing Wolf, is still correct. Sec. of Transportation Mineta needs to find other work.

[CZ 75 BD]

TSA style:fire:

[AZLibertarian]

I forgot to add that anytime you go through screening, you're entitled to ask for a private screening. This may get you to the supervisor at the checkpoint where you can plead your case about the danger your belt buckle poses to aviation safety.

[wingman]

This is the reason I wont fly commerical however i know its impossible for many
to stop but if enough did some action would be taken, the only vote we "really"
have anymore is with our money.:cuss:

[Zedicus]

well, Hopefully the last time I have to take a trip on a commercal plane it will be when I return to the U.S.

I like flying, but the socalled "security measeres" is enough to make you want to either drive or go by boat....:barf:

[bad_dad_brad]

This all sucks of course, but I always check my luggage, and make sure I am wearing or carrying nothing remotely unusual. I fly four or five times a year and I find that makes things smooth sailing.

[Zedicus]

Last time I flew they nearly stopped me from getting on my plane ath heathrow because I had a non functioning laser pointer keyring....

and again at the gate metal detector over the metal eyelets on my sneakers....:rolleyes:

[Lennyjoe]

:DSo how'd the trip to the airport go?

Dead end.

Since it happened in NY and not Tucson they couldnt do more than give me the Point of Contact number for NY. Of course that lead to a dead end as well.

Good news though, my daughter got another one. Her friend found one on Ebay for her for only $13 bucks. Its a buckle that looks like a Derringer on steroids. Cool belt buckle though.

[Orthonym]

I'd probably have been hauled away in chains. I believe it was made by Mattel, was very large, had a very realistic-looking derringer on it. When you tensed your belly muscles, the (toy) derringer would rotate out and discharge a spring-propelled plastic bullet. I wonder if my Mom saved it somewhere. Lord, I miss realistic cap pistols and toy guns.

[AZ Jeff]

The entire premise of "screening in security" is like the premise of "inspecting in quality" in products. All it guarantees is one thing:

Someone will miss something, and thus the system is inherently flawed.

It's impossible to have a zero defects INSPECTION SYSTEM, and that's entire premise upon which the TSA is built!!!:fire:

That minor rant aside, my wife recently took my 13 yr. old son to the airport, to see him off. Naturally, she had to pass thru the TSA checkpoint to see him off at the gate.

After she returned home, she observed that she had managed to pass thru the checkpoint with her PEPPER SPRAY in her purse.

But at least we know her shoes were checked for box cutter blades!!!:banghead:

[veloce851]

This is the way to fly from now on.
http://www.netjets.com
http://www.netjets.com/home.asp

Since its a private flight no security to deal with.

When this new jet comes out that is suposed to be around $500,000 it will completely change the airline industry. Since more of these jetshare companies will start up.
More power to them. I hate that my tax dollars go to bail out these pourly managed businesses.

[Orthonym]

Beats having to decide, "Are we in kindergarten or are we in prison?"

[twoblink]

Give them hell..

Stuff like this pisses me off..

Like when I ask for all 30 rolls of my film to be handchecked.. Nope, it HAS to go through the scanner they tell me..

I had a few rolls come out blank before, and so I was like..

SURE..

I'm a pro-photographer, there are 30 rolls of models on here, the gig pays $250,000. Please sign your name, stating that you forced me to scan them, and if they all come back blank, you will pay for the reshoot..

She handchecked my film :D

You need to bully them... They are rent-a-cops, who have no common sense.

[Lennyjoe]

Trust me, had it been me and not my daughter I would of given them hell right then and there.

But I am in the process of voicing my opinion on paper, e-mail and phone.

[dustind]

My step mom works for TSA, she was layed off when the machine shop she worked at started closing down. she is a nice person who works hard and has nothing against the goverment. She still has had nothing good to say about her job which is not like her. I should have her visit the forum to chime in.

You will find better coworkers at a Mc Donalds in a poor town. The people that work their could not ever work a real job.

She arrives at 4:00 am and does not know if she will be working that day until 9:00-11:00 am IIRC. So she is paid to read a magazine for seven hours.

The employees have to frequently test the security to see if they can get an object or chemical past. Sounds good except you are trying to fool your fellow co workers who know you are working that day, and you are required to wear your badge while you do it! Gee the security must be great, the employees can never fool their own coworkers...:fire: :banghead:

They are going to lay off a lot of the workers, they handed out letters saying if you were or were not at risk of being layed off. She was one of the few who was not at risk of loosing her job. She may even be promoted.

[Hal]

*sigh*

I have to fly commercial a few times a year.

Please,,,, for God's sake,,, leave the idea of stinky shoes alone.

Sure, it may be fun to aggrevate a security worker for all of what, 10 seconds.......

problem is I have to endure your stench for the next 4 hours!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

persist, and I will escalte to garlic bagels.:evil: