Reporter Stopped By Agent Of Transportation Security Agency

[n4gix 4,947]

Here is a somewhat amusing, yet very disturbing report concerning a reporter who was stopped by a TSA agent who apparently skipped school the day they discussed the District of Columbia in Civics class...
 

Oh, that's right... they don't teach "Civics" in schools any more do they. Anyway, this remarkably uninformed TSA agent demanded to see this reporter's passport!

http://flightaware.com/squawks/view/1/7_days/popular/43020/Reporter_stopped_by_TSA_agent_who_didn_t_know_District_of_Columbia_is_in_US

[vc10man 732]

Boy, oh, boy. Gets better all the time with TSA. It's like when I flew CYYZ(Toronto Pearson) 2 weeks ago en route to LA, and cleared the Border & Customs TSA security check with carry-on baggage and a camera bag. At LA, a TSA guy had a an issue with a spare camera battery for a DSLR which had just passed scrutiny 6 hours earlier in Toronto. So, this hardly surprises me.

 

Nice heads-up, Fr.Bill.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I will admit the USA would be kind of difficult when you have 50 different states issuing 50 different drivers licences. It would be impossible for one person to remember what to look for when detecting fake ID on 50 pieces of ID.....but if you never heard of DC then obviously you weren't even trained on the different types of ID in the first place, or asleep that day.

 

At least in New Zealand we all carry the same Driver Licence, that is the difference between living in a country compared to living in a Union.

[MarkW 1,479]

Boy, oh, boy. Gets better all the time with TSA. It's like when I flew CYYZ(Toronto Pearson) 2 weeks ago en route to LA, and cleared the Border & Customs TSA security check with carry-on baggage and a camera bag. At LA, a TSA guy had a an issue with a spare camera battery for a DSLR which had just passed scrutiny 6 hours earlier in Toronto. So, this hardly surprises me.

 

Nice heads-up, Fr.Bill.

 

CYYZ is in Canada and airport security in Canada has nothing to do with TSA.  It is run by the Canadian Government and while there is certainly co-ordination with TSA, they definitely operate with different rules so it is not surprising clearance of items in Canada get stopped in the US.

[ZachLW 37]

 

Oh, that's right... they don't teach "Civics" in schools any more do they

 

They did but I always skipped that class.  B)

 

Disturbing, but hilarious!  It's an unfortunate thing; a lot of highly ignorant/uneducated employees of TSA make the entire organization look ridiculous.  Not to mention the occasional power struggle between agent and law abiding traveler.

 

What late night talk show host goes out and asks people random questions about US history?  I always love that segment.

 

EDIT: Also, if you've ever been witness to low level government training, you know that calling it training is an oxymoron.

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

But come on guys, it's for your own safety, you know that.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

CYYZ is in Canada and airport security in Canada has nothing to do with TSA.  It is run by the Canadian Government and while there is certainly co-ordination with TSA, they definitely operate with different rules so it is not surprising clearance of items in Canada get stopped in the US.

 

They do have US Customs in Toronto doing pre-clearences into the United States. But this is not TSA. Those guys however can go through all your stuff and did for us the last time we where in Toronto in June flying to Los Angelas. They did that just before going to Canadian Security.

 

The guy was friendly though and explained he had to do it to keep his 'bosses' happy so I let him go through all my pregnant wife's stuff and he realized he was wasting his time while other potential threats were walking past us. I told him I would put in a good word to his 'Boss' 

[Irishcurse 234]

The TSA is nothing more than a government jobs program.

[vc10man 732]

 

 

They do have US Customs in Toronto doing pre-clearences into the United States. But this is not TSA.

My bad then, I certainly thought they were TSA cause the guy checking me asked me if I had pre-TSA, whatever that meant to me. For all intents and purposes I thought they were TSA, which had me head-scratching at L:A. Explains things.

[mganz121 159]

 

 

At least in New Zealand we all carry the same Driver Licence ...................

 

I sometimes wonder where some our drivers actually purchase their licences from though   

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I sometimes wonder where some our drivers actually purchase their licences from though   

 

Their are far far far far worse out there in the world....I just never understood the reason for road rage in New Zealand, this is an island paradise in the South Pacific so no need for that. I say to people go drive a bus in Detroit for one week and come back and you see how good you have it here. (all though I do love Detroit) you have to be tough to drive a bus there.

 

Sometimes New Zealand's problem is it doesn't have enough of them so people have to invent problems. 

[mebull 27]

 

 

(all though I do love Detroit) you have to be tough to drive a bus there.

 

It helps to be tough to drive anything in Detroit and fairly well armed doesn't hurt much either. I am speaking of Detroit city itself not the burbs. Crime is on the decline though, since the Police Chief has encouraged the law abiding population to arm themselves. It seems the criminals are a bit shy about being shot at themselves. The police chief claims crime is down by 37% since his program began. The good part is that there have been no accidental or unjustified incidents. At one time my job had me traveling all over that area and going in or through Detroit always made me a bit nervous.

 

Road rage? I just assume everyone else is absolutely insane, has an IQ of zero and drive accordingly,

 

 

 

Sometimes New Zealand's problem is it doesn't have enough of them so people have to invent problems.

 

That is what people everywhere seem to do these days instead of solving the ones that present themselves without being created. Inventing more than are solved is not good.

 

 

Regards,

[MarkW 1,479]

They do have US Customs in Toronto doing pre-clearences into the United States. But this is not TSA. Those guys however can go through all your stuff and did for us the last time we where in Toronto in June flying to Los Angelas. They did that just before going to Canadian Security.

 

The guy was friendly though and explained he had to do it to keep his 'bosses' happy so I let him go through all my pregnant wife's stuff and he realized he was wasting his time while other potential threats were walking past us. I told him I would put in a good word to his 'Boss' 

 

Its two separate things.  You go through US Customs to clear your entrance into the US and while they can go through your things, for 99.9% of travellers through YYZ after you are cleared through US customs you head over to Canadian security to clear your bags, person, etc.  They are not TSA agents.

[mgh 89]

We sent an envelope of personal papers from Vancouver (Canada) to the UK. They were opened by the US authorities and resealed with an official Homeland Security seal.

[Irishcurse 234]

We sent an envelope of personal papers from Vancouver (Canada) to the UK. They were opened by the US authorities and resealed with an official Homeland Security seal.

Could have made it easier on them and sent an email. They dont have to reseal those after reading them. (Hi NSA)