Reporter Claims TSA Agent Would Speed People Through Security For $10

[kpete]

Reporter Claims TSA Agent Would Speed People Through Security For $10


Phil Mushnick at the NYPost has an article telling about his own recent experience flying out of Newark, in which a TSA agent appeared to let people cut to the front of the security line for a "tip" of around $10. The actual amount wasn't entirely clear, other than that she got quite upset -- publicly -- when only given $5. Basically, she walked around offering people a wheelchair, which she would use to bring them to the front of the line, the whole time letting them know that she expected something in return.

Of course, the TSA at Newark has a bit of a history of problems. In just the past two years, a TSA agent was arrested for avoiding security. A TSA supervisor was arrested for working with another TSA agent to steal money from passengers, and just a few months after that, another TSA agent was arrested for stealing $500 from a wheelchair-bound passenger.

All of this makes you wonder if the TSA is really making us safer... or exactly the opposite. If TSA agents are looking for the next opportunity to make or steal a dollar, rather than keeping people and planes safe, it would suggest that we've got a problem.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/queue_bawl_AAjmpWRq8AIEhRMU98iopL/0?utm_source=SFnewyorkpost&utm_medium=SFnewyorkpost
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110912/11124015908/reporter-claims-tsa-agent-would-speed-people-through-security-10.shtml

[yardwork]

1. I've always thought that the TSA kept the pocket knives and perfume they steal from us

and sell it on ebay or at flea markets.

Oops. I should cross out "steal" in my subject line and replace it with "confiscate from passengers who are clearly planning to use that bottle of Chanel Number 5 to commit terrorism."

[Missy Vixen]

15. This has been reported for quite some time

The Seattle Times printed a story a few years back about TSA agents bragging about the items they stole from the "confiscation bin". It was directly after the ban on liquids went into effect. Women were ditching brand-new, sealed bottles of perfume, for instance. I couldn't find that story, but I found the two below...

2005

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20050924&slug=dige24m

>Like two other former Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, Marvin Lyons, 63, will face up to a year in jail and a $100,000 fine when he's sentenced. Earlier this year, Darryl Price, 23, of Lakewood, and Ernest Hogan, 44, of Tacoma, pleaded guilty to the same misdemeanor charge, theft of government property.

All three worked out of a maintenance area at Sea-Tac where items that had been seized from passengers were stored, the government said. TSA confiscates items such as tools, knives and other potentially dangerous objects before boarding, which become government property.<

2003

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030629&slug=luggage29

>A federal security screener in New York was arrested in March for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in cash from passengers while inspecting their belongings at an airport checkpoint. The rap star Lil' Kim claimed last week that $250,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from her bag at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. (The jewelry was found Friday in a locker room for airline employees.)

"There is just no guarantee that your luggage is secure anymore," said Paul Hudson, executive director of the nonprofit Aviation Consumer Action Project.<

[KansDem]

2. TSA = "Tough Shit, America!"

Do you still get groped?

[Broderick]

4. So a Hamilton does the trick

Whoever rests control of this country in the next election, be afraid of the massive army already in the build. The TSA.

[The Genealogist]

3. Only international flight I ever took was out of Newark

And the way the employees in the screening area were treating people getting onto the flight was, in a word, shameless. They were unnecessarily overbearing with all the people getting onto the flight, and treating those who did not speak English very well(plane was going to Rome) like idiots, talking to them like they were five year olds. I wanted to apologize to those people. I didn't see money change hands or anything, but the whole ordeal was miserable to watch.

[hedgehog]

8. I flew out of Kennedy, and the TSA agent took some extra time

to make certain I was at the right terminal.

My husband and son are frequent flyers traveling through airports all over the world. They and their colleagues don't seem to have any problems, nor do they report any significant differences from country to country or airport to airport.

[DURHAM D]

9. Kennedy = NY. Newark = NJ.

The airports are in two different worlds.

[hedgehog]

11. I've flown out of both airports. If anything, i think Newark is

better because I don't have to go outside the secure zone to change terminals.

[hedgehog]

5. The TSA has 50,000 employees. There are bound to be a few bad

apples in the bunch. This story is credited to the New York Post, a paper owned by Rupert Murdoch. Funny how no other media outlet seems to have run with this story. Funny how we are told every single other TSA agent on site looked the other way while this woman was arranging for some people to cut the line.

Also -

"a TSA agent was arrestedfor avoiding security. A TSA supervisor was arrested for working with another TSA agent to steal money from passengers, and just a few months after that, another TSA agent was arrested for stealing $500 from a wheelchair-bound passenger.

sounds to me like TSA is going after the bad apples.

[Broderick]

10. Just please think about one thing

If the power is shifted to a Republican, and they have that kind of numbers in uniform "protecting us"; what could be done with it.

[hedgehog]

12. 1.4 Million Active duty and 800,000 reserve personnel in the

Armed forces equipped with tanks, bombers, ships, etc and you want me to worry about the TSA inspectors?

[Broderick]

13. Great point

We have a lot to fear in totalitarianism on our soil, in the wrong hands.

[peacebird]

6. sounds like good old fashioned amurkin entrepreneurship in action....

:sarcasm:

[WhiteShoesATL]

7. awesome

thats awesome. I wish we had more cool TSA agents like that
damn reporter gotta go and be a snitch about shit

[Historic NY]

14. So why didn't he contact a supervisor....didn't speak English, really..

is he sure it was some other airport person.