Gladly let the door kick them on the way out. Heard nothing but awful power tripping stories about them.

ICE is godawful and obviously worse. Both being gone would be great of course.

You hear the occasional story, but MILLIONS of people interact with TSA every day, and it goes perfectly smoothly. There is nothing like mind-numbing repetition to create a smooth flow. And when you do hear of a problem, it’s almost always started by the passenger.

TSA workers are just hard-working Americans, doing a job that has to be done. Keep your animosity aimed at those at the top who really deserve it.

And ICE Apes. They really do suck.

Are you old enough to have flown before the security theater of TSA? Do you fly frequently enough to have witnessed the number of knives that get missed and taken on board flights and the number of nail clippers confiscated because they have a pointy file? Are you brown enough to have experienced a “random security screening” on the majority of your trips?

Have you had to deal with agents asking you what’s in your bag and screaming at you not to touch it as if it contained a bomb that you’re doing to activate? Oh no your toothpaste and USB charger overlapped in the x-ray and looked like an IED! Then they shove everything back in your bag so it doesn’t close and tell you to move it so they can deal with the next suspect, and the only place to repack your bag is on a bench 15 feet away?

Have you traveled with children and had to have their water and formula manually checked for explosives? Have you had to disassemble you’re stroller to put it through the x-ray, carrying your tired child while no one assists you, as you take your shoes off just in case you have a bomb in it?

Have you flown internationally and seen just how more convenient and friendly the security procedure is without TSA? Only to be reminded of it w on your return flight when TSA security screening happens at the gate after you go through the airport security? Random checks and luggage ruffling all over again.

Do you feel safer with the TSA “just doing their job”

Yeah, I’ve done ALL of that (well, maybe not traveling while brown), but never so dramatically as you describe, nor have I ever witnessed it. ALL of your situations are greatly exaggerated, or were provoked. Nobody has EVER "screamed"at me about touching my bag, that’s just silly. I’ve never seen anyone scream about anything in a baggage inspection line in my life.

These people are doing an endless busy boring job, and they generally do it standing up all day, so I don’t doubt they don’t have the greatest job satisfaction in the world. I don’t expect them to kiss my ass for the privilege of serving me, just be professional and efficient, and they are always that.

I often travel with specialized equipment in my carryon, and I EXPECT it to be pulled out for inspection. I have definitely been inspected FAR more than most other passengers, and in fact, I am surprised when they don’t. Sometimes I see them all gathered around the screen, peering and pointing, and I’ll call over “You’re probably gonna wanna inspect that,” and they all turn to look at me, and then they pull it off the belt, and bring it over for inspection, but not always. I once asked why NOT one time, and an obviously very experienced agent told me what all the items were just from the X-ray. I told him I was impressed he was so accurate, and he just smiled.

Perhaps your TSA problems aren’t with TSA, they’re with you. They are always polite and understanding when they inspect my bag, and let ME re-pack it right there at the inspection station. Are they smiling? No, they tend to be stiff at first, because they are anticipating a passenger like you, but they relax when they see I hold no animosity for another American worker, just doing their job. I often walk away with both of us smiling, because I give them a rare moment during the day when they aren’t under attack.

These TSA workers are our neighbors, our friends, even our family members. They are doing a difficult job, without a lot of pay, and people like you giving them a hard time all day, every day. If you aren’t getting the TSA experience you think you should have, maybe try a friendlier approach. It also tends to succeed in a lot more circumstances than just airports.

America is in a weird place right now, and these government workers are stuck on the middle. They aren’t responsible for anything, they’re just a cog in the wheel, doing it for a paycheck. They are exactly like the rest of us. Our beef isn’t with them, it’s with the psychopaths at the top. Beating up on our working colleagues doesn’t do anything but drive our collective morale even lower, and it isn’t even satisfying.

Save your animosity for those who deserve it, and support ALL American workers. They’re the Good Guys.

Your response to describing how I get random security screening the majority of my trips and how I have up take my child out of the stroller and lift it into the x-ray machine belt unassisted is to say the problem is me…

Once again, you aren’t special. I’ve taken kids through airport security many times, and it’s never been through ANY of the ordeal you describe. At least, I didn’t treat it as an ordeal, just a normal trip through an airport. That’s what it is, it’s a different kind of place, and we have to adjust our behavior and expectations, in order to protect ourselves and everyone else.

Too bad if it means a little bit of inconvenience has to intrude on your precious, special existence. You obviously go through life expecting EVERYONE to accommodate to your demands for your life to be smooth as silk with no bumps. I live in the real world, where YOU aren’t the center of my universe, or anyone else’s, and nobody cares about your demands.

I can just picture you going through the line, huffing and puffing, and complaining about how long it is taking, and you don’t have time to wait, yadda-yadda. I’ve seen your type in airports many many times. You ARE the problem, you drama queen.

You’re very combative. I think you’re missing the entire point.

I don’t think I’m special… But when I finish with the TSA experience and reach the airport of a country that doesn’t have that security theater, the difference is stark.

I’ve never had a random security check by non TSA, and when they do inspect my luggage they neatly repack it and close it.

They see that I have a child in a stroller and they direct me to a wider path so I can roll it through, sure I still have to take my child out and walk through the x-ray, but having someone grab the stroller and pass give it back to me on the other side is an acceptable inconvenience compared to having to also fold and lift the stroller unassisted into the belt.

I don’t think I’m special, do you think TSA agents are special? Do you think security agents at other countries don’t work as hard or don’t deal with exhausted travelers? Do you think there’s a good reason why so many agents across the world are helpful and friendly but the TSA literally has a reputation for screaming at people?

My question is, do you feel safer in American airports because of the added inconvenience relative to other countries? Do you feel

I can just picture you going through the line, huffing and puffing, and complaining about how long it is taking, and you don’t have time to wait, yadda-yadda. I’ve seen your type in airports many many times.

Wow. I’ve seen that type also, and putting aside that it doesn’t match me at all, are you suggesting only people who huff and puff go through what I described?

Are you suggesting friendly travelers don’t have to take their shoes off (they don’t anymore, after 20 years of theater that hasn’t caught a single person with a bomb in their shoe)? Are you suggesting TSA agents will pack your bag neatly?

And to be clear, I’ve had experiences where they went above and beyond, maybe they’re new and haven’t stopped giving a shit yet, or maybe they’re just rays of sunshine. But it’s not standard practice to be polite and helpful in the most standardized security theater in the world, and that’s a problem.

I’m not social, I don’t think I should receive special treatment or be less inconvenienced that other travelers, I’m asking why you think we should all be inconvenienced? Once again, do you feel safer due to the inconvenience?

Do you feel safer having to take your belt off? I wear sweatpants when flying so it doesn’t affect me, but do you feel the very minor inconvenience of taking your belt off is a necessary price to pay?