To be sure....I m not a hero, legit badass mofo, or otherwise...theres guys doing a lot more everyday that deserve that title...I'm not them.
I do not work for Homeland Security..Dept. of Energy was adamant about retaining the safeguards mission(so I've heard)..I do not work at a power plant...
I have done, and on occasion do a similar job to TSA. So, I have some sympathy for them.
Trust me, searching your dirty underwear is not the highlight of their day. They don't want to do it, no more then you want it done. Same with pat downs.
Looking out over an endless sea of people(or vehicles) all that need to be searched, all in a hurry, and most pissed of at you...that's no fun either. Staring at x-ray monitors for hours, likewise sux....out loud.
I'd be very surprised if their turnover rate wasn't thru the roof.
They are not an LE agency...there is not the resources to train and equip enough people to be certified agents, carrying guns with the power to detain. arrest or use DPF. They simply need to be able to effectively manage people, search bags & people, spot potential threats, etc etc.(it looks like they did that). Every station probably has their own SOP for dealing with various situations, such as firearms, ammo, or oversized shampoo bottles. I doubt the individual agent has any say in that policy. Is it possible some of them are a bit over dramatic about things, absolutely, just like in every other walk of life, including posting on the internet.
Where I work, we have several level of officers, from badge checker to SRT. They are trained and equipped accordingly. Though I would say better then the average TSA agent. Most of the people that work the barricades, are older and have worked other area's, including SRT. Some are newer, waiting for an opportunity to move on. Most guys view being sent to barricaded as punishment. Many, including myself have worked with injuries, or begged docs to RTD so they could minimize their barricade time....for the reasons I described above.
I haven't much issue with any TSA agent.
One time, I had to wait to have my bag searched(firearm) while they had lunch. I thought that was BS...I mean I just told the world I have a gun with me...later when I saw a supervisor, I politely asked them their policy, why I disagreed with it, and that I know of what I speak..
Another time, I surrendered a knife(my fault entirely)..it was kinda funny...but they patted me down and we had a nice conversation about the job, and they sent me along...maybe showing them my clearance helped?...nope..
I do wish the TSA had armed agents close by, with arrest authority. Perhaps some of the passenger buffoonery would stop. With all the events in the recent past, I think we should be calling for more security, and supporting TSA types, instead of denigrating them.
If you have an issue, speak to a supervisor. Don't like a policy, write the appropriate people, and vote.
As far as "real cops"...I think we can all point out where "real cops" have stepped on their crank, pretty good. And, I'm a very pro LE guy..
(and we routinely smoke real cops in shooting competitions..
)
Bob