Ah the good ole TSA...

I remember when I was a kid, going on trips with my parents, security at the airport was a breeze. I could walk through the metal detector carrying a stuffed animal. Not to mention, we were always treated fairly nicely.

Back in those days (I’m olde tymie…) you could also meet people who were coming in at the gate, or if traveling alone, you could wait with family or friends before boarding the gate. I also remember when my mom would have to book a specific non-smoking flight because of mine and my dad’s asthma not being able to handle the regurgitated smoke on the planes.

Boy have things changed. Airline employees tend to be a lot more surly, and customers are not treated as nicely. It’s more like we’re cattle, and should be happy that we’re being allowed this service that they provide. And consumers are showing their disapproval by not flying as much, or not traveling certain airlines, thus forcing mergers or having to declare bankruptcy.

But today’s entry shall focus on the good ole TSA. After 9/11 restrictions have become tighter, and understandably so. However with some things, the TSA can be a bit much. One of the new regulations is putting small 3oz or less liquid or gel containers in a ziplock bag in your carry-on luggage. Fine by me, but at the same time, there are some things that could be an issue to passengers, like adults traveling with small children. A news article I remember reading last year talked about a mother who was detained and treated horribly by TSA over her child’s sippy cup (message board post with article here)

The story quickly spread on the Internet this week after blogger Bill Adler, a Washington author, saw a note Emmerson wrote on a Web site for city parents. Adler interviewed Emmerson and relayed her account.

He wrote that a TSA screener seized her 19-month-old's cup after asking if there was water in it, causing Emmerson's son to cry. Emmerson was told she would have to leave the security checkpoint and dump out the water if she wanted to keep the cup.

Emmerson said she accidentally spilled the water because she was nervous and traveling alone with a toddler.

TSA, however, said Emmerson dumped, not spilled, the water on the floor.

Now yes, the TSA made the rules for safety, we should obey them, and I can understand this. The issue comes in with the treatment of passengers with regards to these rules. If they treat people calmly, then people will generally respond calmly. If they take an attitude, well, the results will be less than pleasing.

Thankfully, I’ve only had one bad experience. I was able to take my half-full face wash through JFK to Tampa, but apparently I couldn’t do that on the way back. Gotta love consistency! I think if the TSA went through some customer service training, and if they didn’t hire people who looked like they hated their existence, things could go better.

Then again I may just be idealistic…