Monday chat, short work week, we can get through it

Glenda, good luck with the interview!  Everything crossed.

Cathy, I'm sorry your day isn't starting well.  There are few things I hate more than discovering an invasion of ants, but better in the office than in your kitchen. From yesterday:  Last fall I went to a local nursery and bought a huge sheet of something  that's just made to protect plants for about $25.  It's big enough to cut into a few good size pieces if you have more than one to cover.

According to the news, people are really upset about the new *more invasive" pat downs the TSA is doing.  Apparently they're getting really up close and personal, almost to the point of doing a body cavity search.  I think there must be something wrong with those guys.  Other countries seem to manage security without putting passengers through all that nonsense.

It's really chilly here this morning.  The sun is sort of out but there are a lot of clouds gathering, so I won't be surprised if it starts to rain by this afternoon.

Joyce

Joyce you hit on one of the news things that was bothering me today LOL! Specifically as applies to children being groped...apparently JUST NOW they are backing off that a bit. Makes me really wonder what was going on beforehand! 

on another forum someone was discussing security at another airport (checks...) ah, the Israeli airport...is MUCH more efficent and tons less invasive and faster.Apparently it begins with the personnel who DO profile but are so extremely highly trained that we're talking GOOD profiling...from the way they speak to passengers...ask them questions...monitor the nuances of the persons answers...to the way they deal with suspicious packages (which I guess are merely set aside inside a blast shield and removed without evac'ing the entire airport).

It really is food for thought. WHY are we not asking other airports FAR more familiar with terrorist events for their input and training strategems. I KNOW...we are not training TSA people the way we ought to be...not for what we are paying them! That should be an elite job and to me it looks like they hire...ANYONE. Like the other person said it seems to be about flashy lights and technology than good old fashioned training and awareness. All the "machines" might actually make people LESS wary...really?

They quoted this about that airport..."They operate under some of the highest threat levels on the planet, have one of the highest safety records out there, and still manage to maintain one of the best "customer ratings" you'll find."

 Cathy I am so sorry that your day had such an awful start - DH does the same thing re not talking etc when we argue and it kills me - I'm sure that is why he does it.  I hope things resolve quickly!

OMG this day is useless and frustrating.  I feel a need to scream before I make a few more phone calls and then run to Target.  The crowds are nuts and the drivers are completely oblivious to the fact they are driving a vehicle.  Need to do some yoga before hitting the roads again

eta Gina the Israeli system is very different than ours - no doubt they are better at what they do, but the whole culture of security is different- DH when still working anti-terrorism in the UK trained with them so he could tell you a lot more.  If people just go through the scanner they won't have the pat downs (that is my understanding) - I'm sure that part of the more vigorous pat downs is that the TSA agents are tired of being hassled about the scanners and process.  They have a job to do and it needs to be done, I am sure that an American abroad is less likely to hassle the security agent there than the TSA agent they look down on. Having traveled a lot throughout Europe I can tell you I never saw anyone refuse to let security do their job or hassle them about how they did it.  When the nice automatic rifle toting German woman ripped the film out of my camera I daren't complain. I was majorly bummed to lose the photos but I respected her position.  Americans have for too long treated workers like TSA agents as lower than themselves.  I think people need to get over themselves.  Respect is a two way street I am highly doubtful that they are doing aggressive searches of people that are polite.  The clips I've seen the person complaining is acting like a jack monkey

Jewlieee

 

Rain and warm equals sinus headache.

 

I'm have the same problem and thought of you.  Sure enough.  Ugh!!!  I mean, I like the temp don't get me wrong but this headache is making my stomach turn.

Karen, I don't disagree that people need to be more polite with TSA, but when you're in a customer service job you need to be polite with customers anyway. I think fewer people would throw a hissy fit if they felt more like they were being treated with respect. Maybe things have changed, but when I was last in Europe (2007), we didn't have to take our shoes off, we didn't have to take our laptops out of their bags, etc. etc. etc. It felt a lot more humane. Now I don't have a problem with taking my shoes off, laptop out, and all of that stuff - I don't even have a problem with a pat-down - but it needs to be done tactfully. As in, don't make us strip and walk barefoot on a dirty floor while pushing all of our belongings down a tiny metal shelf. Don't do pat-downs in front of everyone, at least have a screen or something. And make sure screeners get EXTENSIVE training in customer service as well as security. It needs to be something where people want to work with the system, not against it. FWIW, 9 out of every 10 TSA people I've encountered have been very polite and kind. I'm sure a lot has to do with the culture at particular airports, too. But seriously, our system needs a major overhaul. I'm stressed and shaky by the time I get through airport security, and I've been flying at least 3 times a year for the last 15 years, so it's not like I'm not prepared! If I'm taking Rascal on the plane too, forget it!!! It's incredibly stressful and unpleasant, and I really do think that if they tried harder, they could make the process just as safe but a little more "gentle" on the passengers.

Rascal is still all riled. He has become extra-obsessed with his squeakies these last couple of days. He was making weird noises, so I looked over, and he's growling to himself while walking back and forth and shaking his squeaky in his mouth. Then he takes all his toys, makes a pile, and lies down on top of all of them. I guess this is Big Fun for a dog!

Cita

he's growling to himself while walking back and forth and shaking his squeaky in his mouth. Then he takes all his toys, makes a pile, and lies down on top of all of them. I guess this is Big Fun for a dog!

Heck, this would be Big Fun for me, nevermind the dog. 

looking good. now to get through waiting for the next couple of weeks.....

kpwlee

Having traveled a lot throughout Europe I can tell you I never saw anyone refuse to let security do their job or hassle them about how they did it.  When the nice automatic rifle toting German woman ripped the film out of my camera I daren't complain. I was majorly bummed to lose the photos but I respected her position.  Americans have for too long treated workers like TSA agents as lower than themselves.  I think people need to get over themselves.  Respect is a two way street I am highly doubtful that they are doing aggressive searches of people that are polite. 

This is PART of it -- but the other part of it is that this IS America and **EVERYTHING** we all do is then filtered thru this "we have to make this into a defineable 'list' that we can run by the attorneys so we can do this exactly the same for everyone so we can't be accused of discrimination or anything litigable" and honestly that tends to be WAY higher on thier to do list than actually accomplishing anything with their scans.

When David and I went to NY a couple of weeks ago, the Orlando TSC people wanted me to stand for a long time (out of my wheelchair) to walk thru the machine and that particular day I just couldn't stand very long (particularly all slippy-footed in socks). So they took me to this place to "pat me down". 

Well, first off when you have a wheelchair they have to wipe the whole thing down (in case there are explosives in the tubing of the frame?? I guess that's what they're looking for.  But that particular morning I had sprayed on a new herbal mix onto my ankles because I was so itchy and when the lady patted me down she ran her hands down my ankles/feet.  THEN they have to go examine their own gloved hands in whatever scanner they use ... and something on her gloves set the machine off!

Lovely ... so then they have to take me behind a curtain (about as private as nothing but I do NOT care -- it's not like seeing/feeling MY bod is gonna turn anybuddy on?? nope) and pat me down again.  But I said to the woman -- what could have set that off??  Cos I'm trying to think in all the medicines and goop that I use????  Then I remembered that new herbal spray -- and I told her about it.  I dug it out of my purse (I happened to have it IN the plastic baggie in case I got itchy) and showed it to her and she completed the SAME pat down the other woman did but did NOT touch my ankles and this time it didn't set off the alarm.

My point is -- these ladies were honestly trying to be nice and I think they figured I wasn't trying to hide anything cos I wasn't giving them a hard time and I was trying to figure out what might have set it off and I apparently was credible.   They used their heads rather than JUST going thru the motions thank heavens.

They WERE trying to be conscientious - but those machines are haphazard at best. 

Honestly?  The BIG HUGE difference between here and what they do in many places in Europe is ATTITUDE.  In most of the Orlando scans I've seen they are trying to simply act "impressive" -- almost like it's busy work.  It's kinda the Disney mentality -- if you have to wait in line for something a LONG time then it's gotta be "good" right??

No -- in NY you wait in half the line but trust me -- they ARE trying to watch out for who is potentially lying thru their teeth -- they tend to smile and be more human, but I think they are honestly looking more for insincerity than the folks here are. 

This isn't about NY vs. Orlando -- this is about how folks are trained and what they perceive their goals are.  I think in many places because the US is so litigable all the time they are trying to avoid ANY appearance of perhaps being discriminatory to the point where what they're doing is pointless.  Most of these guys are so disconnected I'm not sure they'd know a bad guy if they saw one. 

Some of it's petty -- like the nasty pieces of work who "patted down" the guy with the urine bag which they tore open and dumped all over him inadvertently.  They saw the potential for "something" and took advantage of the fact that the guy wasn't typical.  But somehow out there SOME of the stuff that's going on is just plain dumb.  It's not trying to make anyone safe -- it's trying to satisfy some sort of "criteria" someone set up.  But if you're actually living in a country where you ARE on high alert all the time because someone you know HAS gotten blown up??  Suddenly it's different -- and frankly you don't mess with those people.  And people DON'T mess with them because ... they're smart enough to realize they MUST respect them. 

Most Americans don't even bother to thank someone when someone holds a door or lets them in front of them as they get onto the highway ... **basic** respect would go a long way to making this tolerable.  but too many folks are just going thru the motions for that to be done. 

I'm not offering a resolution - just musings on what makes them tick I guess.

Cita

Karen, I don't disagree that people need to be more polite with TSA, but when you're in a customer service job you need to be polite with customers anyway.

and any TSA agent that is okay with groping a child is freak IMO. There is NO way those people are trained well. The DOGS are trained better and likely more money spent on them...adding more dogs makes a lot more sense than adding more people.

Xray nude photos of my child are not okay for people to look at...period. My choices are to let them look at my nude child (oh AND subject them to radiation which no one knows what the effects of are..) or touch my clothed child, everywhere. Some choice. I won't be flying with my kids for the forseeable future.

Liesje

I'm have the same problem and thought of you.  Sure enough.  Ugh!!!  I mean, I like the temp don't get me wrong but this headache is making my stomach turn.

Yeah it's hard to complain about 60 degrees in Nov, but still! Tomorrow's weather will be welcomed and cursed! I'm sure you guys will get hit with the nastiness more than us though.

I am torn on the whole TSA thing. I don't really care about the scanners and think they are the least intrusive way to keep us safe. Don't be patting me down though!  Seriously though, keeping us all safe is a tough job. No matter what they do, they can't win.

Jewlieee

I am torn on the whole TSA thing. I don't really care about the scanners and think they are the least intrusive way to keep us safe. Don't be patting me down though!  Seriously though, keeping us all safe is a tough job. No matter what they do, they can't win.

I've honestly come to think it's less about keeping people safe than it is about seeing how far they can push people before people start pushing back.  I'm with Gina.  Bring on the dogs!!  If someone has a serious problem with dogs sniffing certain body parts, then they can opt for the pat down. I don't have any body parts than haven't already been probed by a cold wet nose.

Joyce

rwbeagles

or touch my clothed child, everywhere.

Any time I've been patted down (and because of the chair it's happened three times) they actually use the BACK of their hand not the front of their hand and that was both in the NY Kennedy airport and OIA in Orlando -- so if someone is "groping" they're not doing it according to TSA instructions I don't think. 

Again, I'm not defending ... Gina I'm getting what you're saying.  But in total honesty?  I think TSA employees need to be hired with a LOT more screening.  They shouldn't just be bodies to fill a line.  They should be people with their brains engaged to do a specific and important job.  Not just mindless cogs that may have their own agenda.  If they were required to be professionals (none of these jobs are highly paid -- they ARE simply low paid workers punching a clock -- and that really is NOT smart) they could certainly cull out a lot of the pervs that seem to be making this difficult. 

They are doing a LOT in the TSA stuff just to make the lines long so people "feel" inspected (more than they really are).  Truly it's more an illusion of an inspection than a REAL one. This scanner thing is a knee jerk reaction to the whole thing and honestly, when you look at the type of people standing in that line supposedly checking everyone out it doesn't make you feel very "safe".  It's not about race - it's about professionalism and attitude. T

he whole shoes off thing is NUTS.  It's absolutely totally unhelpful and it does a WHOLE lot to endanger everyone (because everyone is exposing their feet to everything from MRSA to all sorts of fungal, etc. infections) not to mention the kids that are sliding all over the place making a skating rink out of being shoeless.  So it doesn't lend itself to a serious atmosphere anyway.  It's a circus and it's no wonder people feel violated.

I hate to fly.  I set off the alarms at the airport and courts because I have metal in my neck.  I have no problem being wanded and have long since stopped carrying a doctors note to "prove" what I've got.  I don't particularly care to be exposed to any more xrays than necessary and I guess I'd end up in jail if i got groped at the airport.  Todd was groped when he flew back from here to FL.  NOT with the back of the hand.

First they tell us that these scanners are not able to store the images???  Well, gee, why have them then?  If you can't provide hard proof, why bother?  Do they really think that the public is THAT gullible?  SCREEN the screeners.  Train them and pay them, then expect that they will treat passengers with discretion and respect.  Oh, and keep hands off children.  Not many moms would calmly accept that.

I haven't tried Traumeel for Rascal, but I will definitely look into it. I figure he's jumpy because he's ouchy. He's mischievous because, well, he's Rascal! :-p

Glenda, how'd the interview go?? Did they ask any crazy questions? Were they nice? Was it scary?

No crazy questions, altho I do have to say I am pretty hard pressed to remember what my monthly billing was in the early 80's!   And to say $46-50K back in the 80's as an annual income, well, gee, but what does that mean in today's money?  Seemed like a fortune back then!  And yeah, very VERY nice.  Budget meetings are the next couple weeks, and since there isn't an exiting position, things hinge on adding a position.  It certainly looks promising though.

Thank you for asking!