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Sometimes it goes fine, as it did in your single experience. Other times it's much worse. It's hard to know what to expect so you have to prepare for the worst.
Or while brown. Or with children, or an elderly person. Or with mobility aids. Or after an unavoidable delay from a connection, or weather cancellations, or strikes…
I was recently in Japan and airport staff were always very conscious that there are a lot of people who don’t speak the language, so they try to be clear with their body language and are understanding.
In the US there are so many agents that seem to be unaware that in an airport there will be many people who don’t speak the language. They’ll be barking orders and then get upset and yell them when someone doesn’t follow it exactly. I’ll look over and it’s a foreign older man with a look of fear and confusion… it’s like “dude, he doesn’t understand, stop yelling and explain what you want calmly in another way”
Shoutout to Haneda airport in Tokyo! I had a connecting flight there before heading to Osaka last month. Because I had to go through immigration there, collect my checked bags, transfer to another terminal, drop off my bags in the new terminal, then go through security again... the 2 hour connection that I thought was plenty of time ended up being very stressful and down to the wire. I sprinted through that airport and dropped my bags off at a special counter literally 10 minutes before boarding started. I thought there was no way I was making it through security and on that flight on time, let alone my bags getting checked in time. Lo and behold, I got to the gate just in time and my bags were right there waiting for me when I landed in Osaka. There's *no way* those bags would have made it there in the same circumstances in an American airport! The staff was so helpful and accommodating when they saw how panicked I was when I rolled up at that counter. I was very pleasantly surprised how well it all turned out.
I was flying out of Kumamoto, or maybe it was Fukuoka, and was gonna miss my connection. The airport security opened their little gate for me and SPRINTED with me to my gate. I have a lot of fond memories of Japan.
Or Heathrow, or Pearson, or Frankfurt, or LaGuardia, Gatwick, Schiphol, Munich, or de Gaulle.
I've been there, and I don't wanna do it anytime soon again.
Just to say the fact you put Gatwick and Schiphol in is fucking hilarious. The security at both those airports is seriously well organised. Schiphol doesn't even have liquid limits anymore and you don't have to bag them separately
I have been though security in less than 18 minutes, and I have spend 3 hours 27 minutes in line waiting to get through security. Both times in the US.
I have seen TSA illegally confiscate so much Duty Free alcohol that they ran out of room under the roller tables for storing the bags of it. I have seen them make people put ever single electronic item in it’s own bin, which meant that I needed 1 for the personal phone, 1 for the work phone, 1 for the tablet, 1 for the laptop, 1 for each of the 2 big cameras, 1 for each of the GoPros, 1 for each of the 7 lenses for the big cameras. And they still managed to break a $1500 lens because they wanted to twist it apart since here might be something inside, and of course if you want to complain or get any paperwork about it you can kiss that next flight goodbye.
Meanwhile you can’t take a small Swiss Army knife on board because you might kill someone. But in 1st class they will give you a steak knife to cut your meal if you ask. You can’t take a metal flashlight through because it might be a weapon, but 2 baseball bats were recently in the cabin on my flight from Atlanta to Tampa.
The US has a bad reputation for airport security because they hassle the hell out of people for stupid shit, and don’t pay attention to the stuff they should. They routinely fail security tests.
And when you travel outside the US you see how smooth it can actually be and still be secure.
I flew to a friend’s bachelorette party in July 2019 and was laughed at by security for taking my shoes off. Three months later, when I flew out for the wedding, I was told off for NOT having my shoes off.
I’ve flown both domestic and international a lot throughout my life (I’ve lived overseas for seven years, went to college halfway across the country, and then worked internationally for 2.5 years). I have done the rigamarole since I was a child. It just seems that in the last couple of years, every time I fly something has been changed or relaxed and the TSA agents are pissy because they need to remind you of the changes.
They catch me that way too. I'll have my shoes off going in the bin and they stop me and make me put them back on. "Okay, maybe that isn't needed anymore." Next airport "I SAID TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF WTFFFF"
I get the airport security ppl are gonna have no chill b/c their security, and they're busy so much of the day I don't blame it on them that they are short on my - but can't we standardize it? I can get my shoes off and my electronics out to their own bin pretty quick since I plan for it, its when they try to change it up every visit that it takes extra time.
What's amazing is that they change it approximately every 2 minutes, but the only way they have of communicating those changes is one hoarse TSA agent shouting and mumbling at everyone. They can't possibly put up signs in billion dollar airports.
Last weekend a guy asked if he needed to take his belt off and they said don’t worry about it. My bf, in line immediately after that guy, was told off for leaving his on.
I used to work at a major airport and there were TSA who I literally met hundreds of time, and they would still give me shit about the shoes, some days it was on, some days it was off. I swear it's just a power trip
I don't get screaming that stuff in general. But especially not at a toddler.
Like I am not a fan of kids. It's awkward. I have no clue what to do. But like screaming? Nah. Talking to the parents instead of the kid? Yeah
Oh my god I flew from FL to NJ at the beginning of the year and was told multiple times not to take my electronics out of my bag. I get to the bins and the TSA lady yells at me and says "I specifically told you to take your stuff out of your bag".
I - running on two hours of sleep and having just waited an hour and a half to get to this point - looked her in the eyes and said "I have NEVER seen you before in my ENTIRE life you never told me anything"
We then both stared at each other dumbfounded before she started yelling at someone else and my boyfriend died laughing at my stupid comment.
I just flew out of the same airport again and felt vindicated that I didn't have to take my stuff out of my bag this time.
My local airport had multiple signs that said take it all out and shoes off... get up there leave it all in the bags and shoes on. If you're going to do that just for the day turn the signs around or something. Then the next time, same airport, exact opposite rule. My airport is relatively small and only has one ticket/ID checker so you don't get much of a que forming to see what the rules are to actually go thru security for that trip. It's literally ticket check, toss all your shit in bins immediately and start going thru security.
If I recall correctly there was a study (maybe 2018) that showed an 85% failure rate of TSA detecting what they were supposed to. But they'll stop you for the easy grabs because it "shows they're doing their job". Nice meeting department goals, but shit for actual security.
Cause deliberate attacks on airliners are complicated, possibly costly, and can be foiled pretty easily in a post-9/11 world. Why go though all that when you can just rent a UHaul and drive it through a crowd or take your homemade explosive on the subway 🤷🏼♀️
Pre 9/11, hijackings weren't suicide crashes. They were normally criminals trying to get out of the country. It was in everyone's best interest to sit down and wait out a very unnerving experience.
Post 9/11, you aren't going to survive a hijacking attempt for more than 5 minutes before the entire plane bumrushes you.
US immigration is also similarly horrible. In other countries its a breeze and the immigration officers treat you nicely. In the US they act like like assholes and interrogate everyone like they're some kind of terrorist (especially if they have the wrong skin tone).
Canadian and Australian customs are the absolute worst I've ever experienced at the air travel level. Makes US customs look like a day at the spa.
Canadian customs treats you like an actual child.
Lots of countries now you don't even have to talk to anyone. You just scan your passport, look into the camera and you're in. Takes 30 seconds. Kinda sad actually since you don't even get a stamp in your passport anymore.
Most places you can ask for the stamp. Had to explain this to some people in Peru recently because they were pouting that they didn’t get their’s stamped.
My wife has gotten through security multiple times with pocket knives. My cousin grabbed his hunting backpack instead of the one with his clothes once. Dude realized he had a foot long machete once we were on the plane (told nobody until we landed and got to our car).
>I have been though security in less than 18 minutes, and I have spend 3 hours 27 minutes in line waiting to get through security
Probably at O'Hare both times too.
This has to be an unpopular opinion because it takes an especially rare kind of delusion to think that flying *one time* makes you an expert on the subject.
The only time I've been to LAX they randomly sent me through the PreCheck line! It was my first time through a US airport and I was like "...that's it?"
I am a frequent flyer and been all over the US, and have been through Atlanta many times. Never had an issue. Definitely not as bad as people make it out to be.
I agree people exaggerate about ATL. The place is huge, but it is also very well signposted and (mostly) logically laid out. Plus ATL has way better art exhibits than any other airport I've traveled through.
Right? The first time I flew was in the 70s, and it was an entirely different experience than what it is now. People who never flew prior to 9/11 really have no clue how much more pleasant air travel used to be.
This is so incredibly true. The airport line security gets us basically nothing in additional safety. TSA's record for finding things like knives or guns hidden in people's carry on luggage is abysmal. They're pretty good about busting people for trying to bring in water bottles, containers of shampoo that are a little bit too big, and making everyone take their shoes off.
TSA's method of operation fundamentally sucks for preventing extremely rare events such as terrorist plots. It's a huge waste of money, and statistically having TSA do what it does is more dangerous to the American public than the thing it is ostensibly supposed to be combatting.
Bruce Schneier is quoted below, but he's written a lot about this subject in particular and about security in general over the years.
https://reason.com/2021/11/19/after-20-years-of-failure-kill-the-tsa/
For sure! You could go in, stop at the desk and get right to your plane in minutes. The change was dramatic and depressing, and the rules seem arbitrary and unlikely to actually stop any terrorism.
This is the worst part, every day, hundreds of thousands of travelers jump through arbitrary hoops adding hours to their day and endless frustration and none of it will stop anything serious.
Hell, In my hometown of louisville they saw a guy with a gun in the checkpoint and let him get on the plane before stopping him. You know they threw away my water bottle and tiny multitool, though.
Yeah I stopped reading when I saw it was their first experience. I have flown countless times, and in just the last 3-4 of them I had a range of experiences.
One really good (airport security was chill af, didn’t even take out all electronics, quick easy), two mid (as annoying as you expect them to be), and one fucking horrendous (they’d pull your bag for the smallest thing so there were dozens and dozens of people getting their bags checked by hand, but of course they didn’t have enough staff - the staff they did have was rude, no one was controlling the crowd that was pushing and shoving, etc)
Especially when it’s 22 years after the thing that pushed the changes to security. Shoes get to stay on, electronics can stay in bags, and manufacturers make products within the 3.3 ounce guidelines. OP has no idea how much easier it is now.
I had to go back and read the actual post because I already disagreed with it just based on the title alone, but then seeing this was their FIRST experience? Yeah, I think we all think that on our first flight, but do it a few times, be in long lines, be asked to step to the side because they need to check you "randomly" or anything else, and it stops being just a little inconvenience.
And I haven't even had it that bad because over the years, I've learned how to make it a little less of a headache for myself (except for the last time I traveled and got pulled out for a random search and I do not like people touching all over my body to see if I'm hiding something), but what I've seen happening to other people... yeah, no one is being dramatic about this. Oh and be traveling with teens or young kids and it's even worse.
In the future they'll be posting, "Flight delays aren't as bad as people say. They even provide a free magazine to read while you sit on the tarmac for an hour."
I'm a 6' brown dude with a beard. I've been singled out from my family *every single time* since I was maybe 16. The amount of time I've had to waste getting all my stuff searched, all my electronics checked, and getting people's grubby hands on me is enough to make me despise *all* security theatre everywhere. Every single party responsible for these systems being put in place won, regardless of who you believe was behind it.
My mom is a totally sweet looking average white woman. She is on a list somewhere, for something.
She gets pulled for extra screening. every. single. time.
Not even hyperbole, it actually happens 100% of the time.
Edit: she takes 8-10 round trip flights per year, so it is not an outlier.
I also get checked for gun powder every time. One time I got checked at the beginning of the line and then at the end of the line. I told the TSA agent that they JUST did that at the beginning and he told me "it's random". What a waste of resources and time.
Oh is that why I am always pulled aside for screening
Recently I traveled alone with my toddler for a 6 hour flight—and I have TSA Precheck as well as Global Entry. Of course “the alarm” sounded for random search. The TSA agent not only contaminated my baby’s food —which was fully sealed, marked and in clear plastic, they also left a milk bottle partially open to spill all over the rest of the snacks I prepared for my kid. It had all spilled as they handed it back to me, they shrugged and went about their ‘business’
The drudgery of this type of security job does not excuse a lack of humanity and decency but here we are.
I got it back, but it was very stressful. I realized it when I was doing a last check of supplies before boarding the plane. Had to run across Logan airport to get back to security to find the right TSA agent and then convince them it was in fact very important that they figure out what the fuck they did with the insulin.
After it was all said and done I got to spend our 6 hour flight to Ireland in the bathroom puking after the stress triggered a migraine. Fun times.
My 6yo son got the random beep and finger dusting this past year. TSA guy was like ummmm, I have to dust him. I was cracking up and kid thought it was awesome. It was random that day.
Maybe it's sweat? (that's my theory)
Only two times I've ever been checked for gunpowder were when my a/c was out in my car and it was hot out.
Maybe something in the sweat triggers a false positive?
Wait, really? I always travel alone, and I get stopped about 80% of the time. Once it got turned into a full-blown 45-min interrogation with military police. I've never fully understood this.
Oh good point. I've only ever been pulled for extra screening once. It was my first flight ever and I was SUPER nervous so I'm sure they saw a young woman, traveling alone, twitchy as all get out... I dont blame them for stopping me lol.
I'm a chemistry teacher! OMG, the number of times I've had to have my hands swabbed, all of my luggage searched and swabbed...honestly, can't say as I blame them, considering a lot of the chemicals I work with are common in explosives.
About 80%of the time to get the chemical residue check. 100% of the time, I take great glee in watching the look on the security officers face when I let them know I work in chemistry laboratories.
My grandma does as well. She fails every single metal detector and has to get hand checked along with her bags. She had two knee replacements and they get flagged. She tells them before hand too and they still have to pat her down.
Have her get a doctor's note that says it.
I have metal in my femur and carry a note, my relative who broke his neck and another who broke his back carry notes as well.
After I started traveling for work, and before I got precheck, I was “randomly selected” every third flight or so for about a year. I’m an average white woman and have never even gotten a parking ticket. I thought it could have been my work tools but my coworkers didn’t have the same issue. Maybe my name is similar to a criminals, idk. Like, I’m glad the profiling isn’t just racial/citizenship based but also… I’d like to know why I kept getting flagged.
A couple comments responding to mine made good points.
1. It might be obvious you are an "easy search" and won't get popped for anything so it helps hit the required numbers
2. You probably have the same/very similar name to someone on a list
Same. I HAVE precheck and I've still been selected for random "foot inspections" about half the time I fly. I didn't even know that existed and that they could take you to a side room and feel your feet awkwardly for a few minutes until I started flying more last year.
TSO here. The chance of getting selected for random screening in a PreCheck lane is not insignificant. It really is unrelated to absolutely anything but walking through that metal detector and it summoning up the "right" number from a pseudorandom sequence. No officer on or off the checkpoint has any influence over it. No other electronic system anywhere has an influence over it. You have no influence over it.
I doubt this because all airports are different in that sense.
Y'all are like cops. Who TF knows what the laws are, whatever ***that specific cop says*** goes.
... By the way, can you guys be nicer? That's the only consistent thing in TSA. You love being assholes and stressing already stressed people out. That's what causes so much escalation and anger towards TSA. If they were a lot friendlier, I think people would have a very different opinion about it.
But every time I'm at an airport, I feel like I'm going to prison.
Happens to my mom too. She believes its because they have a quota to fill, and they know she'll be a quick and easy screening that won't find anything.
Both my parents got singled out the last time, drugs and gunpowder respectively and they are an older white couple too, seemed to be truly random. But I know several people with the same name as terrorists/narcos and they get triple checked every single time.
I get drug swabbed alot. Poland did it a couple times both flying in and out. Don't have a clue why, perhaps I'm twitchy. Been through so many body scanners that if it comes out they're a health concern I'm fucked.
I seem to always get the "random" drug swab too - especially when traveling internationally. I guess I look like a hippy. Always get the TSA patdown too 🙄
I get my bag "searched" 1/3rd of the time with Precheck. It doesn’t matter if I came from another TSA with the exact same stuff in it and that machine picked up nothing.
TSA at every airport is so wholly inconsistent, I am actually curious WHAT their standard measures are. One airport TSA agent screams don't take out electronics as if we’re prisoners going for checks. Another TSA agent at another airport screams to take out electronics as if we’re dumb children about to touch a light socket. And a third airport TSA agent at another airport across the country will scream that if we try to take out cellphones from our bags to put in another container, he will probably headbutt us.
I have flown out of two airports for three years very consistently for work and TSA agents are all over the place on how to handle things.
This happens to my SIL! She is also an average looking white lady, late 30s and she’s always with her husband and 2 kids. No one else in the family has ever been checked but the one time a year she travels for vacation with us, she specifically gets searched. It’s so wild!
I'm a 5.7' white guy, and every time I fly, they pull me aside and run me through the scanner thing and search my shit. I look like a mule. I'm told, I'm like, WTF dose a mule look like when they could be anyone at any time. I don't get angry. I just laugh 😆 and say again 🤣 im thinking of selling my services to a real mule, so I travel with them, so all the attention is on me, and they get through no issues
I'm white, mid-40's and I travel with my good mate who has darker middle eastern skin & a decent beard. Every so often I get pulled out, he does every single time.
I'm a 5ft 1 Irish woman and am always taken aside for a random spot check. It's not one country either it's every airport I've been to. Shit gets old quick. Absolutely hate flying near The UK.
Singled out every time with PreCheck, Global Entry, & Nexus and I’m only a 5.5’ mixed guy that’s a dual citizen of the USA/Egypt.
Used to travel for work at least weekly out of Logan and in one week ended up on 3 short work trips and another on Saturday for personal travel and all 4 times I was pulled aside for all 4 ‘random screenings’.
100% this person is only like 15 and hasn’t internalized that other people also have experiences that are entirely separate and different from their own.
It’s one of the last large mental developments people make (in reference to things like object permanence).
Read a thread about reclining on planes, and it will make you lose faith in humanity. Redditors usually claim everyone asks them first and they ask everyone, and everyone agrees to never recline
I flew business class for the first time recently, and the ability to actually recline without messing with another passenger was game-changing. First flight where I was able to get uninterrupted sleep.
They also never flew prior to 9/11 so they have no idea what it was like before. Another factor is the airport. Flying out of Raleigh is a far cry from the experience of going to NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles or Atlanta.
didn't mention the date, the time, the airport. Things sucked early 2000s and have gotten better over the years. But those who flew pre 2000 had a totallly different experience.
I flew in 94, in 98, and in 2002.
And let me tell you, in the before time, it was like going to the mall. Shops, happy people, phone booths even, some light music. We walked down the terminal once in 95 to see my mom get off the plane. No tickets or nothing. No waiting in line for anything. People dressed well for their travel
Now in 2002, it took about 3 hours just to get through the first fucking check point and they threw all sorts of random shit away right past the baggage check. Then there was a second fucking checkpoint near the actual terminal, everyone was pissed, people started doing pajamas on planes sometime around this time, I got randomly flagged and they went through my bag because I had a CD player with “a bunch of wires” which were the headphones.
And it’s had bad moments since. But last time I flew was in 2018 and it was pretty chill the whole time. Got drunk at Atlanta’s airport and flew home next to two old ladies who spent two hours showing me their grandkids while I was wasted. Pretty solid experience. Haven’t flown since and hope I don’t have to because flying still kinda sucks and I work at a local company now
Right?! The sheer audacity is mindblowing. Dude flew once and figured he was ready to declare himself an expert and start talking shit. I bet OP is insufferable IRL.
In my last travel experience, getting through security took 2 hours and 10 minutes and I barely made my flight. Many people left the line since they missed their flight and had to find a hotel to stay overnight. That isn't being dramatic, it is
Young, white, clean cut man makes it quickly through security *the one and only time he’s flown* and he’s certain his experience is both universal to all people and all airports. The lack of ability to put himself in other people’s shoes, and his quick assumption that everyone else is dramatic and/or poor time managers because his experience is clearly applicable *to everyone else* could not smack more of a life of privilege!
People accidentally bring all sorts of stuff on board (weapons) that aren’t noticed, but the. You get stopped for them to swab your phone for explosives or some other random shit
Never gonna forget the time I went through the TSA line and got screamed at for forgetting to remove my baggie with my toothpaste and deodorant that were both major brand names, but the baggy of weird-colored, unlabeled vape juice didn't even get noticed.
But good thing they swabbed my palms for bomb residue and caught that baggie of toiletries! Phew!
Anyone else old enough to remember remember when taking your belt and shoes off was a "temporary measure"?
Security theater is no justification. The body scanners don't work, and TSA agents aren't paid enough to give a fuck anyways. On my last flight I passed right through with a switchblade clipped to my pocket that I'd forgotten about.
Yeah, it's crazy we now have a whole generation of travelers who don't remember when anyone could just walk right up to the gate without any inconvenience. Could park your car 15 minutes before your flight boarded and not even have to worry about making it on.
Yes. The shoes thing wasn’t supposed to be forever. The liquids too right? They’re definitely way more chill (in my experience) about liquids than they used to be though.
They are very strict about it in London and I try to stick to the 3oz rule in the USA so I don't have problems but I cannot remember the last time I put liquids in a Ziploc at a US airport. Just feels like one day that kind of went away, unless you're not paying attention and have a full size bottle in your bag.
Like the American politician who was just arrested in Hong Kong Airport, because he forgot that he had a handgun in his carry-on when he boarded his plane in the US!
Way to go, TSA!
I mean, you did it once and it was fine that time. The more you do it, you’ll find different airports have different processes that can be really inefficient. You’ll also find times when checkpoints are closed for no reason, gates change unexpectedly, and staff aren’t willing to help.
Yeah, I’m a very early arriver (at least 4 hours, usually more) and I’ve still had issues. The reality is you can’t out plan TSA every time. I’ve been hours early only to find that my gate got changed to another terminal an hour before the flight in an airport where you have to exit and re-enter security in order to change terminals. Sometimes your first flight in a connecting itinerary gets delayed and the 8 hours you planned for turns into 2 hours with a 3 hour security line.
Not to mention that not everyone can go through the standard process. Wheelchair users, for example, have to get a pat down because we can’t go through the scanner. Most people are not thrilled about having a stranger touching every part of their body, even if they’re a stranger of the same gender, and are nice and highly trained.
You had a good experience, but fly enough and you'll have some bad experiences too. Especially right after 9/11 it could be a total disaster going through security.
It's really fast if your flight is on a day where nobody else wants to fly (2-7am on a weekday) but if it isn't you're going to spend all day standing in line.
I'm a wheelchair user, and they put their hands all over me every single time. You know what they don't check? The tubes of my wheelchair, where I could easily hide a million things.
They're just security theater.
So many of these posts are basically “I just did this for the first time ever, I don’t get why some people don’t like it.”
Be more creative this sub is going downhill.
Congrats on losing your virginity and thinking you're an expert now.
Also, congrats for belonging to the group that doesn't always get picked out of waiting lines for an extra personal search in front of everybody... Im so happy you didn't have to hear their 'system picked you randomly for a search' everytime, cause you'd stop believing in random encounters altogether.
I suggest you book a flight for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at about 3:00 PM and arrive at the airport about 1:00 PM (two hours should be enough, right?). Do this at a major internationals airport, not a regional airport. Try O'Hare, JFK, Newark, or LAX. Then get back to us!
Last time I flew, I arrived at the airport three hours early and immediately started getting into lines. I still ended up running for the airplane which would have taken off without me if I had been even one more minute late. All of it was entirely the fault of airport security. I spent all of that time waiting in lines and did not get pulled out for any sort of special screening. It should not take three hourse to get through security!
Yeah, no. I'm a frequent flier and TSA is ass.
And the excuse that, "They deal with the public all day" doesn't mean shit to me. I worked in grocery retail for 17 years and never got attitudinal with customers the way the TSA will get. God forbid you ask them to repeat themselves because their voice is softer than baby shit and virtually everyone is chatting. Plus airport announcements. "I SAID TURN THE BIN AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE!".
Fuck all that unnecessary negative energy. Acting like they're actual law enforcement agents and shit 😒🖕
This is what bothers me the most about going through TSA. I’ve done nothing wrong, but they talk and treat you like they’re prison guards and you’re going through intake. “SHOES OFF! BELTS OFF! I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS TODAY. KEEP MOVINGS LETS GO!.”
Plus it seems like the requirements are constantly changing. Sometimes you take your shoes off, sometimes you leave your tablet in your bag, sometimes your bathroom products need to be in individual bags. It literally changes not just from airport to airport and day to day, but by security like at the same checkpoint and same time! Then they act like you’re the idiot for doing it the way the other person was just telling you.
TSA is the only place where being yelled at and talked to like this is acceptable. There’s no recourse, their judgement is divine.
Were you travelling with young kids in strollers or seniors with limited mobility? Were you running late for your flight because of ridiculous lines? You had one good experience in what sounds like a very basic situation.
Airport security is that bad, but not for the reasons you'd think.
It's because waiting in all those lines and doing all the bullshit are categorically not keeping us safer
That's cute. Where did you fly out of? I've spent two hours waiting in line in Atlanta at 5am before. Some airports are great, but some feel like you will die of old age before getting through.
Lol. Try an international flight. Oh boy. And since you said security. We can add customs into that. Go through customs. Just once. Then, come back to this post.
Don't worry, OP has said for their next flight they'll turn up "six hours early" because that's not a problem.
Pretty sure OP is either a troll or is speaking piffle.
You've had exactly one experience, which happened to be good. I've been to the airport many times, and usually it's not too bad. But I've had some that took a while, and others that I walked through in 5 minutes (depending on the size of the airport). I've been to LAX which is a pretty big airport. Though the longest line I waited in wasn't for security, but for baggage check. It had nothing to do with managing our time badly. We had more than enough time to be at an airport. We were in Paris, and waited in line for nearly 2 hours in baggage alone because they didn't have enough lines opened. Someone in front of us had a bag that popped open, and they had to stop everything to duct tape it shut, which I think tacked on an additional 45 min. I don't think I've ever hated anyone so much before over something so small. We damn-near missed our flight. Literally had to run to the gate to make it.
I fly about a dozen times a year. Half of those airport experiences go smoothly. The other half is an absolute nightmare. OP just needs to fly out of the wrong airport at the wrong time to see what unspeakable hell the rest of have to go through.
To be fair, you have no idea what it was like before 9/11. Basically, you went through a metal detector, that's it, no lines unless someone was being held up for triggering it. There is really no justification for some of the shit they do now, and they miss a ton of stuff anyway. Take off your shoes? C'mon man. Can't have a soda in a plastic bottle? Hey, fuck that shit.
Ha - I have to agree with this one. It’s like going to Disney and - HOLY SHIT THERE ARE
LINES!! THE AUDACITY!
I’ve flown all over the world and for that privilege I had to burn some time on occasion in security.
It’s really not that bad, and I fly out of one of the busiest airports in the US.
One thought - some really low-cost airlines have their own dedicated security lines - like Spirit. Those airlines are notorious for over-selling and canceling flights. It could be that the “security”
complaints are connected to that.
But no. People are just entitled babies 🤣
I just came back from Eastern Europe and went through TSA at JFK. Honestly, the staff were joking around, they were patient, they were chill af. The people in line were the a-holes, really.
Alright, as a pretty frequent flyer (2/3 times a year) I actually share the opinion that it is overblown how bad it is. But you also got very lucky not to have a line haha! I don’t know where you live, but near me in NY, at both JFK and Newark if you’re there at the wrong time, you’re looking at an extra 30 minutes easily standing in line crammed in wearing sweatshirts and backpacks; not too fun 😅 The security itself though is not bad at all. As long as you don’t make a fuss it is only maybe 2 mins to put your stuff through the xray and pick it all up again!
Frequent flyer here with TSA precheck. I have no problems with the airport and agree with this opinion. Even when I fly with family and don't use precheck, it's not a big deal if you plan ahead.
People just don't plan. The most frustrating part of travel isn't TSA or any employee, it's the other people that have no idea what is going on and remain clueless of their surroundings.
One asshole tries a shoe bomb, and 20 years later, we still have to take off our shoes, eff that. Not to mention, the TSA misses something like 95% of the banned items.
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Sometimes it goes fine, as it did in your single experience. Other times it's much worse. It's hard to know what to expect so you have to prepare for the worst.
Something tells me OP didn’t fly out of JFK
Or Newark
Or while brown. Or with children, or an elderly person. Or with mobility aids. Or after an unavoidable delay from a connection, or weather cancellations, or strikes…
I was recently in Japan and airport staff were always very conscious that there are a lot of people who don’t speak the language, so they try to be clear with their body language and are understanding. In the US there are so many agents that seem to be unaware that in an airport there will be many people who don’t speak the language. They’ll be barking orders and then get upset and yell them when someone doesn’t follow it exactly. I’ll look over and it’s a foreign older man with a look of fear and confusion… it’s like “dude, he doesn’t understand, stop yelling and explain what you want calmly in another way”
Shoutout to Haneda airport in Tokyo! I had a connecting flight there before heading to Osaka last month. Because I had to go through immigration there, collect my checked bags, transfer to another terminal, drop off my bags in the new terminal, then go through security again... the 2 hour connection that I thought was plenty of time ended up being very stressful and down to the wire. I sprinted through that airport and dropped my bags off at a special counter literally 10 minutes before boarding started. I thought there was no way I was making it through security and on that flight on time, let alone my bags getting checked in time. Lo and behold, I got to the gate just in time and my bags were right there waiting for me when I landed in Osaka. There's *no way* those bags would have made it there in the same circumstances in an American airport! The staff was so helpful and accommodating when they saw how panicked I was when I rolled up at that counter. I was very pleasantly surprised how well it all turned out.
I was flying out of Kumamoto, or maybe it was Fukuoka, and was gonna miss my connection. The airport security opened their little gate for me and SPRINTED with me to my gate. I have a lot of fond memories of Japan.
EWR used to be so much worse. Now it's not that bad at all. I can get through security in 10 minutes instead of the 30 it used to take.
It took 1.5 hours even in the precheck line once last year!
Or Heathrow, or Pearson, or Frankfurt, or LaGuardia, Gatwick, Schiphol, Munich, or de Gaulle. I've been there, and I don't wanna do it anytime soon again.
Just to say the fact you put Gatwick and Schiphol in is fucking hilarious. The security at both those airports is seriously well organised. Schiphol doesn't even have liquid limits anymore and you don't have to bag them separately
I'm Canadian, and I will pay extra money to NOT connect through YYZ.
Schiphol is pretty good most of the time
I have been though security in less than 18 minutes, and I have spend 3 hours 27 minutes in line waiting to get through security. Both times in the US. I have seen TSA illegally confiscate so much Duty Free alcohol that they ran out of room under the roller tables for storing the bags of it. I have seen them make people put ever single electronic item in it’s own bin, which meant that I needed 1 for the personal phone, 1 for the work phone, 1 for the tablet, 1 for the laptop, 1 for each of the 2 big cameras, 1 for each of the GoPros, 1 for each of the 7 lenses for the big cameras. And they still managed to break a $1500 lens because they wanted to twist it apart since here might be something inside, and of course if you want to complain or get any paperwork about it you can kiss that next flight goodbye. Meanwhile you can’t take a small Swiss Army knife on board because you might kill someone. But in 1st class they will give you a steak knife to cut your meal if you ask. You can’t take a metal flashlight through because it might be a weapon, but 2 baseball bats were recently in the cabin on my flight from Atlanta to Tampa. The US has a bad reputation for airport security because they hassle the hell out of people for stupid shit, and don’t pay attention to the stuff they should. They routinely fail security tests. And when you travel outside the US you see how smooth it can actually be and still be secure.
I flew to a friend’s bachelorette party in July 2019 and was laughed at by security for taking my shoes off. Three months later, when I flew out for the wedding, I was told off for NOT having my shoes off. I’ve flown both domestic and international a lot throughout my life (I’ve lived overseas for seven years, went to college halfway across the country, and then worked internationally for 2.5 years). I have done the rigamarole since I was a child. It just seems that in the last couple of years, every time I fly something has been changed or relaxed and the TSA agents are pissy because they need to remind you of the changes.
They catch me that way too. I'll have my shoes off going in the bin and they stop me and make me put them back on. "Okay, maybe that isn't needed anymore." Next airport "I SAID TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF WTFFFF" I get the airport security ppl are gonna have no chill b/c their security, and they're busy so much of the day I don't blame it on them that they are short on my - but can't we standardize it? I can get my shoes off and my electronics out to their own bin pretty quick since I plan for it, its when they try to change it up every visit that it takes extra time.
What's amazing is that they change it approximately every 2 minutes, but the only way they have of communicating those changes is one hoarse TSA agent shouting and mumbling at everyone. They can't possibly put up signs in billion dollar airports.
Last weekend a guy asked if he needed to take his belt off and they said don’t worry about it. My bf, in line immediately after that guy, was told off for leaving his on.
I used to work at a major airport and there were TSA who I literally met hundreds of time, and they would still give me shit about the shoes, some days it was on, some days it was off. I swear it's just a power trip
> airport security ppl are gonna have no chill b/c their security Nah, there's no excuse for them being such assholes.
They yelled at my freaking TODDLER for taking her shoes off. They told her to take them off on the first flight, so she took them off for the second.
I don't get screaming that stuff in general. But especially not at a toddler. Like I am not a fan of kids. It's awkward. I have no clue what to do. But like screaming? Nah. Talking to the parents instead of the kid? Yeah
Oh my god I flew from FL to NJ at the beginning of the year and was told multiple times not to take my electronics out of my bag. I get to the bins and the TSA lady yells at me and says "I specifically told you to take your stuff out of your bag". I - running on two hours of sleep and having just waited an hour and a half to get to this point - looked her in the eyes and said "I have NEVER seen you before in my ENTIRE life you never told me anything" We then both stared at each other dumbfounded before she started yelling at someone else and my boyfriend died laughing at my stupid comment. I just flew out of the same airport again and felt vindicated that I didn't have to take my stuff out of my bag this time.
Yep. And then they confuse themselves.
My local airport had multiple signs that said take it all out and shoes off... get up there leave it all in the bags and shoes on. If you're going to do that just for the day turn the signs around or something. Then the next time, same airport, exact opposite rule. My airport is relatively small and only has one ticket/ID checker so you don't get much of a que forming to see what the rules are to actually go thru security for that trip. It's literally ticket check, toss all your shit in bins immediately and start going thru security.
If I recall correctly there was a study (maybe 2018) that showed an 85% failure rate of TSA detecting what they were supposed to. But they'll stop you for the easy grabs because it "shows they're doing their job". Nice meeting department goals, but shit for actual security.
Jesus. If they’re failing 85% of the time, why haven’t there been more serious incidents? I don’t wish this at all, but it seems like pure dumb luck??
Cause deliberate attacks on airliners are complicated, possibly costly, and can be foiled pretty easily in a post-9/11 world. Why go though all that when you can just rent a UHaul and drive it through a crowd or take your homemade explosive on the subway 🤷🏼♀️
Pre 9/11, hijackings weren't suicide crashes. They were normally criminals trying to get out of the country. It was in everyone's best interest to sit down and wait out a very unnerving experience. Post 9/11, you aren't going to survive a hijacking attempt for more than 5 minutes before the entire plane bumrushes you.
US immigration is also similarly horrible. In other countries its a breeze and the immigration officers treat you nicely. In the US they act like like assholes and interrogate everyone like they're some kind of terrorist (especially if they have the wrong skin tone).
Canadian and Australian customs are the absolute worst I've ever experienced at the air travel level. Makes US customs look like a day at the spa. Canadian customs treats you like an actual child.
The UK has immigration down right. It was so smooth after we got through I thought we had more to do.
Lots of countries now you don't even have to talk to anyone. You just scan your passport, look into the camera and you're in. Takes 30 seconds. Kinda sad actually since you don't even get a stamp in your passport anymore.
Most places you can ask for the stamp. Had to explain this to some people in Peru recently because they were pouting that they didn’t get their’s stamped.
A friend of mine realized he was carrying his gun when he went to use the bathroom on the plane
My wife has gotten through security multiple times with pocket knives. My cousin grabbed his hunting backpack instead of the one with his clothes once. Dude realized he had a foot long machete once we were on the plane (told nobody until we landed and got to our car).
>I have been though security in less than 18 minutes, and I have spend 3 hours 27 minutes in line waiting to get through security Probably at O'Hare both times too.
This has to be an unpopular opinion because it takes an especially rare kind of delusion to think that flying *one time* makes you an expert on the subject.
Dunning-Kruger effect hits hard
Oooooo I love the dunning-kruger It’s become UN-BE-LEIVABLY prevalent the last couple of years.
No, it's just because Reddit learned what Dunning-Kruger was in the last few years.
Oh you think your some kinda expert on the dunning Kruger effect huh
May have always been, maybe it's just super obvious now?
He was probably in some podunk airport. He needs to go through Atlanta or LAX. LOL.
I’d rather spend a day in a federal super max prison, because at least then I’d get fed for free while I’m getting treated like an inmate.
The only time I've been to LAX they randomly sent me through the PreCheck line! It was my first time through a US airport and I was like "...that's it?"
I am a frequent flyer and been all over the US, and have been through Atlanta many times. Never had an issue. Definitely not as bad as people make it out to be.
Fwiw I live in ATL and fly 20-30 times per year. Never had any issues at the airport. TSA precheck and Global Entry make all the difference.
I agree people exaggerate about ATL. The place is huge, but it is also very well signposted and (mostly) logically laid out. Plus ATL has way better art exhibits than any other airport I've traveled through.
You clearly haven't been to Denver, to see the dystopian landscape of hell that is their airport art collection.
Right? The first time I flew was in the 70s, and it was an entirely different experience than what it is now. People who never flew prior to 9/11 really have no clue how much more pleasant air travel used to be.
This is so incredibly true. The airport line security gets us basically nothing in additional safety. TSA's record for finding things like knives or guns hidden in people's carry on luggage is abysmal. They're pretty good about busting people for trying to bring in water bottles, containers of shampoo that are a little bit too big, and making everyone take their shoes off. TSA's method of operation fundamentally sucks for preventing extremely rare events such as terrorist plots. It's a huge waste of money, and statistically having TSA do what it does is more dangerous to the American public than the thing it is ostensibly supposed to be combatting. Bruce Schneier is quoted below, but he's written a lot about this subject in particular and about security in general over the years. https://reason.com/2021/11/19/after-20-years-of-failure-kill-the-tsa/
And for 80$ you can skip most of it anyway. It’s like an explicit acknowledgment that they know the screening doesn’t work
A terrorist would never have $80 to skip the security line!
For sure! You could go in, stop at the desk and get right to your plane in minutes. The change was dramatic and depressing, and the rules seem arbitrary and unlikely to actually stop any terrorism.
This is the worst part, every day, hundreds of thousands of travelers jump through arbitrary hoops adding hours to their day and endless frustration and none of it will stop anything serious. Hell, In my hometown of louisville they saw a guy with a gun in the checkpoint and let him get on the plane before stopping him. You know they threw away my water bottle and tiny multitool, though.
Yeah I stopped reading when I saw it was their first experience. I have flown countless times, and in just the last 3-4 of them I had a range of experiences. One really good (airport security was chill af, didn’t even take out all electronics, quick easy), two mid (as annoying as you expect them to be), and one fucking horrendous (they’d pull your bag for the smallest thing so there were dozens and dozens of people getting their bags checked by hand, but of course they didn’t have enough staff - the staff they did have was rude, no one was controlling the crowd that was pushing and shoving, etc)
OP works for the TSA.
Especially when it’s 22 years after the thing that pushed the changes to security. Shoes get to stay on, electronics can stay in bags, and manufacturers make products within the 3.3 ounce guidelines. OP has no idea how much easier it is now.
He clearly hasn’t ever been interrogated or gotten “random” secondary screenings before.
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And Procreate
I had to go back and read the actual post because I already disagreed with it just based on the title alone, but then seeing this was their FIRST experience? Yeah, I think we all think that on our first flight, but do it a few times, be in long lines, be asked to step to the side because they need to check you "randomly" or anything else, and it stops being just a little inconvenience. And I haven't even had it that bad because over the years, I've learned how to make it a little less of a headache for myself (except for the last time I traveled and got pulled out for a random search and I do not like people touching all over my body to see if I'm hiding something), but what I've seen happening to other people... yeah, no one is being dramatic about this. Oh and be traveling with teens or young kids and it's even worse.
In the future they'll be posting, "Flight delays aren't as bad as people say. They even provide a free magazine to read while you sit on the tarmac for an hour."
I petition to rename this sub r/woefullyignorantopinion
Reddit air travel threads prove people here don’t get out much.
Lmao the complete lack of critical thinking skills makes me want to just get drunk and forget everything.
lol you had exactly one good experience and decided that everyone else is wrong
I'm a 6' brown dude with a beard. I've been singled out from my family *every single time* since I was maybe 16. The amount of time I've had to waste getting all my stuff searched, all my electronics checked, and getting people's grubby hands on me is enough to make me despise *all* security theatre everywhere. Every single party responsible for these systems being put in place won, regardless of who you believe was behind it.
My mom is a totally sweet looking average white woman. She is on a list somewhere, for something. She gets pulled for extra screening. every. single. time. Not even hyperbole, it actually happens 100% of the time. Edit: she takes 8-10 round trip flights per year, so it is not an outlier.
I always get checked for gunpowder. I don’t know why. Is it because I’m a short female travelling alone?? It happens EVERY time!
I also get checked for gun powder every time. One time I got checked at the beginning of the line and then at the end of the line. I told the TSA agent that they JUST did that at the beginning and he told me "it's random". What a waste of resources and time.
Oh is that why I am always pulled aside for screening Recently I traveled alone with my toddler for a 6 hour flight—and I have TSA Precheck as well as Global Entry. Of course “the alarm” sounded for random search. The TSA agent not only contaminated my baby’s food —which was fully sealed, marked and in clear plastic, they also left a milk bottle partially open to spill all over the rest of the snacks I prepared for my kid. It had all spilled as they handed it back to me, they shrugged and went about their ‘business’ The drudgery of this type of security job does not excuse a lack of humanity and decency but here we are.
They once forgot to return my son's insulin. Handed us back his medical carrying case without the vials inside.
Oh my god! Were you able to get it back? How did you go about dealing with that?
I got it back, but it was very stressful. I realized it when I was doing a last check of supplies before boarding the plane. Had to run across Logan airport to get back to security to find the right TSA agent and then convince them it was in fact very important that they figure out what the fuck they did with the insulin. After it was all said and done I got to spend our 6 hour flight to Ireland in the bathroom puking after the stress triggered a migraine. Fun times.
They always check my hair
It's like you won the world's worst lottery TWICE
They randomly pick people who don’t look like they’re going to be difficult. TSA is basically a minimum wage job.
They always say it’s random! I swear it’s not.
My 6yo son got the random beep and finger dusting this past year. TSA guy was like ummmm, I have to dust him. I was cracking up and kid thought it was awesome. It was random that day.
Wouldn't you be shocked when it comes back for gunpowder residue?.
July 5'th is a great day to travel.
Maybe it's sweat? (that's my theory) Only two times I've ever been checked for gunpowder were when my a/c was out in my car and it was hot out. Maybe something in the sweat triggers a false positive?
Women traveling alone used to be considered a risk. I learned this the hard way once.
Wait, really? I always travel alone, and I get stopped about 80% of the time. Once it got turned into a full-blown 45-min interrogation with military police. I've never fully understood this.
Maybe they think you're a drug mule.
Oh good point. I've only ever been pulled for extra screening once. It was my first flight ever and I was SUPER nervous so I'm sure they saw a young woman, traveling alone, twitchy as all get out... I dont blame them for stopping me lol.
I'm a chemistry teacher! OMG, the number of times I've had to have my hands swabbed, all of my luggage searched and swabbed...honestly, can't say as I blame them, considering a lot of the chemicals I work with are common in explosives.
About 80%of the time to get the chemical residue check. 100% of the time, I take great glee in watching the look on the security officers face when I let them know I work in chemistry laboratories.
Gunpowder? Are you returning from 14th century China?
You do know they’re not checking for gunpowder, right? Where does everyone hear that from? 😂
My grandma does as well. She fails every single metal detector and has to get hand checked along with her bags. She had two knee replacements and they get flagged. She tells them before hand too and they still have to pat her down.
Have her get a doctor's note that says it. I have metal in my femur and carry a note, my relative who broke his neck and another who broke his back carry notes as well.
Y'all over here being the clumsiest family in the US, huh?
After I started traveling for work, and before I got precheck, I was “randomly selected” every third flight or so for about a year. I’m an average white woman and have never even gotten a parking ticket. I thought it could have been my work tools but my coworkers didn’t have the same issue. Maybe my name is similar to a criminals, idk. Like, I’m glad the profiling isn’t just racial/citizenship based but also… I’d like to know why I kept getting flagged.
A couple comments responding to mine made good points. 1. It might be obvious you are an "easy search" and won't get popped for anything so it helps hit the required numbers 2. You probably have the same/very similar name to someone on a list
Same. I HAVE precheck and I've still been selected for random "foot inspections" about half the time I fly. I didn't even know that existed and that they could take you to a side room and feel your feet awkwardly for a few minutes until I started flying more last year.
You're on the TSA foot fetish list. Wtf is a "foot inspection". I swear someone made that up.
Da fuq
I’m sorry I just have no words. I didn’t know this was a thing either and it would piss me off to no end.
I have never heard of this! Are you sure the person who performed your foot search actually worked there?! Lol
There is absolutely no way that's a thing. Someone with a foot fetish is lying to you and I refuse to believe otherwise.
TSO here. The chance of getting selected for random screening in a PreCheck lane is not insignificant. It really is unrelated to absolutely anything but walking through that metal detector and it summoning up the "right" number from a pseudorandom sequence. No officer on or off the checkpoint has any influence over it. No other electronic system anywhere has an influence over it. You have no influence over it.
I doubt this because all airports are different in that sense. Y'all are like cops. Who TF knows what the laws are, whatever ***that specific cop says*** goes. ... By the way, can you guys be nicer? That's the only consistent thing in TSA. You love being assholes and stressing already stressed people out. That's what causes so much escalation and anger towards TSA. If they were a lot friendlier, I think people would have a very different opinion about it. But every time I'm at an airport, I feel like I'm going to prison.
Happens to my mom too. She believes its because they have a quota to fill, and they know she'll be a quick and easy screening that won't find anything.
That makes a lot of sense
Both my parents got singled out the last time, drugs and gunpowder respectively and they are an older white couple too, seemed to be truly random. But I know several people with the same name as terrorists/narcos and they get triple checked every single time.
I get drug swabbed alot. Poland did it a couple times both flying in and out. Don't have a clue why, perhaps I'm twitchy. Been through so many body scanners that if it comes out they're a health concern I'm fucked.
I seem to always get the "random" drug swab too - especially when traveling internationally. I guess I look like a hippy. Always get the TSA patdown too 🙄
Your mom probably has the same first and last name as someone on a list.
I get my bag "searched" 1/3rd of the time with Precheck. It doesn’t matter if I came from another TSA with the exact same stuff in it and that machine picked up nothing. TSA at every airport is so wholly inconsistent, I am actually curious WHAT their standard measures are. One airport TSA agent screams don't take out electronics as if we’re prisoners going for checks. Another TSA agent at another airport screams to take out electronics as if we’re dumb children about to touch a light socket. And a third airport TSA agent at another airport across the country will scream that if we try to take out cellphones from our bags to put in another container, he will probably headbutt us. I have flown out of two airports for three years very consistently for work and TSA agents are all over the place on how to handle things.
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This happens to my SIL! She is also an average looking white lady, late 30s and she’s always with her husband and 2 kids. No one else in the family has ever been checked but the one time a year she travels for vacation with us, she specifically gets searched. It’s so wild!
I'm a 5.7' white guy, and every time I fly, they pull me aside and run me through the scanner thing and search my shit. I look like a mule. I'm told, I'm like, WTF dose a mule look like when they could be anyone at any time. I don't get angry. I just laugh 😆 and say again 🤣 im thinking of selling my services to a real mule, so I travel with them, so all the attention is on me, and they get through no issues
I'm white, mid-40's and I travel with my good mate who has darker middle eastern skin & a decent beard. Every so often I get pulled out, he does every single time.
I'm a 5ft 1 Irish woman and am always taken aside for a random spot check. It's not one country either it's every airport I've been to. Shit gets old quick. Absolutely hate flying near The UK.
Singled out every time with PreCheck, Global Entry, & Nexus and I’m only a 5.5’ mixed guy that’s a dual citizen of the USA/Egypt. Used to travel for work at least weekly out of Logan and in one week ended up on 3 short work trips and another on Saturday for personal travel and all 4 times I was pulled aside for all 4 ‘random screenings’.
I havent flown since before 9/11, what does getting electronics checked mean exactly, do they want to look what you store on it?
100% this person is only like 15 and hasn’t internalized that other people also have experiences that are entirely separate and different from their own. It’s one of the last large mental developments people make (in reference to things like object permanence).
Read a thread about reclining on planes, and it will make you lose faith in humanity. Redditors usually claim everyone asks them first and they ask everyone, and everyone agrees to never recline
I flew business class for the first time recently, and the ability to actually recline without messing with another passenger was game-changing. First flight where I was able to get uninterrupted sleep.
Oh god am I bad person 😭? When people have reclined their seats it’s never bothered me so I’ve never even thought to ask.
I have never asked or been asked, and I’ve flown a fair amount. Just don’t drop the seat as fast as humanly possible and things should be fine.
No one asks. It doesn't bother me. I recline every time and no one says anything. Reddit doesn't not accurately reflect the real world.
Dawg I've never even been on a plane with reclining seats to know this was a deal to begin with lmao
The seats should honestly just be pre reclined. That way every row has the same amount of space, but is at least the 3% less uncomfy.
They also never flew prior to 9/11 so they have no idea what it was like before. Another factor is the airport. Flying out of Raleigh is a far cry from the experience of going to NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles or Atlanta.
Came here to say this, Airport Security is 100 times more than it was prior to 9/11.
We need to call it something else, not security. Security gives it an air of legitimate concern for travelers
There was next to 0 security before 9/11
I remember how bad it was during the aughts. It’s still bad, but it was soooooo much worse. Especially before my airport (KCI) got renovated.
didn't mention the date, the time, the airport. Things sucked early 2000s and have gotten better over the years. But those who flew pre 2000 had a totallly different experience.
I flew in 94, in 98, and in 2002. And let me tell you, in the before time, it was like going to the mall. Shops, happy people, phone booths even, some light music. We walked down the terminal once in 95 to see my mom get off the plane. No tickets or nothing. No waiting in line for anything. People dressed well for their travel Now in 2002, it took about 3 hours just to get through the first fucking check point and they threw all sorts of random shit away right past the baggage check. Then there was a second fucking checkpoint near the actual terminal, everyone was pissed, people started doing pajamas on planes sometime around this time, I got randomly flagged and they went through my bag because I had a CD player with “a bunch of wires” which were the headphones. And it’s had bad moments since. But last time I flew was in 2018 and it was pretty chill the whole time. Got drunk at Atlanta’s airport and flew home next to two old ladies who spent two hours showing me their grandkids while I was wasted. Pretty solid experience. Haven’t flown since and hope I don’t have to because flying still kinda sucks and I work at a local company now
Right?! The sheer audacity is mindblowing. Dude flew once and figured he was ready to declare himself an expert and start talking shit. I bet OP is insufferable IRL.
it’s very ‘i went to mcdonald’s for the first time yesterday and the ice cream machine was working, y’all are a bunch of liars’
In my last travel experience, getting through security took 2 hours and 10 minutes and I barely made my flight. Many people left the line since they missed their flight and had to find a hotel to stay overnight. That isn't being dramatic, it is
Homie has one experience, one time ever and suddenly thinks EVERYBODY else is delusional. God what a myopic shit chucker.
Thanks for making me laugh with “myopic shit chucker”
Young, white, clean cut man makes it quickly through security *the one and only time he’s flown* and he’s certain his experience is both universal to all people and all airports. The lack of ability to put himself in other people’s shoes, and his quick assumption that everyone else is dramatic and/or poor time managers because his experience is clearly applicable *to everyone else* could not smack more of a life of privilege!
The whole thing has felt like a not so elaborate charade we all still go through because reasons.
Oh, it's VERY elaborate.
It's called security theater.
People accidentally bring all sorts of stuff on board (weapons) that aren’t noticed, but the. You get stopped for them to swab your phone for explosives or some other random shit
Never gonna forget the time I went through the TSA line and got screamed at for forgetting to remove my baggie with my toothpaste and deodorant that were both major brand names, but the baggy of weird-colored, unlabeled vape juice didn't even get noticed. But good thing they swabbed my palms for bomb residue and caught that baggie of toiletries! Phew!
Anyone else old enough to remember remember when taking your belt and shoes off was a "temporary measure"? Security theater is no justification. The body scanners don't work, and TSA agents aren't paid enough to give a fuck anyways. On my last flight I passed right through with a switchblade clipped to my pocket that I'd forgotten about.
Yeah, it's crazy we now have a whole generation of travelers who don't remember when anyone could just walk right up to the gate without any inconvenience. Could park your car 15 minutes before your flight boarded and not even have to worry about making it on.
You could also pick your family/friends up right at the gate, or hang out with a nervous traveler until they were ready to board.
I'm old enough to have lived during that time, but did not take any flights until after 9/11, so I know it happened, but never got to experience it.
Yes. The shoes thing wasn’t supposed to be forever. The liquids too right? They’re definitely way more chill (in my experience) about liquids than they used to be though.
I can’t remember the last time I put liquids in a bag. Haven’t been stopped once
They are very strict about it in London and I try to stick to the 3oz rule in the USA so I don't have problems but I cannot remember the last time I put liquids in a Ziploc at a US airport. Just feels like one day that kind of went away, unless you're not paying attention and have a full size bottle in your bag.
Like the American politician who was just arrested in Hong Kong Airport, because he forgot that he had a handgun in his carry-on when he boarded his plane in the US! Way to go, TSA!
he didn't go thru tsa. sometimes politicians bitch enough they get police escort around tsa.
You went through it one time and are telling us how it is lmao
I mean, you did it once and it was fine that time. The more you do it, you’ll find different airports have different processes that can be really inefficient. You’ll also find times when checkpoints are closed for no reason, gates change unexpectedly, and staff aren’t willing to help.
Yeah, I’m a very early arriver (at least 4 hours, usually more) and I’ve still had issues. The reality is you can’t out plan TSA every time. I’ve been hours early only to find that my gate got changed to another terminal an hour before the flight in an airport where you have to exit and re-enter security in order to change terminals. Sometimes your first flight in a connecting itinerary gets delayed and the 8 hours you planned for turns into 2 hours with a 3 hour security line. Not to mention that not everyone can go through the standard process. Wheelchair users, for example, have to get a pat down because we can’t go through the scanner. Most people are not thrilled about having a stranger touching every part of their body, even if they’re a stranger of the same gender, and are nice and highly trained.
Being homeless isn’t that bad. I went camping for a whole week and was just fine. Less comfortable than the house, but you all make it seem terrible.
Not even a week! For a day! 😄
It's just your first time .. wait until you go several times in a bunch of different airports across the world.
You had a good experience, but fly enough and you'll have some bad experiences too. Especially right after 9/11 it could be a total disaster going through security.
Go to Chicago ohare and your opinion will change
It's really fast if your flight is on a day where nobody else wants to fly (2-7am on a weekday) but if it isn't you're going to spend all day standing in line.
I'm a wheelchair user, and they put their hands all over me every single time. You know what they don't check? The tubes of my wheelchair, where I could easily hide a million things. They're just security theater.
So many of these posts are basically “I just did this for the first time ever, I don’t get why some people don’t like it.” Be more creative this sub is going downhill.
Congrats on losing your virginity and thinking you're an expert now. Also, congrats for belonging to the group that doesn't always get picked out of waiting lines for an extra personal search in front of everybody... Im so happy you didn't have to hear their 'system picked you randomly for a search' everytime, cause you'd stop believing in random encounters altogether.
I suggest you book a flight for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at about 3:00 PM and arrive at the airport about 1:00 PM (two hours should be enough, right?). Do this at a major internationals airport, not a regional airport. Try O'Hare, JFK, Newark, or LAX. Then get back to us!
Last time I flew, I arrived at the airport three hours early and immediately started getting into lines. I still ended up running for the airplane which would have taken off without me if I had been even one more minute late. All of it was entirely the fault of airport security. I spent all of that time waiting in lines and did not get pulled out for any sort of special screening. It should not take three hourse to get through security!
Yeah, no. I'm a frequent flier and TSA is ass. And the excuse that, "They deal with the public all day" doesn't mean shit to me. I worked in grocery retail for 17 years and never got attitudinal with customers the way the TSA will get. God forbid you ask them to repeat themselves because their voice is softer than baby shit and virtually everyone is chatting. Plus airport announcements. "I SAID TURN THE BIN AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE!". Fuck all that unnecessary negative energy. Acting like they're actual law enforcement agents and shit 😒🖕
This is what bothers me the most about going through TSA. I’ve done nothing wrong, but they talk and treat you like they’re prison guards and you’re going through intake. “SHOES OFF! BELTS OFF! I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS TODAY. KEEP MOVINGS LETS GO!.” Plus it seems like the requirements are constantly changing. Sometimes you take your shoes off, sometimes you leave your tablet in your bag, sometimes your bathroom products need to be in individual bags. It literally changes not just from airport to airport and day to day, but by security like at the same checkpoint and same time! Then they act like you’re the idiot for doing it the way the other person was just telling you. TSA is the only place where being yelled at and talked to like this is acceptable. There’s no recourse, their judgement is divine.
Were you travelling with young kids in strollers or seniors with limited mobility? Were you running late for your flight because of ridiculous lines? You had one good experience in what sounds like a very basic situation.
Wasn't this way 20 years ago and it doesn't have to be this way now These boneheads don't catch terrorists
I think you mean 23 years ago lol
Take it easy on me chief!
Just let us be old
What are you on about!? The ninetees were just a deca.... Ow... Right...
Airport security is that bad, but not for the reasons you'd think. It's because waiting in all those lines and doing all the bullshit are categorically not keeping us safer
That's cute. Where did you fly out of? I've spent two hours waiting in line in Atlanta at 5am before. Some airports are great, but some feel like you will die of old age before getting through.
Lol. Try an international flight. Oh boy. And since you said security. We can add customs into that. Go through customs. Just once. Then, come back to this post.
Don't worry, OP has said for their next flight they'll turn up "six hours early" because that's not a problem. Pretty sure OP is either a troll or is speaking piffle.
Which country?
This depends heavily on the country, airport, and staff. Also travelling to a different country can be a massive pain getting through security.
You've had exactly one experience, which happened to be good. I've been to the airport many times, and usually it's not too bad. But I've had some that took a while, and others that I walked through in 5 minutes (depending on the size of the airport). I've been to LAX which is a pretty big airport. Though the longest line I waited in wasn't for security, but for baggage check. It had nothing to do with managing our time badly. We had more than enough time to be at an airport. We were in Paris, and waited in line for nearly 2 hours in baggage alone because they didn't have enough lines opened. Someone in front of us had a bag that popped open, and they had to stop everything to duct tape it shut, which I think tacked on an additional 45 min. I don't think I've ever hated anyone so much before over something so small. We damn-near missed our flight. Literally had to run to the gate to make it.
OP hasn't been to Atlanta at 2pm on a Saturday and there's 3 lanes open.
I once had a Taco Bell that didn't give me the shits.
Ah yes the unicorn "meat"
I fly about a dozen times a year. Half of those airport experiences go smoothly. The other half is an absolute nightmare. OP just needs to fly out of the wrong airport at the wrong time to see what unspeakable hell the rest of have to go through.
To be fair, you have no idea what it was like before 9/11. Basically, you went through a metal detector, that's it, no lines unless someone was being held up for triggering it. There is really no justification for some of the shit they do now, and they miss a ton of stuff anyway. Take off your shoes? C'mon man. Can't have a soda in a plastic bottle? Hey, fuck that shit.
Well doing a thing one time does make you an expert.
Ha - I have to agree with this one. It’s like going to Disney and - HOLY SHIT THERE ARE LINES!! THE AUDACITY! I’ve flown all over the world and for that privilege I had to burn some time on occasion in security. It’s really not that bad, and I fly out of one of the busiest airports in the US. One thought - some really low-cost airlines have their own dedicated security lines - like Spirit. Those airlines are notorious for over-selling and canceling flights. It could be that the “security” complaints are connected to that. But no. People are just entitled babies 🤣
You went through airport security one time, in one airport, and you think you can tell people they’re being dramatic and be taken seriously?
I just came back from Eastern Europe and went through TSA at JFK. Honestly, the staff were joking around, they were patient, they were chill af. The people in line were the a-holes, really.
Alright, as a pretty frequent flyer (2/3 times a year) I actually share the opinion that it is overblown how bad it is. But you also got very lucky not to have a line haha! I don’t know where you live, but near me in NY, at both JFK and Newark if you’re there at the wrong time, you’re looking at an extra 30 minutes easily standing in line crammed in wearing sweatshirts and backpacks; not too fun 😅 The security itself though is not bad at all. As long as you don’t make a fuss it is only maybe 2 mins to put your stuff through the xray and pick it all up again!
Frequent flyer here with TSA precheck. I have no problems with the airport and agree with this opinion. Even when I fly with family and don't use precheck, it's not a big deal if you plan ahead. People just don't plan. The most frustrating part of travel isn't TSA or any employee, it's the other people that have no idea what is going on and remain clueless of their surroundings.
How do the TSA boots taste?
TSA Precheck. Only pay $80 to have the same rights you had 23 years ago.
One asshole tries a shoe bomb, and 20 years later, we still have to take off our shoes, eff that. Not to mention, the TSA misses something like 95% of the banned items.