TSA Courtesy Notice
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For years I've been reading derisive comments about the TSA "goons", but honestly, I've never had a moment's grief from them, and I used to fly internationally a good bit, through numerous US and Caribbean airports, both before and after 9/11, and often with weird scary-looking stuff in my carry-on that caught their attention, like a regulator, multiple dive computers, odd bicycle parts, etc.
Now, I'm sure there have been bona fide abuses, ("absolute power corrupts absolutely..." and all that), but I've found that being patient,respectful, and polite goes a long way with these folks, the same as it usually does with the rest of humanity. Believe me, I'm no defender of all-powerful federal agencies, but the illiterate, knuckle-dragging, jack-booted thugs that so many claim to run into when flying, well......I've never even come close to seeing anything like that.
Now, I'm sure there have been bona fide abuses, ("absolute power corrupts absolutely..." and all that), but I've found that being patient,respectful, and polite goes a long way with these folks, the same as it usually does with the rest of humanity. Believe me, I'm no defender of all-powerful federal agencies, but the illiterate, knuckle-dragging, jack-booted thugs that so many claim to run into when flying, well......I've never even come close to seeing anything like that.
lermontov
Contributor
I'm most proud of what I didn't say to the TSA one time.
On the last of about five flights I had taken one week, a morbidly obese TSA agent rummaged through my carry-on and confiscated a wine opener that had been in that same bag for every flight that week. He unfolded the blade--which was about as long as my pinkie fingernail, barely long enough to achieve its function of cutting foil on a wine bottle, hooded by the curvature of its dull side so that it couldn't stab so much as a martini olive, and less than half the length of the thickness of the thinnest portion of bioprene in which the TSA agent had cleverly ensheathed himself to reduce his chance of sexual contact to zero--and declared, "This is a deadly weapon!"
I'm not in jail today because I bit my tongue and did not utter the thought that sprang to my lips, "You call that a lethal weapon? I guarantee I could kill you faster with my bare hands than I could with that supposedly lethal wine opener."
The 24-ounce stainless steel coffee mug, which could have been an effective weapon, was ignored.
On the last of about five flights I had taken one week, a morbidly obese TSA agent rummaged through my carry-on and confiscated a wine opener that had been in that same bag for every flight that week. He unfolded the blade--which was about as long as my pinkie fingernail, barely long enough to achieve its function of cutting foil on a wine bottle, hooded by the curvature of its dull side so that it couldn't stab so much as a martini olive, and less than half the length of the thickness of the thinnest portion of bioprene in which the TSA agent had cleverly ensheathed himself to reduce his chance of sexual contact to zero--and declared, "This is a deadly weapon!"
I'm not in jail today because I bit my tongue and did not utter the thought that sprang to my lips, "You call that a lethal weapon? I guarantee I could kill you faster with my bare hands than I could with that supposedly lethal wine opener."
The 24-ounce stainless steel coffee mug, which could have been an effective weapon, was ignored.
I used to fly a lot, twice a week every week, and most TSA guys were nice but I have to say that a sizeable portion of the TSA and Customs/Borders are complete jerks. Barking orders like you're in basic training, seriously they remind me of my first 1-2 days at basic when they're giving you your uniforms and TA-50. I travel a lot internationally now (well before Covid) and in no other country do I see authorities acting so unprofessionally and belligerent.
Dusty123
Contributor
If you have to ask you can't afford it
My rebreather (a Meg) gets reliably pulled out of the carry on Xray for additional inspection. I usually explain that it's scuba diving equipment and that sort of helps. However at least twice now that set off some alarms in the agent(s) hand inspecting my stuff. I have twice had to pull it completely apart are try to show them that its not a "tank" and there's no compressed gas inside. Even with my hand down the canister tube on two different occasions I still got the stink eye that somehow I was sneaking compressed gases aboard.
Mexico back in the days of HID lights was actually pretty bad too.
I think most of these courtesy notices we as divers write are too long and complicated. Think about a security agent in a landlocked airport in a non english speaking country. I had my JJ head pulled out of my carry on in Paris CDG. None of the staff was even vaguely interested in trying to read the notice I had printed.
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