Complaining about the TSA (in front of them) makes you more likely to be a terrorist/criminal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgutV3e4lOA Yes, but the point is that bullying passengers can make insecure screeners feel pressured resulting in making them want to complete the check as quickly as possible. After watching the video (from minute 23 onwards) it should be pretty clear why those kind of passengers are considered a potential threat by enactors of security policies. That is why screeners are taught to think of those passengers as a security threat and because they are taught that way those passengers get a special treatment.

As you and so many other responders note, those TSA twits are not about aircraft or flight security, they are about their own, small, secure piece of the Global Security Picture." TSA's screeners and even the backgrount 'observers' are not educated, experienced professionals, but near-minimum wage street hires without a significant criminal record. No more - and no less! They have the expience an skill to differentiate between cabbage and mushrooms, and that's about it. As for the pat-down, they are no more than lump finders. How many colostomy bags have they found - and considered serious threats? They view artificial joints and even replacement heart valves as a threat. Training? This is not a comedy blog and I'm not making a joke. There is NO training that deals with genuine theat potentials, simply becasue the 'agents' hired are not bright enough to understand the material!! Their approach is 1) Least Possible cost, 2) massive, uniformed presence 3) As much slowing and inconvenience as possible and 4) Wishing that slow, annoying inspections will stop a serious threat. We know better. Routine tests of their screening processes fail. They won't reveal the numbers, but I'd gues that a determined thug has a 75% change of success. THink it through a bit... If a major, but very quiet operation were staged, the Bad Guys could afford to have 25% of their agents exposed. The 75% that pass inspections can still do a lot of harm. Seriously tight inspections and even *Zero* carry-ons might help, but the Bad Guys are smart enough to bypass that. And, the general public won't stand for a *Zero* carry-on policy. Ever. My response? (The TSA, the Treasury, hundreds of BBBs and tourist boards ought to be reading this... My response is to Simply Say NO! I will not fly under those conditions. Long distances are out and for lesser distances, I will find other means, even if it means driving at very high expense. In the end, I will NOT permit an ill-informed, TSA-employed thug to physically examine my person as a condition of travel. I well understand that permission for the detailed seach is implied in the regulations and even the ticket contract. Even though I have nothing to hide, that degree of examination of my person or my minimal posessions is NOT reasonable! FGS, even a SEALED liter bottle of water is forbidden. How is this any different from the NAZI assaults of the 1930s and 40s? I will NOT submit, even if it means not traveling! Nuff said. - C.

Steve, how in the world can you possibly consider TSA personnel "a group of intelligence agents" when the basic requirement for the job is a high school diploma and a few seminar hours. Frankly, I'm more afraid of TSA agents than I am of terrorists.

I think they treat all people like terrorists regardless of their behavior at the airport. They don't even realize that for people who suffer from some serious medical conditions this kind of treatment may be a real nightmare.

There is nothing wrong with the TSA or whatever. What is wrong are the political United States as they presently exist. No, you can't see my birth certificate.