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How Much Do Tsa Screeners Make
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Anatomy Of An Airport Security Breach
When it comes to the Transportation Security Administration and their officers, most people aren’t exactly fans. The process of getting through airport security is long and many find it unnecessarily invasive – especially when it comes to how much of a person’s body is shown when they go through body scanners and how people feel about pat-downs. People have such strong feelings about the TSA that some officers find it easier to blurt out the true nature of their job than to simply say they are a TSA agent at an airport.
Yes, the job can drag on. So officers come up with codes for attractive (and annoying) people in the security lines, but at the end of the day, they’re just trying to do their jobs and get through the day, just like the rest of us. And they did not develop these methods, nor did they create the scanner. They simply follow the instructions and adhere to their training.
A passenger, left, looks on as a TSA officer in hand checks her carry-on bag at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Mark Lennihan
Terrorists are TSA agents’ No. 1 enemy, but cats are a close second. They scratch, hiss, hate being picked up and do not respond to commands. Believe it or not, cats need to be petted too (lest we have another nasty feline commanding a plane), and sometimes they use this opportunity to make a break for it. If they get through security prior to a proper search, the animal is considered a security threat and an entire terminal could potentially be shut down in response.
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Unlike cabin crew members, flight attendants and other airline employees, TSA agents do not receive perks like free flights with available seats or the occasional free meal. In fact, accepting any kind of gift can be grounds for termination – unless the agent is friends with (or a family member of) an airline employee.
Despite all the metal detectors, body scanners and pat-downs, it turns out that an awful lot of stuff can still get through security. In 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (which oversees the TSA) sent undercover agents into some of the busiest airports in America with prohibited weapons and fake explosives in their bags and on their person. Want to guess how many of the items made it through?
. In fact, TSA agents failed to detect the items in 67 out of the 70 tests performed.
As we previously revealed in a recent article, the TSA makes an awful lot of money from pocket change that passengers leave behind…$765,759 in 2015, to be exact.
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This was nearly double the amount from 2014’s $383,413. According to the agency, “receipts for unclaimed money are deposited into a Special Fund account so that the resources can be easily tracked and subsequently used.” So keep track of this change, lest the TSA cash in on your forgetfulness.
Worried about the TSA finding your stash? They can do that, but that is not their goal. “TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other drugs,” the official government website states. “In the event that a substance that appears to be marijuana is observed during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to law enforcement.”
Or according to some people online, they might just let you go. Still, if you come back from a trip to Colorado, it’s probably best to bring a “souvenir” home with you.
Although checked baggage sometimes arrives at its destination accompanied by a paper notice indicating that the bag has been searched by TSA agents (about 5% of baggage is searched this way), the contents are generally still in good order.
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However, not all TSA agents are so picky. Sometimes clothes and other personal belongings arrive in disarray, fragile items are broken, bottles are spilled and – all too often – wrapped gifts are torn apart. In the end, the TSA isn’t so bad, right? They just occasionally ruin Christmas.
Extra airport security is often blamed on the TSA, which can scare some travelers — especially those who may have packed a small pocket knife or other contraband and worry they’ll be unexpectedly arrested. While it’s true that the agents may try to detain you until the police arrive (as mentioned earlier), the agency itself operates on consent (expressed or implied), which means you’re generally free to leave the airport if security doesn’t want to let you through. It’s not like they can personally arrest you.
The TSA is not a fan of people who choose not to go through the full-body scanner. Granted, of course some people can’t for medical reasons, but others who simply refuse add more time to the security screening process and are a hassle for the staff (as well as the nervous passengers waiting behind you).
Life in the security line can get pretty boring (although the average TSA agent switches roles every 30 minutes), so in addition to the official passwords used by employees, some agents have invented their own. This could include ways to notify colleagues about attractive passengers (reportedly using a term like “hotel papa” or a code number in these cases) or innocent-sounding terms that alert agents to an annoying passenger approaching. In both cases, these types of flyers can have a longer screening experience.
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Full-body scanners are in most airports today, allowing TSA agents to view silhouettes of passengers’ bodies to detect hidden weapons or other dangerous items.
However, today’s scanners are different from those that were originally used. The first machines used backscatter X-rays to create an image of the body, which many travelers (as well as the American Civil Liberties Union) saw as too invasive, as they were able to reveal private medical information about passengers, including the fact that some use colostomy bags, have missing or prosthetic limbs, or are transgender (yes, it’s that detailed). When push came to shove, the TSA backed down, and in 2013 the scanners were replaced with devices capable of using “Automated Target Recognition” software, which replaces the images of naked ghost bodies with generic-bodied, cartoon-like representations.
With all the negativity surrounding the TSA (including, admittedly, this article) and its demanding agents, consumers rarely get to hear about the happy moments TSA employees experience. For example, almost every person has their own celebrity story, as famous people are seen traveling through airports every day – and each one eventually has to go through security. Additionally, agents sometimes get to experience positive, life-changing moments and are often kept in the dark. A new mom-to-be can calmly tell a TSA agent why she asked for a pat, or a nervous boyfriend can sweetly admit that he’s wearing an engagement ring. In fact, agents occasionally witness a pregnancy announcement or proposal!
Since the TSA always seems to deal with negative press, most people view them unfavorably (as just mentioned). That said, many officers aren’t completely truthful about their job title when asked what they do, saying they work for the Department of Homeland Security—which isn’t wrong, but it’s also not the whole truth.
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Have you ever wondered why your TSA agent spends so much time examining food packed in your luggage? That’s because many of these edibles actually look like explosives. In an X-ray machine, a wheel of cheese is indistinguishable from C4. Meat results in a similar situation, as all these foods appear orange on screen – just like bombs.
Side note: My grandmother was once temporarily detained for bringing 25 pounds of sausage through an airport security check. Of course, they didn’t know it was just a harmless meal at the time. All the agent saw on initial inspection were extremely long intestinal tubes coiled up inside a bag.
Have you ever wondered what happens to the items discarded by passengers when the TSA won’t let them through? They are not just thrown into a landfill, but instead collected and later sold at a profit. Items like knives, spears, heavy rolling pins and even nunchucks are collected every day by TSA screeners, shipped to states looking to make a profit, and then sold through local government thrift stores or online at GovDeals.com.
In total, the dangerous goods amount to around £425 a month. Over the past nine years, sales of these items reached $900,000.
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As previously mentioned, agents usually change position every 30 minutes. What most people don’t know
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