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 Replies: 29 / Views: 3,405 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1283 Posts |
I'm out in CA visiting my mother (I flew in from NC).
I flew out of RDU in Raleigh. I brought two coin albums with me, an incomplete Dansco Type set and a fully complete, high grade Lincoln set.
I wanted to visit a couple trusted dealers that I used to frequent and so I brought some of my coins to help with my decisions.
For obvious reason those came with me on my carry-on, which is my army issued "assault pack" (basically an ACU pattern fancy backpack). Needless to say that pack never left my death-grip, let alone my sight.
With one exception... I had to put my pack through the X-ray scanner. I took great care to personally observe it entering and exiting the machine.
The guy watching the screen had this confused look on his face, and so I thought, "here we go..."
When I got to the end the other security lady grabbed my pack and called me over. She then went through and removed the contents, opened my coin albums one at a time and in a rough, rapid manner flipped through each page one-by-one.
I was a bit uncomfortable with her careless treatment of my coins, but they do have the clear slip covers and I understood she's only doing her job for security.
But then without saying a single word to me she put the albums back into my assault pack and walked away. "What the bleep!" I was thinking. So from where I was standing I walk three paces to my right so I can personally observe my pack. Apparently, she put it back into the pack just so she can run the whole thing back through the scanner again, for whatever reason. But not before she yelled at me for moving about four feet from where I was standing so I can keep an eye on my pack.
When she came back I told her, "I'm sorry, but that's a very expensive coin collection." To which she replied, "Nobody wants your coins!" My GOD I wish I was in a different setting at that point. Had I told her what I was thinking I would have probably gotten kicked out of the airport.
Edited by USArmyParatrooper
01/02/2011 10:38 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1213 Posts |
I'd say you showed great restraint in that situation.
I'm not sure I'd have been able to not say something after all that.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1283 Posts |
okiepb, I was furious, which is why I didn't say anything. When I get to that point I don't have a filter. And blowing up on a power tripping airport security guard just seemed like a bad idea. Especially because we don't get many opportunities for block leave, and my tickets were 600 bucks.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Quote:
To which she replied, "Nobody wants your coins!" Which is completely absurd considering how many TSA "agents" have been charged and convicted of theft from passenger bags... |
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Valued Member
United States
397 Posts |
I can only wish I would show the same restraint in a similar situation. Of course, this is one of the reasons why I no longer fly. I personally am not willing to give up my freedoms in the name of security. Apparently far too many Americans are willing though...
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Valued Member
United States
171 Posts |
TROOPER, Sorry to hear about your experience. There is little to no accountability in regards to customer service when dealing with government agencies (think DMV). I make sure I thank people that are actually cordial when I encounter them. They seem to have the "you don't have a choice so deal with it" attitude. You're an Army guy.....you should be used to that kind of stuff  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3278 Posts |
Congratulations for keeping your cool, I was getting riled up just reading your post.
I work with people and always treat them with respect and empathy, it infuriates
me when I am treated differently. It is just too easy to be nice and share a smile and a story with a stranger,
I don't understand why anyone would conduct themselves in any other manor. People on a power trip are the worse.
I enjoy the ride of an airplane but avoid it as much as I can, too much loss of control for me.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
880 Posts |
I also have a customer service type job, although it's one for our troops so it's different then the general public... I personally think that if you can't do your job properly and kindly then you should no longer be allowed to do it. I think the airports would be a lot nicer place :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
592 Posts |
You think it's bad now,wait till they go union!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
No excuse for being treated this way. Well done in keeping your cool. Glad at least one party maintained their professionalism.
Flying just stinks. You can't win in this situation. You don't want to necessarily declare "that's an expensive coin collection - please handle it carefully" but at the same time, if you say nothing, they treat it like a copy of People magazine. No wonder rich people charter their own jets!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Nice of you to keep from blowing your top. You must be young or by now you would realize that most people hired to deal with the populace of our country are:
1. Working at minimum wages so not really worried about you.
2. Not necessarily of the highest intellect
3. Irritated that you have something better than they do
4. Not sure why anyone would save all those little round things.
And many other reasons you'll run into soon enough.
When my Son was real young, about 6 years old, I used to fly him to another state to visit relatives by himself. He used to carry toys with him in a bag to keep him busy on the planes. One time he packed a few plastic squirt guns that were in the shape of fish. His tavel bag got stopped at the scanner and we had to have his DANGEROUSS SQUIRT GUNS shipped separately in an armament box.
That waa really to funny to get mad about.
Just remember the mental abilities of some of the people that check you out.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1840 Posts |
Quote:
"Nobody wants your coins!" For the record, I'll take them if you don't want them.  It could have been worse. I almost expected you to say that they removed the coins from the albums. Have you thought about shipping them ahead of your arrival next time? It may save you a little stress. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
764 Posts |
I got searched three times on my round trip to San Francisco. The third one was like "Here we go again"
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
Honestly, I think I would have gotten the TSA agents name (after I got my stuff back) so that I could file a complaint.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3692 Posts |
People working in airports are highly corruptable. It's possible that person is already protected by their entourage of bag handlers flight attendants. Persuing this will make you look bad - believe me - my mom was robbed of her mole at Mexico City airport by a goon like this, saying that all powders have to be taken. They, in effect, took food out of our mouths for a long long time. I have the name of the goon, but really, what good will that do?
Also, in Atlanta airport, I was given wrong directions to my connecting flight. For a town with one building in it, they sure don't know their way around.
Edited by Libertad
01/03/2011 11:20 am
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
TSA's starting wage is about $13.50, for the record. Not enough to attract any but the young and those who aren't going to have a "career."
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Replies: 29 / Views: 3,405 |
Posted 01/02/2011 10:36 pm
