PDX has a reputation for its stormtrooper-mentality TSA employees. The WSJ had a story some time ago about abuses. Mrs. Beelzebubba once had to holler at a screener rifling through her handbag out of view. I recently was treated rudely when I refused to trust my gold Swiss watch to the conveyor belt crew (they acted like being hand wanded was an inconvenience to them, and a punishment for my non-cooperation, I happily preferred it to the alternative.)
Something in the socialist waters there that breeds the brownshirt mentality. Anyone who thinks that nazi-like abuses would not be possible in modern America lacks some critical vigilance, and is blind to how eager many people are to wield a little arbitrary power over their fellow citizens.
PDX has a reputation for its stormtrooper-mentality TSA employees True. I got jacked up there last year: we had already gone through security to our gate, but had so much time before our flight, we decided to go back to the main terminal to check out the shops. (There are some GREAT stores there: Pendleton, Made in Oregon, Norm Thompson). We brought our drivers' licenses, boarding passes, and credit cards with us.
When we came back through, I set off the alarm. I tried to explain that I had been through there 30 minutes before, but to no avail. Turned out it was my shoes! When I asked why I didn't trigger the alarm the first time through, they explained that the scanners are NOT ALL CALIBRATED UNIFORMLY!!
Gee, that sure bolstered my confidence about the accuracy of the system. Can anyone say "Richard Reid?:"