Jokes about burger-flippers aside, would any TSA agent you’ve encountered be a candidate for even an entry-level job in any company you’ve worked with or for? At the risk of answering my own question I can give an unequivocal ‘no.’
Their misunderstanding of their remit is evident in their misuse of their power. They mistake pettiness for thoroughness, rudeness for assertiveness, and demand strict compliance to so-called rules that vary wildly from airport to airport despite the Department of so-called Homeland Security.
A significant number of TSA staff will quickly resort to intimidation and/or threats (we’ve all heard the ‘Do you want to miss your flight?’ routine) - it’s the coward’s way out especially a coward who is lacking in judgment, common sense and/or formal education.
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The first hiring wave of TSA included multitudes of veterans who thought the TSA was a credible way to serve.
The second wave included a great deal of IT folks who got hit when the IT bubble burst back in 2002. This group included a large number of very educated and highly intelligent people.
I trained baggage screeners (not passenger screeners) for 6 months in 2002 and know that what you are saying is the opposite of how it started.