Poll: 90% of Frequent Flyers Give TSA Fair or Poor Rating

[JSpira]

A few weeks ago, a Gallup poll found that the majority of Americans give the TSA a good rating. Half of the people Gallup polled hadn't flown in the past year. Here is a somewhat different take:

Poll: 90% of Frequent Flyers Give TSA Fair or Poor Rating

by Dan Collins

An overwhelming majority of frequent flyers, 90.8%, thinks that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is doing either a fair or poor job of managing security screenings at the nation's airports.

The findings are from a survey conducted by Frequent Business Traveler from August 10 to August 31, 2012, in partnership with FlyerTalk, an online travel community. A total of 1,852 frequent travelers took part in the survey. The responses indicate ….
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[Templar]

The TSA sucks...

I stood there waiting to go through security last week and watched as the lady looking at the insides of all our bags was looking and picking at her fingernails half the time.

[Chewy734]

I flew to MSP a little over a month ago, and I had an excellent experience with TSA. The TSA at CLE though pisses me off and I would give it a poor rating (mainly because of their bitchiness).

So, I guess it's where you are flying through that matters a lot.

[Seminole]

I've found the TSA at the larger airports are the worst. Probably because they have such a high volume of passengers you're just another number to them.

At the regional airports they are much better. I've been flying to Savannah, GA for the past 4 weeks and the agents at SVH have been really nice. They recognize me now and always say hello.

Also, when I used to fly out of Tallahassee it was really painless. You made it through as fast as you could take off your shoes and push your bags into the x-ray machine. Zero wait.

[E90SLAM]

I don't see how people can get "good experience" going thru TSA check points?
Its a "fair" rating as long as they don't give me any trouble.

Its not like the TSA will give you a handjob or something that could either enhance or ruin your flying experience.

[dth656]

i used to travel weekly for work for a few years, both domestic and international, and would give them a poor rating for every interaction i had w/ them.* but i guess you get what you pay for--it's not like the TSA recruits at harvard, princeton and yale.


* the one exception that i would call out is SEA, where i found them to be helpful courteous and actually efficient. i flew there weekly for several months, and had a good experience each time.

[.b0link]

Originally Posted by JSpira

Poll: 90% of Frequent Flyers Give TSA Fair or Poor Rating

In other news a recent survey shows that 99% of the population hates going to the DMV.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by E90SLAM

Its a "fair" rating as long as they don't give me any trouble.

I think a sternly worded sign at the checkpoint would result in the sign getting a rating of being fairly effective.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by dth656

i used to travel weekly for work for a few years, both domestic and international, and would give them a poor rating for every interaction i had w/ them.* but i guess you get what you pay for--it's not like the TSA recruits at harvard, princeton and yale.


* the one exception that i would call out is SEA, where i found them to be helpful courteous and actually efficient. i flew there weekly for several months, and had a good experience each time.

Ja, some airports have more or less good to very good service when it comes to security. I would bet that the survey results would reflect that if we did this on an airport-by-airport basis.

[JoeyO]

Of course people aren't going to like them. It's an inconvienence.

But what's the alternative? They give you a lollipop at the end of the line?

I never understood what all the fuss is about. Safety ain't free.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by JoeyO

Of course people aren't going to like them. It's an inconvienence.

But what's the alternative? They give you a lollipop at the end of the line?

I never understood what all the fuss is about. Safety ain't free.

If we believed that what was being done at the security checkpoint actually made things safer, then the results of the survey would have been different.

[Comet]

Originally Posted by .b0link

In other news a recent survey shows that 99% of the population hates going to the DMV.

I don't know what's wrong with the DMV in the US.. but in Canada it is a pretty painless process, you come in at your appointment, do your thing, in and out pretty fast...

[JMX328]

The TSA DOES suck. I fly frequently both on business and personal... but they are awful.

Firstly, I'm half Middle Eastern, and am always "randomly selected" for a "completely random screening." I have a white as hell name, but always get selected. I don't care if they profile... it's just annoying, considering I'm on a plane 15 to 20 times a year.

The best (or worst, I guess) screw up the TSA made was when I was flying out of JFK back home to SFO. They were doing their "random search," and the TSA agent straight up grabs my junk, and asks, "Do you have paperwork in your pocket, sir?"

Me: "No, you idiot. That's my dick."

At least the experience was made funny - an old guy walking by overheard and jokingly asked, "What, TSA? No happy ending?"

Still, though... TSA needs a revamp.

[Mr Tonka]

Originally Posted by Comet

I don't know what's wrong with the DMV in the US.. but in Canada it is a pretty painless process, you come in at your appointment, do your thing, in and out pretty fast...

It's be cause here in America people think that driving is your right and forget that it's a privilege.


I don't fly often, but when i do i have no issue with TSA. They are not efficiency experts, they are a security force. Why they get judged on efficiency and ease of screening i don't know. Judge them on how well they keep nail clippers off of planes or in our experience CO2 canisters out of a checked bag.... A little too strict? Maybe but i like making it safely to my destination. I do believe they exist largely to make travelers feel secure, but i'm sure they must do some good in keeping the air travel safe. i guess i would give a fair to good grade since i've never missed my plane and don't travel often.

[amanda hor$t]

yup, it sucks. people who don't make enough so they give you a hard time just to "get even." then there's that dude who stole almost $1 million of stuff and sold it on ebay.

i don't check bags, but i bet they accidentally lose stuff and keep it too

[The J-Man]

Holy crap, the general populace brainwashing out there is worse than I thought. The TSA does absolutely nothing to promote safety. The TSA exists to demoralize and condition the American public into living under a police state. Take removing your shoes, for instance. It's a psychological warfare tactic to demoralize the enemy (us). Remind me again why we have to remove our shoes when we are subjected to cancer causing scanning machines which see everything anyway?

What about the TSA screening your coffee beyond security checkpoints to test for liquid explosives? It's pure harassment and conditioning.

How do you feel about TSA setting up checkpoints on highways and demanding to search your car? This is already happening. What about the TSA at train stations? This is already happening. What about the TSA at the door to your nearest shopping mall? This is in the works. Starting to see a pattern? See anything wrong with it?


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,1124468.story

Is this being done in the name of safety?

I can show you a THOUSAND news stories virtually identical to this one...

[M_Six]

Just came back from England where the Shoe Bomber and the Underwear Bomber came from. They didn't make us take off our shoes or go through a body scanner. The TSA crap is all security theater that's making a bundle for Chertoff's consulting company. Waste of time and as far as I'm concerned, a violation of Constitutional rights.

[persian54]

Originally Posted by JMX328

Firstly, I'm half Middle Eastern, and am always "randomly selected" for a "completely random screening." I have a white as hell name, but always get selected. I don't care if they profile... it's just annoying, considering I'm on a plane 15 to 20 times a year.

o I know how this one is.......and I have a Persian name, and Born in Tehran, Iran on my passport. Imagine the shit I get

I remember this one time I was flying to New York (few years back, right after 9/11), and crap... I got randomly selected so many times I lost count!

The TSA makes me hate flying

[The J-Man]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Just came back from England where the Shoe Bomber and the Underwear Bomber came from. They didn't make us take off our shoes or go through a body scanner. The TSA crap is all security theater that's making a bundle for Chertoff's consulting company. Waste of time and as far as I'm concerned, a violation of Constitutional rights.

Exactly, although in many ways the UK is much farther down the police state rabbit hole than the US. When I came back from Argentina a few months ago, no body scanners, no bag searches, no pat downs, no removal of shoes, no removal of coats. This is on a flight bound for the US. Kind of makes me wonder why all the "terrorists" of the world aren't boarding planes in South America bound for the US. Maybe because said terrorists don't exist all that much? Hell, Uruguay doesn't even have an immigration check in or out, and there are direct flights to Miami.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by The J-Man

Exactly, although in many ways the UK is much farther down the police state rabbit hole than the US. When I came back from Argentina a few months ago, no body scanners, no bag searches, no pat downs, no removal of shoes, no removal of coats. This is on a flight bound for the US. Kind of makes me wonder why all the "terrorists" of the world aren't boarding planes in South America bound for the US. Maybe because said terrorists don't exist all that much? Hell, Uruguay doesn't even have an immigration check in or out, and there are direct flights to Miami.

Was just reading an article in the Boston Globe about some guy who arrived on a plane from Japan wearing body armor and flame retardant pants. He had smoke grenades in his luggage. Obviously no one in Japan is looking.

I look at it this way; the chance of me dying in a car wreck on my daily 110 mile commute is far, far greater than the chance of me being on a plane that gets hijacked or blown up. I'm not afraid to drive to work, so I'm damn sure not afraid of getting caught in a doomed plane. I flew through the 70's when planes were getting hijacked seemingly on a weekly basis. I never thought twice about flying. IMO we're all in a lot more danger standing in the crowded security lines.

[amanda hor$t]

Originally Posted by persian54

o I know how this one is.......and I have a Persian name, and Born in Tehran, Iran on my passport. Imagine the shit I get

I remember this one time I was flying to New York (few years back, right after 9/11), and crap... I got randomly selected so many times I lost count!

The TSA makes me hate flying

the most recent time, i flew in to philly from europe, there was a fat black tsa guy who kept repeating "no drinks, no drinks ... " (i'm chinese, get it?)

i'm a tightwad most of the time but the tsa makes me want to get a jet

[michaelthepsycho]

Originally Posted by The J-Man

Holy crap, the general populace brainwashing out there is worse than I thought. The TSA does absolutely nothing to promote safety. The TSA exists to demoralize and condition the American public into living under a police state.

Truth. TSA is retarded. When you're being that strict on outbound flights, you're just protecting other countries, not your own. Nobody gives two shits about incoming planes back to the states; I know. None of that take off your shoe or belt bullshit happening in other countries. They couldn't care less if 300 more Americans died. Stop this nonsense.