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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: TempusVox on February 25, 2017, 08:08:54 PM
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So flying home through El Paso, Texas on Monday I either:
a. Dropped my wallet in the rest room just prior to entering the line for security. Or,
b. had it lifted by an extremely crafty and gifted pick-pocket (which is highly unlikely because I don't carry my wallet where it can be easily lifted).
Either way, I suddenly realized that I was without it. So, after panicking and notifying the airport police, who went immediately into action, checking tapes, and having several officers run around and actually look for it; I had to go through security.
My wife went through the normal process, yet I was pulled aside, where a "Supervisor' had me fill out some forms, basically attesting to the fact that I was who I said I was. She then told me that she was going to call the "Regional Office" who "will patch me through to DC, and they'll ask me to ask you a series of questions."
Still freaked at the fact that I'd lost some very important things that I had in my wallet, part of me was thinking, "Like what, algebraic equations?"
After we dispatched with name, primary address, social security number, and date of birth, things got interesting.
I was asked the following:
Make, model, and color of all of your vehicles.
What was the last car your wife purchased?
What colleges have you attended?
What are the addresses of your other properties?
Where did your wife go to graduate school?
What sorority did your wife belong to? (REALLY???)
Where does your son attend college?
What do you do for a living? (then the follow-up) Name the titles of some of your books?
What is your primary residence land-line phone number? When I explained we no longer had a land-line the response was "They know, what was the former number?"
When was the last time you were out of the country and where did you go?
Then this happened, "Do you have any pets?"
Me..."Are you serious?"
TSA Chick... "Yes Sir"
Me..."Yes...we have pets"
TSA Chick..."What are their names?"
Me..."Are you messing with me?"
TSA Chick: "No"
So I told her my pets names :|
After that question we were finished. However, I still had to go through the xray machine, and then I was taken aside and thoroughly frisked while 2 other agents did the "bomb swab' on every single item I had in my carry-on. Lip balm-swabbed. Ball point pen-swabbed. Headphones-swabbed. Books- all three swabbed. pack of tissue-swabbed, etc,etc,etc,. This went on for about 30 minutes.
I get it. I really do, but all I had done was lose my ID. I know they have my photo somewere. They have facial recognition software. They could easily compare me to the same guy who had passed through that very airport only 6 days earlier.
But the thing that blew my mind was all of the information that they apparently have on each of us. I mean. Pets?? Really???
I've considered that they had no idea if I have any pets, but they may have been wanting to see my reaction to the question. But I'm leaning toward they actualy knew my pets names. Scary shit.
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What's scary....is that person in the regional office probably knew your DTF handle, and then said 'let him through, but really f#ck with him first.'
Sorry you had to go through all of that.
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They did everything except ask for the secret Freemason handshake...
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Ohhhh looks like they took a page out of the Israeli airport security handbook. Always fun.
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That sound so scary that they knew what to ask!
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Maybe they knew the pet's names or maybe they were looking for a lie in his eyes.
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They did everything except ask for the secret Freemason handshake...
I wouldn't have complied with that.
Virtus Junxit, Mors Non Separabit
I took an oath ya know? :biggrin:
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They did everything except ask for the secret Freemason handshake...
I wouldn't have complied with that.
Virtus Junxit, Mors Non Separabit
I took an oath ya know? :biggrin:
Good man. ;)
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What's scary....is that person in the regional office probably knew your DTF handle,
Doesn't everybody? ;D
j/k
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I would have told her my pets were Lassie, Benji and Heathcliff just to see what she knew. My guess is that they're looking at how you answer rather than what you answer, but if she's got realtime access to your veterinary records (the only way they'd actually know) I'd want to find out about it.
And honestly, that sounds like a really half-assed interrogation. Adami mentioned Israeli security, and this seems like the equivalent of a pinkie swear compared to that. Those guys are trying to trip you up. Here they were just looking at what you knew.
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Name the titles of some of your books?
And you said...?
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Fifty shades of Grey.
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Lifting Shadows.
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Dianetics.
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Ohhhh looks like they took a page out of the Israeli airport security handbook. Always fun.
Having been through Israeli border checkpoints myself on the Israeli/Jordanian border, Vox's interrogation was only slightly more pleasant. If I remember correctly from some of your previous posts, I think you've been through it a time or two yourself (iirc you lived in Israel for a time).
Pet's names... come on. I would not have been able to contain a laugh at that question. I'm honestly surprised, looking at the other questions that they asked you, that they didn't ask you to confirm the type of porn you like.
Sorry you had to deal with that.
I'm willing to bet you wrote "Off Season"... Jack.
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It's amazing the great lengths people will go for the sake of security and yet, we have no security. :lol Only the illusion of security. Really sorry to hear about that Tempus. Your pain and anguish got us no closer to being safe and secure in the friendly skies.
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Ohhhh looks like they took a page out of the Israeli airport security handbook. Always fun.
Having been through Israeli border checkpoints myself on the Israeli/Jordanian border, Vox's interrogation was only slightly more pleasant. If I remember correctly from some of your previous posts, I think you've been through it a time or two yourself (iirc you lived in Israel for a time).
Pet's names... come on. I would not have been able to contain a laugh at that question. I'm honestly surprised, looking at the other questions that they asked you, that they didn't ask you to confirm the type of porn you like.
Sorry you had to deal with that.
I'm willing to bet you wrote "Off Season"... Jack.
Oh yea, I lived there for a few years and I'm a citizen. Also my ex-girlfriend wrote her thesis on Israeli border policy, which was inspired by them basically destroying her suitcase and making her strip naked for basically no reason.
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Ohhhh looks like they took a page out of the Israeli airport security handbook. Always fun.
Having been through Israeli border checkpoints myself on the Israeli/Jordanian border, Vox's interrogation was only slightly more pleasant. If I remember correctly from some of your previous posts, I think you've been through it a time or two yourself (iirc you lived in Israel for a time).
Pet's names... come on. I would not have been able to contain a laugh at that question. I'm honestly surprised, looking at the other questions that they asked you, that they didn't ask you to confirm the type of porn you like.
Sorry you had to deal with that.
I'm willing to bet you wrote "Off Season"... Jack.
Oh yea, I lived there for a few years and I'm a citizen. Also my ex-girlfriend wrote her thesis on Israeli border policy, which was inspired by them basically destroying her suitcase and making her strip naked for basically no reason.
Wonderful! I'm heading there tomorrow and had no worries...until now! :)
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That's funny; around that time I got a call from the TSA.... Hmmmmmm....
As for "other ways"... the time, effort and expense to scroll back, find that tape, isolate your face, do the connection... this stuff doesn't happen on a cell phone like in NCIS. There's no "Abby Sciuto" who hacks into the Freemason database and hauls out your penis size for comparison, all in real time while quipping hilariously with Gibbs about her latest "Caf-pow!" experiences.
It's just easier to ask you dumb questions and watch your reaction (ironically, your ire and dumbfoundedness is part of the equation). Plus the longer you're there, your reaction starts to morph in various ways. It's not definitive science, necessarily, but it is pretty reliable.
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Ohhhh looks like they took a page out of the Israeli airport security handbook. Always fun.
Having been through Israeli border checkpoints myself on the Israeli/Jordanian border, Vox's interrogation was only slightly more pleasant. If I remember correctly from some of your previous posts, I think you've been through it a time or two yourself (iirc you lived in Israel for a time).
Pet's names... come on. I would not have been able to contain a laugh at that question. I'm honestly surprised, looking at the other questions that they asked you, that they didn't ask you to confirm the type of porn you like.
Sorry you had to deal with that.
I'm willing to bet you wrote "Off Season"... Jack.
Oh yea, I lived there for a few years and I'm a citizen. Also my ex-girlfriend wrote her thesis on Israeli border policy, which was inspired by them basically destroying her suitcase and making her strip naked for basically no reason.
Oh, there was a reason (aside from jollies). The most effective part of their security is the reputation, and that's arrived at by intimidating the bejeezus out of people. Every time somebody gets that treatment and complains about it online their security improves a wee bit.
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Honestly, it's somewhat comforting to know TSA actually did something. For the most part they are terrible and do little to stop anything from happening. I used to regularly fly with my pocket knife and lighter. They however are VERY good at catching you bringing a bottle of water in your bag.
And that sucks you lost your wallet, but given you were in an airport, I wouldn't put it past someone robbing you. There's lots of criminals waiting to pounce at airports. My father had a very nice watch stolen at an airport, during the security screening when he had to take it off. Also obviously luggage is a big target at airports.
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It's amazing how varied airport security is. Just a couple years ago, a coworker went through airport security twice not knowing he had a big knife in his carry on. Didn't realize it until the cab ride home.