Some TSA screening personnel have made serious mistakes, but many have not and don't deserve ill treatment. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
The new Transportation Security Administration guidelines, and the TSA screenings and pat-downs, are not popular with a lot of people. There have been some serious transgressions by screening personnel since the guidelines debuted. This does not mean every TSA screener is out to abuse the public.
Workers conducting TSA screening deserve some sympathy
Since the new TSA screening procedures became the norm, public resentment has grown toward the new security guidelines. Granted, flagrant abuses by screening personnel absolutely should be condemned. The behavior on the part of some airport personnel is disgusting. However, bear in mind that airport personnel make few decisions, if any, on how to execute their duties. They are ordered to conduct searches in a specific way, and it is not inconceivable that they equally resent being abused by the public for merely doing their jobs as they are told. Also, according to a recent article on CNN, some members of the public flying the friendly skies are not exactly on their best behavior.
The customer can certainly be wrong
The platitude “the customer is always right” is popular, but anyone who has worked in public services knows just how wrong the customer can be. There are numerous websites dedicated to describing the odd, amusing, or downright rude behavior the public can exhibit, such as Notalwaysright.com, among others. Obviously, employees are expected to do their jobs professionally, and many do, but those are the people that are rarely noticed, never mind thanked.
More people accept screenings than not
Some polls about the new guidelines, according to ABC, reveal that more people are for the scans than against them, but just slightly more people are against pat downs than for them. Perhaps a pat down is going a little too far, as it isn’t as if anyone is committing a crime by flying. Though TSA employees who obviously go too far certainly deserve to be singled out for disciplinary action, the ones who do not should not be subjected to ill treatment just for doing their jobs.
