TSA - travel in America and public saftey versus mindless search and destruction.

It is time for another rant. Interesting title - what does Greg have to RANT on today?

TSA is a amazing phenomenon in America. The job is simple - thru search and presence, increase safety for air travelers. The goal is supposed to be finding anything that could be used by crazy individuals or terrorists to harm. The reality is very different.

TSA, also referred to as Airport Security, appears to only serve as a presence to allow American travelers to FEEL safe to travel by air.

I have personally made the mistake of traveling with knives in a carry on and realized the security guys missed them. I had a flight last summer that security pulled 4 knives out of a carry on that had passed undetected thru 3 previous airports. I was totally freaked out since I had no idea they were in my bag. I carry a man bag and I had not really looked thru it in way too long. But the fact that the knives had not been found in the previous airports made me feel really unsafe. It is quite disturbing.

I had fly dates this past week and had TSA fun again! Because I am a musician, and I believe it is an interesting enough job, people love going thru my stuff. I guess it is just more fun than the housewife going back home to visit the parents? I had a very full carry on that was packed 110% - heavy and full of stuff. After the bag was checked by the little cloth thing I was told it came up in question and needed to be checked. This guy went thru everything, jewelry, electronics, books, pens, camera bag, you name it. He then pulled out a box of 100 CDs that I had to bring home and opened that box, looking thru CDs. Amazing mess and nearly missed a flight due to the mess made.

Now this would be argued as his job, and most agree that being through is good when it is all of our safety involved. I don't think the bag came up dirty but looked interesting. I will agree that this is only my opinion since I have no idea if there is any way to know if it came up 'dirty'.

THE RANT - My sax is worth way too much money. I have the best of the best and had a custom case made at Anvil years ago to make sure it would travel safely. The problem is TSA. It makes no difference how safe a case is, nothing can keep your stuff safe from TSA.

I check an indestructible case to keep my saxophone safe. It is checked and goes under the plane. If anything was unsafe in that case, I have no way I could possibly get to a shipped case underneath in storage on the plane. The question is - WHY do TSA people always feel the need to riffle thru that case? The sax had key clamps on the keys to insure a strong jolt could not effect the adjustment. The sax fits very tight in this case and it is designed to travel the sax very safe.

Yet TSA employee's seem to always find a need to pull the sax out and look at it. They have no idea how the key clamps work and often remove them or they simply pop off when the sax is being shoved back in the case. Damage to the clamps is fine, but any damage to the sax is annoying to say the least.

The sax was not put back correctly,  key clamps were damaged, action was all messed up, bell to body is out of adjustment, and it did not play well. Not the condition I checked the sax in before TSA got a hold of it at all!

Lets add insult to injury. They went thru the little storage box too. They opened the reed case and one reed was missing, the others broken. I know I need to carry this case because they have done this before, but the real question is why?? I feel like these goofballs would riffle thru my medicine cabinet given the chance just because they are nosy and idiots, but I digress.

There was a pair of pants rolled up inside the bell to safe some space. Where are the pants?? Guess they couldn't figure out how to get everything back in. My issue is why? WHY do they feel the need to empty a checked bag that is obviously music stuff? Fortunately the new box of sealed reeds was not opened and broken so I had some reeds and could get the sax to play OK.

The case is marked from many flights from all over the country. Why they feel the need to just mess with a checked bag is beyond me. Why we travelers have to permit search out of our site is a good question. We should have the option of search in our presence and then, after they are done, let TSA watch US safely put the items in the case so the flight case can do its job and keep the saxophone and the contents of the case safe. I spent a lot of money for that case but can not protect my saxes from TSA!

SO SAD and ANGERING!

I am afraid to look since my return - TSA SUCKS.....