There are few people who have truly nice things to say about the TSA. Of course, you’ve got the extremists who say TSA is security theater, TSA officers get their jollies by groping people, etc. I don’t mean those people – they’re just angry drama llamas who want attention and no one should take them seriously. I mean the typical folks who take a plane and may or may not have had the most pleasant experience with TSA officers because of reasons.
If you read our blog with any regularity, you may know that I’m in the midst of completing JetBlue’s 25 For 25 promotion (18 down, 7 to go!). So I’ve been traveling a lot (and I mean a LOT) and have gone through the TSA security screening several times during the past month and change. Many were in airports where I’ve never been before. With that, I’ve seen TSA in busy places, quiet places, and everywhere in between. And with that, I started to notice a trend in the personalities of TSA officers.
But first, some background
A few random things that might help a bit with understanding:
TSA Officers’ training vs. personality type
We wrote a piece, a while back, about what TSA officers are taught during their training, including in terms of customer service. Spoilers: although professionalism is always required, TSA focuses more on safety than customer service. So, how ‘nice’ a TSA officer is really depends more on what an individual TSA officer brings to the table, personality-wise.
I mean, you probably know some people in your circles who are very sweet, and some who are passive-aggressive, angry, horrible people. Those same types of people – nice ones and not-so-nice ones – work at TSA.
Having to deal with the general public
TSA officers also sometimes have to deal with some very difficult people – and I’m talking about us, the passengers. And sure, YOU might be pleasant to them, but there are LOTS of people out there who have no idea what to expect at the checkpoint and need everything explained to them, slowing things down for everyone, who have a sense of entitlement, who don’t like being told what to do, etc. We went over this in our piece about why TSA officers are rude.
And let’s face it – when you’re working with people who frequently don’t listen to you, who fight you every step of the way, etc., you tend to become jaded and hard-nosed, and that’s going to be reflected in how you treat people – all people – at your job.
People’s description of “rude”
Going off topic for a second – New Yorkers have the stereotype of being rude. They’re not. They’re bold and confident. They’re direct and to the point. But those things don’t make them rude. Just because someone isn’t super friendly doesn’t automatically make them “rude.” Read more about that here.
The same thing goes for TSA officers. Just because they don’t greet you with, “Hey there, how are you doing today?” or don’t give you a big smile upon approach doesn’t mean they’re rude. They have a job to do and, as I said, have to deal with a bunch of folks who often don’t have a clue, don’t listen, don’t like being told what to do, think they’re better than them, and the list goes on and on. So sure, they may be stone-faces and direct – either because that’s a typical personality where they live, or because they’ve been exposed to lots of inappropriately behaving people at their job, etc. – but that doesn’t mean they’re rude. There’s a difference between being “rude” and being “not overtly friendly.”
But anyway, back to the intent of this piece, the differences in TSA officers in different locations:
The One Factor That Seems to Matter Most
Busy Airports = More Stress
From what I’ve seen during my travels, TSA officers who work in busier locations—Orlando, the NY tri-state area, Boston, Atlanta, etc.—tend to be more of the hard-nosed ones. They’re dealing with many more people than those who work in smaller airports, which means more stress because they have to work harder. Plus, they’re dealing with more “don’t know/don’t care/let me through” passengers. As we said earlier, over time, that’s going to take a toll on people, too.
Small Airports = Friendlier Faces
TSA officers who work in more quiet, less busy places, that are typically more friendly towns – Nantucket, Manchester NH, Lancaster PA, etc. – have tended to be bona fide pleasant. Friendly, even. I’ve seen them give direct eye contact, greet people with smiles and even ask, “How are you?” here and there.
If they work in a smaller, less busy airport, they also have to deal with a whole lot less people, so their jobs are generally less stressful. And the passengers who they’re dealing with are often from these same small town places where people are just generally more pleasant and “nice.” Lack of having to deal with unpleasant passengers is going to be reflected in how those TSA agents treat people, as well.
Obviously, I’m generalizing. Not every single TSA officer at JFK, EWR or Boston is going to be an @$$wipe who barks out commands and never cracks a smile. And I’m sure a TSA officer in those smaller airports has had a bad day here and there.
But instead of equating TSA officers with negative thoughts, start paying attention to how each one of them acts, and where you are. Besides potentially seeing the same pattern as I do, you may even find some diamonds in the rough.
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1 comment
I guess I’m an outlier but I don’t find most TSA agents to be remotely rude. Of course I live in a tertiary city so that would fit with your premise but most big city TSA people are surprisingly pleasant. Of course there are some that are more brusque but overall they do quite well considering the nature of their work, the culture of misogyny, and the lack of independent oversight.