Although it was cool with his airline, it wasn't with the TSA. A pilot who videoed security gaps at San Francisco airport has had his Federal Deputy status revoked and his federally provided side arm confiscated by the six agents that came to his house when he posted his video to YouTube.
This comes as no surprise to me. When I worked as a baggage handler we had to removed our SECURITY BADGE before going through the metal detectors on our way back from lunch. If we were in a hurry, we could duck into one office, go through the office and out by another door that was on the other side of the screening. Sometimes if the screener was rude we'd wave from inside the security zone.
While waiting to park a jet we were relaxing under the jetway (that ramp thingy that you walk through to board) when two guys in suits walked out of a crew door looked around and when back into the crew offices. After playing a short round of hide and seek in the hallways we confronted them and asked to see their security badges.
"We don't have badges son," the older of the two said as he opened his sports coat, "we have one of these."
My eyes focused on the big black Glock he had in a shoulder holster.
"Not the gun, son. Look at the badge."
They were Secret Service and had been inspecting security of the terminal. The Vice-President's wife was coming to our fair city in the near future. They had roamed around for about a half an hour before we jacked them for badges. We were the only ones to challenge them. We were given $100 ($50 for each agent) by the company for our alert action.
