"SSSS" Airport Screening

IROC · IROC's Garage

So, my wife and I took a quick trip to Florida this past week for our 10 year wedding anniversary. When we showed up at the airport in Knoxville, we were delayed at the ticket counter and then when I got to security, I got the "full treatment". TSA took my shoes and wallet (all I had on me - which also raised suspicion, come to find out), then moved everyone out of the way so I could go through the detectors by myself and then gave me the full pat down and also swiped me for explosives. They then held me (segregated from the other passengers) for about 10 minutes while the TSA supervisor talked on the phone. I asked what was going on, but they would only say that I have been flagged as "security risk".

I figured it was a random occurrence, but the same thing happened yesterday in the Clearwater, FL airport. I ended up talking to the guy that patted me down (while the supervisor was on the phone again) and he was pretty cool about it and basically claimed he didn't know what was going on. When the supervisor came back out (to give me my ID and boarding pass), I asked what was going on and how to avoid this in the future. She was not friendly and recommended I take it up with the Department of Homeland Security.

When we were getting ready to board the plane, seven TSA guys came and stood near the entrance to the jetway at our gate. I was standing in line with my wife when they called our zone to board and the same guy that patted me down came over and pulled me out of line and asked to see my ID. I asked if he was joking (after all, he had been rubbing my groin just an hour earlier). He wasn't joking. He actually apologized, but said that "he had to do it".

I was not worried as I knew I had nothing to hide, but it was unnerving being segregated and treated with such suspicion. Some of the TSA workers actually appeared fearful of me.

My boarding pass had "SSSS" on it. There is some info on the internet on what this means, but I didn't fit most of the criteria for this screening. Anyone else have this pleasant experience? Maybe I should stop posting on PARF.

Jim Richards · 10-21-2012, 06:41 AM

Yep, they saw your PARF posts, Mike.

That's just strange. Oh, BTW...happy anniversary to you and your wife.

sc_rufctr · 10-21-2012, 06:44 AM

Sounds weird Mike. You could be in a database somewhere but that's just a guess.

Do you look like a person of middle eastern appearance?

911Freak · 10-21-2012, 06:46 AM

Happened to me once when I had short notice for business travel, bought a one way ticket about 2-3 days prior to flying.... That was fun! Not... They went through every single item in my business bag, pockets, phone, everything was swabbed down and tested. Barely made my flight on time. This was at LAX so you know they bent me over...
There were the SSSS in red on my boarding pass.

Anyway, won't do that again...

Don't you work at a nuclear reactor? Think that might have something to do with it? Do you glow when you go through the machines?

Hope you had a nice anniversary, 10 years is something to be proud of!

widgeon13 · 10-21-2012, 06:51 AM

Could be just random or as simple as buying a one way ticket for cash. There is no logic to the system. The right hand doesn't know what the left is doing.

motion · 10-21-2012, 06:53 AM

You've been married for 10 years and took your wife on a vacation on a plane? Yes, I would be suspicious, too

Congrats

cairns · 10-21-2012, 06:54 AM

You think that's bad? Wait until you show up for your Obamacare. You'll be walking funny for weeks.

tevake · 10-21-2012, 06:59 AM

Sure sounds like your name is flagged for some reason, could be as simple as someone with the same name.

I would think that it would be in every ones interest for them to be more forth coming with folks in your situation so the misidentification could be cleared up and not have them repeating this at each airport. For their sake as much as yours.

Its a bummer to be singled out of a crowd like that embarrassing and humiliating.
You must be dreading your next trip.

Feeling for you,
Richard

Rick V · 07:10 AM

Congrads on ten years.
Next time just ask if your TSA screening can come with a happy ending.

Passengers with a one-way reservation.[2]
Passengers who pay cash for their tickets.[3]
Passengers who book reservations the day of their flight.
Passengers who "no show" a single leg of their flight.
Random selection, according to TSA spokeswoman Amy Von Walter in 2004,[4] and as suggested by a 2003 DOI newsletter.[5]
Flight to specific final destinations.
Flying without ID
Having one's name on a list of names supplied by the government to the airlines, according to an airline staff questioned.

#6 is a real WTF

Rtrorkt · 10-21-2012, 07:11 AM

SSSS = Special Security Screening. Did you have a one way ticket? Did you pay cash for the tickets? Did you have luggage?

There is an annoying randomness to the TSA bozos I must say. Having traveled a fair amount, if I have a one way ticket for what ever reason, I see the dreaded SSS on my boarding pass. If you are a frequent flyer and you belong to a loyalty club with an airline, they are now offering pre-screening to qualified folks.

Best of luck. My view is once you are on their list you cannot get off and they will not tell you why you are there. Remember, there have been 3 year olds on the SSS list.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Weird. It is pretty common for me to take one airline going out, and another returning, so two one-way tickets. This is on biz trips. I never get extra screening.

URY914 · URY914's Garage

It may also have to do with you flying out of a smaller airport. Clearwater is not the same as Tampa's airport.

bivenator · 10-21-2012, 07:53 AM

My friend returning from Mexico is stopped often. He has a very common name and there is a bad guy with the same name somewhere. Funny thing is, when they led him to an office for an interview the head of the local TSA picture is on the wall. The TSA guy and my friend share the same name.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I guess suicide bombers or other terrorists are too cheap to buy a RT ticket, even though it's sometimes cheaper than buying one-way. I was once told I couldn't get off at the first stop because my bags were coded for the final destination and the bags can't be on the plane when the passenger is not. Why? Do they think no terrorist was ever willing to die by his own bomb? They couldn't stop me from getting off in LA, I told them I was doing so. Why leave my bags on the plane when I asked to have them tagged for LA? They finally let me do it for another $100. I said, "Oh, so it's a security reg., but I can buy my way out of it for $100. That makes a lot of sense."

We are doomed.

ErVikingo · 10-21-2012, 08:13 AM

I travel weekly. SSSS means you have been "randomly chosen" for extra screening. I cannot tell if its random or not but out of my 40 to 50 trips a year, I get picked at least 25% of the time.

widgeon13 · 10-21-2012, 08:38 AM

As I stated earlier, there is no logic! Just random stupidity.

Quote:

I guess suicide bombers or other terrorists are too cheap to buy a RT ticket, even though it's sometimes cheaper than buying one-way. I was once told I couldn't get off at the first stop because my bags were coded for the final destination and the bags can't be on the plane when the passenger is not. Why? Do they think no terrorist was ever willing to die by his own bomb? They couldn't stop me from getting off in LA, I told them I was doing so. Why leave my bags on the plane when I asked to have them tagged for LA? They finally let me do it for another $100. I said, "Oh, so it's a security reg., but I can buy my way out of it for $100. That makes a lot of sense."

We are doomed.

widgeon13 · 10-21-2012, 08:39 AM

Of course it's random, Janet Napolean won't allow profiling.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I said, "Oh, so it's a security reg., but I can buy my way out of it for $100. That makes a lot of sense."

Reminds me of the (one and only) Crashcar event I went to in Fontucky. On the list of can't-bring items were glass bottles. "You know, so fans won't throw them onto the track," the security screener at the entrance told me. First freakin' concession stand I passed once past security? MGD stand, sold in glass bottles.

1990C4S · 10-21-2012, 08:53 AM

I travel twice a month. I have had it once this year.

I was told that it is random and the airlines are obligated to assign a certain percentage of boarding passes with "SSSS".

I don't pay cash, I book return tickets, and I have luggage. There is no reason to pick me as a suspicious traveler.

fred cook · fred cook's Garage

I don't fly anywhere now! If I have to go somewhere out of town, I make time to drive to the destination. Will probably never get on an airplane again unless it is a private plane owned by a friend. Maybe all of this silliness will "go away" someday!