I had an encounter with a real A-hole TSA employee at the Houston airport, after we got off our 11+ hour flight from Tokyo (and after three other flights just to get to Tokyo).
There was a guy in front of me in a pilot's uniform, but it looked just like the TSA uniform, so as I was unpacking the DVD player from one of our carry-ons I asked him "I do have to take this out, right?" and he said "No, I don't think so." So I put it back, and put the bag onto the rollers to go into the X-ray machine.
Then all of a sudden this TSA guy, who had been standing there the whole time, looking like he was ignoring me, literally yelled at me, shoved the bag back in my hand, sent me back to the other side and told me to take out the DVD player. Being really tired and somewhat grumpy, I said to him "I just asked someone if I should do that, and they said no"
The TSA guy then says "who, that guy?" pointing to the pilot, "That's a Pilot! You need to ask a TSA employee!!"
So, this TSA A-hole had obviously overheard the whole thing, was standing there doing nothing, and then just waited for the bag to go through so he could put on his little display of petty bureaucratic power.
Sorry guys - I have no sympathy for that kind of behavior. No excuses for that, IMO. Of course, I said nothing further, because the little prick probably wouldhave had me detained or something.
