Burbank airport TSA

I've been flying as Melissa since the mid 90 's and haven't experienced anything significant until this week. I flew out of Burbank (CA) airport on Wednesday afternoon. For those of you that aren't familiar, it services smaller jets (think 'express' or puddle jumper). One of the nice things is that with the smaller size there are rarely any lines. This also means that rookie TSA agents may not be prepared for everything they might see. I handed over my boarding pass and passport. The screener got a good look at me and asked 'just you'? So I respond yes in my best low tone. He then reviews my boarding pass, checking all fields, highlighting the 'pre-check' status, and marking it up. After about 20 seconds of this, he looks at my passport picture and his jaw dropped. He looked at me, back at the pic, and again about 3 times. He asks 'is this you'? He says 'wait' and goes to the other guy and his face has a look of sheer shock.

Hard to believe that i was the first for both of them, but apparently i was. So here's where it got very uncomfortable for me. As this is happening, they are waving my clearly MALE passport photo for all to see. Nothing like drawing attention to the guy in a dress - although based on my recent efforts, and the rest of the trip, I am sure no one would have guessed otherwise.

So the second guy comes over and goes through the same motions, and he is visibly sweating. After about 30 seconds of checks and notes he gives me the passport and paste back but then tracks me to the X ray where he certainly was sharing my ID with his fellow officers.

I don't begrudge the officers from trying to do their job and being confused, concerned, and scared when I showed up - but I do lame their training for not emphasizing that they need to be discreet.

So be warned, especially if you don't truly blend in - the TSA at Burbank may not be ready for you.

Sorry you had to go through this. I'll bet they will be ready from now on! Is there any way we can form a fly day for say about 6000 of us through Burbank airport at the same date and time? ;)

Jorja, you have a wicked sense of humour.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jorja

Sorry you had to go through this. I'll bet they will be ready from now on! Is there any way we can form a fly day for say about 6000 of us through Burbank airport at the same date and time? ;)

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That would be one definition of Sensory Overload...

Jorja ,
all I can say is OMG !! and lmbo!! that would surely be wicked however there is one place they would not bat an eye-----------alaska where I spent many years before my wife became ill there is enough of unususal humor a mass fly day would't even phase em!!! but I like the idea
thanks phylis anne

They obviously need to read their manuals and come up to speed on all of us.

Mel, please take the time to report your adventure with the TSA. The only way they are going to quit "waving passports" is to get an earful from their superiors. You started their re-education, let the TSA bosses finish it. Glad you kept your cool!

The first thought that crossed my little mind was the sound stage for the OLD TV series "laugh-in. Never would have expected it on the California coast.

Bobbi

Hi Melissa,

I agree with Heidi. While it may have been shock and naivety on the part of the rookie agents, it is still uncalled for behavior (waving your passport around). I would just let the TSA folks know that perhaps a bit of refresher training on how to deal with the TG community might be warranted in Burbank.

Hugs

Isha

Maybe a polite but pointed letter to The Burbank airport is in order. They could use a reprimand.

Jorja,
That was funny. I can see it on CNN now (the latest important news to cover). "Burbank Airport shut down-TSA needs backup"

I'll make sure I keep my calendar open!

Big mistake. Just because you got away with it in the past, doesn't mean anything.
If I were you I'd play it safe: send your girl stuff via UPS or FedEx but fly in drab.
One of these times playing games will backfire on you and end-up costing you some REAL money to keep you out of jail as a "suspected" anything.
It just ain't worth it.
And it's just not the TSA at Burbank to be concerned about.
Terror threats are a real possiblity these days. Don't go around playing games with people who may be trigger happy.

That may work for you, Cheryl, but many of us fly pretty quite often and expect TSA and others to conform to their stated policies of treating us appropriately and with respect. Sometimes it is our femme self who is expected at the other end of the flight and that could make it really awkward to run around the country and the world dressed as a guy.

In any case, like many others here, I have no interest in running back into the closet, and I certainly am not going to surrender my freedom to neither TSA nor terrorists.

Hugs,
Persephone.

I have never had any "trouble" and I feel the same as Persephone....Nothing is a big deal unless you make it one..Those TSA people were lacking training.

Again, I don't hold this against the agents, except that the second one felt compelled to share his find with his coworkers. Yes, I am still upset about him waving my passport around - but I certainly freaked him out. I wonder if I presented myself in a less than passing mode if there would have as much concern. Although I fly out of santa barbara sometimes it is exactly this reason that Melissa has been held in reserve because the agents there are also very young and 'over' thorough.

Cheryl, I do not agree with your commentary. I was not playing games. From a glance at your profile it appears you might treat dressing as a game. Most people who read your comments there may agree. As for me, I have been torn for a long time between going full time vs. Keeping my family together. This was a full time Melissa trip which helps keep the balance for me. I do not seek out partners (male or female) nor do I try to 'fool' people for pleasure. The TSA indicates on its website that it will treat people as they present themselves. If they took the alternate stance I would reluctantly not fly as Melissa.

The point I, obviously, failed to make was that of safety for all concerned.
You can certainly talk about your preceived "rights" until the cows come home.
Viewing the world as it is verses to how you would wish it to be is two distinctly different animals, sad to say.
Nevertheless, there is only one truth, and that's the world in which we live in is a dangerous place, and becoming more so than it was just a few years ago.
And it's not just airports. it's bus stations and roadblocks. The world is changing.
My point is to stay as safe as humanly possible. A man in wearing a dress is a tempting target for all the idiots out there, and Lord knows there's plenty of them to go around. My advice? Use the brains that the Good Lord gave you.
Good luck and Have Fun!

Sorry, Cheryl, your sky may be falling, however mine is not. You can stay in the shelter of your home and stay out of harms way. You can also look at the world through your own glasses, and I will use mine, which are definitely not rose colored. We all need to live our lives and not let others dictate and spread fear where little exists. The world has always been a dangerous place to live across all the centuries and continents for whatever reason. What you say about us trans folk could be said about anyone. Everyday people risk some harm in living their lives. Just riding a bus can be dangerous as one of my friends unfortunately found out after a horrendous bus accident. You know, "Leave your car at home and leave the driving to us!" Contrary to your belief, though violence does happen to trans people, it also happens to everyone else too. Of course, we all need to be careful and keep away from dangerous situations. Flying in an airplane is no more dangerous for us than for anyone else.

We have rights and we should exercise them. These are not perceived rights. They are real legislated rights, human rights. As Melissa said, it was not danger that motivated her to start this thread. It was the unfortunate and inconsiderate way that she was treated by the obviously poorly trained TSA personnel. Something similar happened to me because of a new and younger TSA. In my case her supervisor quickly cleared up her confusion and both agents treated me with the professional respect that any passenger deserved.

I think that to "retreat to drab" as a result of this incident would be a mistake, because it would embolden others to do more to force us back into the closet. We have rights, and they'll only mean something if we fight for them.

please file a complaint or things will never change...you would think the TSA people would be ready to handle any situation,but remember they are a Government agency,so no wonder they are incompetent.......

Melissa - can I first say that I feel indignant on your behalf - you shouldn't have been treated in such a discourteous and inappropriate manner and it seems clear to me that you must have been particularly unfortunate to have such a poorly trained and experienced team on duty at the time you went through... The fact that you have been travelling as Melissa for nearly 20 years (sorry... you mentioned it first.. but I'd never believe it...! ;)) and have only just had such an issue perhaps says as many good things about training and courtesy as it does for your recent bad experience - hopefully you won't have another... :)

I'm surprised by how much bad feeling there seems to be towards the TSA staff (and government staff in general) - they do a difficult and repetitive job in circumstances where one slip in their attention to process could mean another 'shoe bomber' passing through security and boarding a plane... :eek: Not likely, I know, but it's happened before and it will probably be tried again... I've worked with security services and government agencies in the UK, Europe and the US and what they're doing is a serious business. It's been much more serious in parts of Europe for longer than 2001 and I've travelled extensively before then and always had a great deal of sympathy for the job they do in keeping we travellers safe. They have an obligation to be suspicious and a little paranoid as well as courteous - cut them a little slack sometimes... :) Whenever I've had issues with security a smile and courtesy back always seems to work wonders - but then I've always looked mostly like my passport photo... ;)

And in the USA you have public transport infrastructure that if not the best in the world, is certainly the best of its scale... I think you do your countrymen and women a disservice to consider that incompetence... try travelling to India or China or Africa... :)

Katey x

Cheryl: Especially with LGBT movements as they are, you'd be hard pressed to find a TSA agent willing to stake his career on calling you a terrorist just for presenting en femme. Even beyond that you probably would never see real jail time, so you really are stacking your argument pretty high.

As for being somewhat prepared for reactions like this, I'd agree you have to be prepared if your going to do it. It doesn't mean its right.

Jorja: Name a time and place and I'm there. I go to that side of the country often to visit family, so I would need a place to change before staying with them, or before going to the "drag-in", but I'd love to see it happen. Would be decent publicity for us.