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Turns Out, TSA Employees Have A Secret Facebook Group With 18,000 People And Here Are Some Of Their Worst Vents
A few months ago, an investigation uncovered a secret Border Patrol Facebook group. The group was filled with vulgar, sexist and racist posts that were made by federal border agents. From an obscene illustration featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to jokes about migrant deaths, the content left many people completely baffled. And if you think that group was bad, well, as it turns out, TSA employees are no better.
Recently, NBC Washington revealed that Transportation Security Administration employees have their own Facebook group with 18,000 current and former employees called TSA Breakroom. The employees used it to vent about their managers, coworkers and of course the travelers who, in some cases, were described as 'idiots'. Posts were filled with hate, frustration, crudeness and racial stereotypes. While the group is no longer available, NBC Washington managed to gather some of the absolutely outrageous posts.
Even though TSA made a statement to News4 I-Team in which they stated that the page "is not affiliated with TSA" and "an employee's off-duty internet use must not adversely reflect on TSA", the posts clearly demonstrate problems within the institution. An audit by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General cited staff turnover, shortages, pay and “excessive use of overtime” as causes of lower job satisfaction and morale.
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I don't think that is that bad. Just being realistic & funny about what the gloves look like.
Just doing their job. Customers who say they’ve already been checked elsewhere blah blah blah are asshats. Just get checked and leave, you’re holding up the damn line.
Sorry, what exactly is wrong with this? The person is cold. There is a heat-source. Person is only proving that they're not a numpty by applying heat from source to cold extremities.
This is profiling, not racist. If a large percentage of travelers from China (usually Chinese) bring prohibited items with them, then a whole group not having anything is an outlier and worthy of a little nod. Nothing wrong with that.
Wow, apparently BP loves you and your comment. Edit: I'm talking about the replies.
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I think they maybe meant- Chinese people often carry prohibited items in baggage (fruits etc etc) so if nothing showed up- they let them go. We have Australian border documentaries and s**t Chinese bring with them is insane.
I was one a trip once (with my chinese grandmother) and this TSA was being a racist dumbfuck. " Are you SURE you don[t have anything on you? Lots of Chinese people bring (meat, yadda, yadda.) He then proceeded to take 20 minutes check all of our bags and our tickets to make sure we didn't have anything on us. And I'm American. He only stopped when some older ladies called him out for it.
I don't like this tbh. Once my mom brought a bag of hot pot mix and it had nothing not allowed in it. But the TSA insisted it wasn't allowed because one of the ingredients had the word "鸡” on it which means chicken. And the ingredient its self had nothing to do with it. Needless to say, my mom was really sad because the hot pot mixes in the US tastes pretty blah and she was looking forward to having Hot pot for Chinese New Year dinner.😔
People need to have a sense of humor. That's one of the best traits the Good Lord gave us. I think these workers need more appreciation. They are the ones who keep us safe in the air and it has to get boring some days while doing the same thing over and over and getting the same stupid people coming through with all kinds of excuses.
I had a CRT television (small one) in my carry-on bag once, it went right through the x-ray scanner, nobody even looked at me strangely.
Why would they? It's a small TV, not a bomb or weapon.
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If the TSA folks have these people's paperwork then they aren't being racist. If they are Chinese nationals traveling as a group, that makes them "a group of Chinese tourists" Using that term to describe a different group would be racist.
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Wilvander, you realise that it was the TSA that someone else was shouting at right? Not the other way around?
And why is this post here? OK I need my life back, can't believe I'm this far down and still nothing to enjoy/get upset so far.
SSSS = Secondary Security Screening Selection. LLLL = you're pre-check approved. I believe it stands for "Laptop Liquid Light-jacket Line" (ie the line where you don't need to remove your laptop, liquids, or light-jacket, in order to be scanned). (according to google research & the TSA-related websites)
I don't know what to think about these... some of them are funny but honestly these people seem like the worse kind of people to work with or befriends with. This is why everyone hates airport security, they treat us like criminals and like we're idiots and apparently that's exactly how they feel?!
What do you expect for jobs that were advertised for on Domino's Pizza boxes. Yeah, we're the dim ones....
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Most of us don't fly every day so we're already semi stressed and we haven't got all the Mickey Mouse, ever changing rules memorized. It's not our fault you hate your job you'd probably hate any job. No sympathy here.
I see nothing wrong with this, aside from one. Wishing someone's plane blows up is awful!
So many cretins work for TSA --- this FB group just illustrates that fact. How incredibly pathetic.
You get what you pay for. Same reason for so many bad employees working fast food.
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Honestly, it is way better that I was expected. If these are their worst vents, I'd say most of them are very polite and patient people. Let’s admit there are way too many selfish, entitled, crazy or aggressive passengers at any given airport; add stress and alcohol to that, and imaging having to deal with them all day long.
I didn't expect the comments here to be so negative. Isn't everyone who works with customers annoyed by some of them and has to vent sometimes. And they see a LOT of customers every day, and probably hear the same things over and over again. So yes, it's their job, but I think it's also okay to cope with this through talking to others in the same job. And for all flights I had, I never had a bad experience, they are just people too.
Totally agree. Most of the people who works in retail, customer service or similar position dealing with tons of customers, are saying how exhausting it is. Most of us complain about our jobs one way or another, it is highly hypocritical to expect TSA agents to be saints.
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I used to work for CVS Pharmacy- we had a Facebook group called CVS stole my soul where we'd complain about customers, etc
You gotta know how to handle people. Like how to respond to those who complain about other airports being different. Simply tell them it's to keep them safe. If every airport used the same procedures, the 'bad guys' would know what to avoid. You're welcome.
This just seemed like a compilation of typical Facebook posts to me....
Aside from the kid in the stroller one, I don't have a problem with any of these. These are not bad vents. This is reality and you could do the same sort of group for any group of employees that deal with humans on a daily basis and you'd hear the same kind of stuff.
This posts come off as weak, petty, small minded and by people who should never have power over others. I doubt they make air travel any safer and are part of an brutally intrusive system.
Try doing the job for 6 months. Then get back to us and tell us how polite all the passengers are.
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I hope nobody gets in trouble for this. They have a sucktastic job and they are just venting. Let them vent.
There is tons and tons of articles and lists exactly the same as this but by sales clerks, wait staff, reception staff etc. Why is this such a big deal? People in any kind of costumer service are gonna complain about who they have to deal with
And better than going off and seriously harming someone. This is also a very dangerous job at some undetermined moment.
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I used to work for TSA and I remember staff looking forward to difficult passengers because they entertained us. The day is so monotonous until some passenger starts freaking out and yelling about being patted down or having their luggage searched. For us it was like watching TV.
I don't see much wrong with most of these. People need to rant about their jobs every now and then! Yes, I few might be terrible but still. We often complain about TSA employees without even realizing it, they should get a chance to do the same back at us. As long as they don't say anything too cruel (ex: being racist), then I see nothing wrong with this group existing.
So? Almost every work type has these secret FB groups. Hell, I belong to one for the wives of what my husband does for a living because it's so freaking specific very few people understand the lifestyle. I guess I don't get the big deal. It's the same as all those waiter/waitress groups that post giant festivus complaints about their customers.
This is pretty normal. Most everyone that works with people does this. Y'all should hear some of the s**t food service workers have to say.
Its a secret group and some whiny b***h got in and than ratted them out, stop being offended
This is pretty normal. Most everyone that works with people has a vent board, in fact there are entire reddit communities dedicated to the nonsense that customers pull/try to pull.
I had one of those fine people say to her co-worker as I was approaching "I just can't stand red heads, you'll have to do him". When I was almost down to my underwear they were wondering out loud if the drapes matched the curtains. I asked if they'd like to see. JFCA, the way they carried on you'd have thought I assaulted them or something. I thought I was going to be arrested. That was a fun day.
this post did nothing to improve my opinion of TSA employees; if anything, it confirmed my worst suspicions about them, and made me fear for our safety if they're the ones responsible for it
I have been to the USA a few times and also got internal flights , every time they treat me like c**p and its not even a race thing, I am white British so God knows how bad it is if you are Non white, there are a few reasons Ill never go back to America, TSA are just one. Interestingly the people that do this job in my experience in Australia,Thailand,Hong Kong,Sri Lanka,Japan,Greece,Italy are all friendly and professional it is literally JUST America.
Strange, the places you mention have a culture where you do NOT argue with authority. Odd how that works, isn't it? They aren't getting the "But I'm SPECIAL" all day from idiots.
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Well, y'know, back at 'em on charges of idiocy and similar. I was a regular "target". (Do they share info on passengers who are a "good patdown"?!) And my complaint? Laughed off. "What did you expect?"... BTW, the female agent "in the room"? Had her back turned and/or was staring at a phone each of the *four* times this happened. And I ain't that shapely. One confiscated my bra, btw, and shook the plastic "underwires" at me like I'd tried to kill someone. Yep, tore apart the bra to prove it was dangerous and he had reason to grope. Ugh.
Had to stop reading. So much disrespect for the public and their jobs. Really an ugly contribution. Oh, plus fat shaming. All bad.
The TSA screening is stressful, and add to the stress that the rules are different from one airport to another, so we really don't know what to expect. More often than not, when my fellow passengers are confused and do the "wrong" things, TSA agents yell and treat them like they are intentionally disobeying orders. This adds to the stress. It's not too much to ask for consistency. If you are going to make me take my shoes off and present my snacks at one airport, then it should be followed at every airport.
Cry cry cry, they are aloud to f****n vent about dealing with you s**t heads. They also were working and NOT GETTING PAID just a short time ago.
You think it's easy, hm. I think people like you should have to do it for 6 months, then give us an opinion you have weight behind. I never worked for TSA. I imagine the general garbage they put up with was much the same as I got, though--"I'm special, the rules don't apply to me, so there." And for lousy pay, insufficient personnel to do the job, etc.
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Not that bad. I wouldn't blame them. It's their group on a social media, why not. What I find silly is that someone went there to print screen their posts.... Oh like a little kid, "oh look what are they doing" :D They're not hurting anybody, right? I don't say they're nice people though, but it's ok. Maybe they're brunt out? That would be the worst scenario. I know some doctors and nurses, if they would create a page on fb/twitter/whatever and share their ordinary issues with patiens in a kind of black humoured style... I wouldn't blame them as well. Sometime you need to let out the steam without hurting anyone so..... just my opinion. If it offends you, your choice by the way :)
In jobs where the employee comes into contact with a great number of people (like bus drivers), having to deal with hundreds of what would be a small conflict in each case causes a quick burn-out. These people are probably severely depressed, too. It's smug to judge them because anyone could turn into them doing their job.
Aren’t the TSA bloody useless at security and a waste of taxpayer money?
You don't know until you "walk a mile in her shoes." Just remember, our job is to make sure you get there in one piece. And the passengers stare liplessly. Would be nice if management were more intelligent, and work in the lines once a week. One day and this new supe was sweating like the Wookie costume. Told him I really admired him. Then later he "forgot" how it was.
They are frustrated, underpaid and they meet stupid people every day. I understand them somehow. I know for sure people working with customers complain all the time regardless of the place. It's not ok to wish someone death or to suggest sexual things, but don't pretend it's ok to be stupid, demanding and rude. And that you all don't comment on such behavior.
Most of the folks TSA encounters resent the fact that law-abiding folks should have to endure those protocols. That's why, I feel, they act up - out of anger and frustration that terrorists have brought them to this pass, especially since TSA in past secretly carried out performance tests have performed miserably. With that knowledge, travelers feel they are getting inconvenienced by a bunch of TSA employees unable/unwilling to do the job. TSA needs to rethink the whole system.
Didn't even finish reading these. Just a bunch of angry people, have them in every profession
TSA is a joke. It's nothing more than security theater, giving uneducated idiots power to hurt people and earn money at the same time. Take a good look at these folks. You'd normally cross the street to avoid most of them, and yet they have unlimited power to feel you up, verbally abuse you, and steal your stuff. ....///... I actually had one of these idiots threaten to arrest me because I stood where I could keep my eyes on the backpack that they had taken away from me...that was full of expensive electronics. I told them to knock themselves out, my lawyer is on speed dial.
It is actually required you watch as your bag is searched. And may I point out, you just used the exact language this artical stated was so bad for a TSA Officer to use. You just referred to them as "idiots" TSA does have every personality just as every other business. And in the TSA break room I assure you other officers put those who speak out of line in their rightful place. Management and Administrators are the absolute worst in most locations. In spite of that, Officers take their job very serious. They think of it as "What if my family was on that flight?" Would I want to risk my families life? You need to realize, the writer of these type articals, first searched to find inappropriate comments.over years of comments. Just look how many years were included. The people working there included the youngest Millinial who has no life experience to the oldest baby boomer. And just like customers of all businesses, there are people who are a pleasure and others who are ugly.
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Just read the top 10 or so, afterwards it's just people who need to change careers
Read a few and I dont see how they can even run a work facebook group & + public comments about whatI I guess are customers or clients? I don’t know what TSA actually is so...Hey fuckwits! If we lined u lot up and marched around you for a few moments followed by a bit of Facebook Comment Time, you’d be crying to yourself, your bosses and your Twitter account. But hang on! You don’t need to cry cos We (rest of the normal human race) would Never Post such terrible trash. So U r all good. How about you cut some others a little slack eh?
People do post vents about idiot customers all the time. Notalwaysright.com - literally tens of thousands of posts there.
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All I got out of this entire post is that the majority of TSA employees are ignorant a******s that only seem miserable.
I'm sure I'll never travel to America so I'll never have to deal with one of these jerks, but I can understand why a lot of people are bashing TSA agents. They all would have had prominent positions in the NSDAP if they had lived in Germany in 1940.
Please stay away from my beleagered country. We have enough a******s already.
Load More Replies... I don't know what to think about these... some of them are funny but honestly these people seem like the worse kind of people to work with or befriends with. This is why everyone hates airport security, they treat us like criminals and like we're idiots and apparently that's exactly how they feel?!
What do you expect for jobs that were advertised for on Domino's Pizza boxes. Yeah, we're the dim ones....
Load More Replies... Most of us don't fly every day so we're already semi stressed and we haven't got all the Mickey Mouse, ever changing rules memorized. It's not our fault you hate your job you'd probably hate any job. No sympathy here.
I see nothing wrong with this, aside from one. Wishing someone's plane blows up is awful!
So many cretins work for TSA --- this FB group just illustrates that fact. How incredibly pathetic.
You get what you pay for. Same reason for so many bad employees working fast food.
Load More Replies... Honestly, it is way better that I was expected. If these are their worst vents, I'd say most of them are very polite and patient people. Let’s admit there are way too many selfish, entitled, crazy or aggressive passengers at any given airport; add stress and alcohol to that, and imaging having to deal with them all day long.
I didn't expect the comments here to be so negative. Isn't everyone who works with customers annoyed by some of them and has to vent sometimes. And they see a LOT of customers every day, and probably hear the same things over and over again. So yes, it's their job, but I think it's also okay to cope with this through talking to others in the same job. And for all flights I had, I never had a bad experience, they are just people too.
Totally agree. Most of the people who works in retail, customer service or similar position dealing with tons of customers, are saying how exhausting it is. Most of us complain about our jobs one way or another, it is highly hypocritical to expect TSA agents to be saints.
Load More Replies... I used to work for CVS Pharmacy- we had a Facebook group called CVS stole my soul where we'd complain about customers, etc
You gotta know how to handle people. Like how to respond to those who complain about other airports being different. Simply tell them it's to keep them safe. If every airport used the same procedures, the 'bad guys' would know what to avoid. You're welcome.
This just seemed like a compilation of typical Facebook posts to me....
Aside from the kid in the stroller one, I don't have a problem with any of these. These are not bad vents. This is reality and you could do the same sort of group for any group of employees that deal with humans on a daily basis and you'd hear the same kind of stuff.
This posts come off as weak, petty, small minded and by people who should never have power over others. I doubt they make air travel any safer and are part of an brutally intrusive system.
Try doing the job for 6 months. Then get back to us and tell us how polite all the passengers are.
Load More Replies... I hope nobody gets in trouble for this. They have a sucktastic job and they are just venting. Let them vent.
There is tons and tons of articles and lists exactly the same as this but by sales clerks, wait staff, reception staff etc. Why is this such a big deal? People in any kind of costumer service are gonna complain about who they have to deal with
And better than going off and seriously harming someone. This is also a very dangerous job at some undetermined moment.
Load More Replies... I used to work for TSA and I remember staff looking forward to difficult passengers because they entertained us. The day is so monotonous until some passenger starts freaking out and yelling about being patted down or having their luggage searched. For us it was like watching TV.
I don't see much wrong with most of these. People need to rant about their jobs every now and then! Yes, I few might be terrible but still. We often complain about TSA employees without even realizing it, they should get a chance to do the same back at us. As long as they don't say anything too cruel (ex: being racist), then I see nothing wrong with this group existing.
So? Almost every work type has these secret FB groups. Hell, I belong to one for the wives of what my husband does for a living because it's so freaking specific very few people understand the lifestyle. I guess I don't get the big deal. It's the same as all those waiter/waitress groups that post giant festivus complaints about their customers.
This is pretty normal. Most everyone that works with people does this. Y'all should hear some of the s**t food service workers have to say.
Its a secret group and some whiny b***h got in and than ratted them out, stop being offended
This is pretty normal. Most everyone that works with people has a vent board, in fact there are entire reddit communities dedicated to the nonsense that customers pull/try to pull.
I had one of those fine people say to her co-worker as I was approaching "I just can't stand red heads, you'll have to do him". When I was almost down to my underwear they were wondering out loud if the drapes matched the curtains. I asked if they'd like to see. JFCA, the way they carried on you'd have thought I assaulted them or something. I thought I was going to be arrested. That was a fun day.
this post did nothing to improve my opinion of TSA employees; if anything, it confirmed my worst suspicions about them, and made me fear for our safety if they're the ones responsible for it
I have been to the USA a few times and also got internal flights , every time they treat me like c**p and its not even a race thing, I am white British so God knows how bad it is if you are Non white, there are a few reasons Ill never go back to America, TSA are just one. Interestingly the people that do this job in my experience in Australia,Thailand,Hong Kong,Sri Lanka,Japan,Greece,Italy are all friendly and professional it is literally JUST America.
Strange, the places you mention have a culture where you do NOT argue with authority. Odd how that works, isn't it? They aren't getting the "But I'm SPECIAL" all day from idiots.
Load More Replies... Well, y'know, back at 'em on charges of idiocy and similar. I was a regular "target". (Do they share info on passengers who are a "good patdown"?!) And my complaint? Laughed off. "What did you expect?"... BTW, the female agent "in the room"? Had her back turned and/or was staring at a phone each of the *four* times this happened. And I ain't that shapely. One confiscated my bra, btw, and shook the plastic "underwires" at me like I'd tried to kill someone. Yep, tore apart the bra to prove it was dangerous and he had reason to grope. Ugh.
Had to stop reading. So much disrespect for the public and their jobs. Really an ugly contribution. Oh, plus fat shaming. All bad.
The TSA screening is stressful, and add to the stress that the rules are different from one airport to another, so we really don't know what to expect. More often than not, when my fellow passengers are confused and do the "wrong" things, TSA agents yell and treat them like they are intentionally disobeying orders. This adds to the stress. It's not too much to ask for consistency. If you are going to make me take my shoes off and present my snacks at one airport, then it should be followed at every airport.
Cry cry cry, they are aloud to f****n vent about dealing with you s**t heads. They also were working and NOT GETTING PAID just a short time ago.
You think it's easy, hm. I think people like you should have to do it for 6 months, then give us an opinion you have weight behind. I never worked for TSA. I imagine the general garbage they put up with was much the same as I got, though--"I'm special, the rules don't apply to me, so there." And for lousy pay, insufficient personnel to do the job, etc.
Load More Replies... Not that bad. I wouldn't blame them. It's their group on a social media, why not. What I find silly is that someone went there to print screen their posts.... Oh like a little kid, "oh look what are they doing" :D They're not hurting anybody, right? I don't say they're nice people though, but it's ok. Maybe they're brunt out? That would be the worst scenario. I know some doctors and nurses, if they would create a page on fb/twitter/whatever and share their ordinary issues with patiens in a kind of black humoured style... I wouldn't blame them as well. Sometime you need to let out the steam without hurting anyone so..... just my opinion. If it offends you, your choice by the way :)
In jobs where the employee comes into contact with a great number of people (like bus drivers), having to deal with hundreds of what would be a small conflict in each case causes a quick burn-out. These people are probably severely depressed, too. It's smug to judge them because anyone could turn into them doing their job.
Aren’t the TSA bloody useless at security and a waste of taxpayer money?
You don't know until you "walk a mile in her shoes." Just remember, our job is to make sure you get there in one piece. And the passengers stare liplessly. Would be nice if management were more intelligent, and work in the lines once a week. One day and this new supe was sweating like the Wookie costume. Told him I really admired him. Then later he "forgot" how it was.
They are frustrated, underpaid and they meet stupid people every day. I understand them somehow. I know for sure people working with customers complain all the time regardless of the place. It's not ok to wish someone death or to suggest sexual things, but don't pretend it's ok to be stupid, demanding and rude. And that you all don't comment on such behavior.
Most of the folks TSA encounters resent the fact that law-abiding folks should have to endure those protocols. That's why, I feel, they act up - out of anger and frustration that terrorists have brought them to this pass, especially since TSA in past secretly carried out performance tests have performed miserably. With that knowledge, travelers feel they are getting inconvenienced by a bunch of TSA employees unable/unwilling to do the job. TSA needs to rethink the whole system.
Didn't even finish reading these. Just a bunch of angry people, have them in every profession
TSA is a joke. It's nothing more than security theater, giving uneducated idiots power to hurt people and earn money at the same time. Take a good look at these folks. You'd normally cross the street to avoid most of them, and yet they have unlimited power to feel you up, verbally abuse you, and steal your stuff. ....///... I actually had one of these idiots threaten to arrest me because I stood where I could keep my eyes on the backpack that they had taken away from me...that was full of expensive electronics. I told them to knock themselves out, my lawyer is on speed dial.
It is actually required you watch as your bag is searched. And may I point out, you just used the exact language this artical stated was so bad for a TSA Officer to use. You just referred to them as "idiots" TSA does have every personality just as every other business. And in the TSA break room I assure you other officers put those who speak out of line in their rightful place. Management and Administrators are the absolute worst in most locations. In spite of that, Officers take their job very serious. They think of it as "What if my family was on that flight?" Would I want to risk my families life? You need to realize, the writer of these type articals, first searched to find inappropriate comments.over years of comments. Just look how many years were included. The people working there included the youngest Millinial who has no life experience to the oldest baby boomer. And just like customers of all businesses, there are people who are a pleasure and others who are ugly.
Load More Replies... Just read the top 10 or so, afterwards it's just people who need to change careers
Read a few and I dont see how they can even run a work facebook group & + public comments about whatI I guess are customers or clients? I don’t know what TSA actually is so...Hey fuckwits! If we lined u lot up and marched around you for a few moments followed by a bit of Facebook Comment Time, you’d be crying to yourself, your bosses and your Twitter account. But hang on! You don’t need to cry cos We (rest of the normal human race) would Never Post such terrible trash. So U r all good. How about you cut some others a little slack eh?
People do post vents about idiot customers all the time. Notalwaysright.com - literally tens of thousands of posts there.
Load More Replies... All I got out of this entire post is that the majority of TSA employees are ignorant a******s that only seem miserable.
I'm sure I'll never travel to America so I'll never have to deal with one of these jerks, but I can understand why a lot of people are bashing TSA agents. They all would have had prominent positions in the NSDAP if they had lived in Germany in 1940.
Please stay away from my beleagered country. We have enough a******s already.
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