Venting about a Secret Service Jerk

[SWACSA]

I am still upset by this.

I am checking in a LEO, Secret Service guy. He has a piece of luggage that is overweight. I kindly tell him that it is 7.5 pounds overweight, he can either take out the 7.5 pounds or pay the $25.00 excess weight charge.
He decides to be a jerk about it. He tells me how ridiculous I am being. I tell him I am sorry but we have weight restrictions. He proceeds to take some stuff out, then looks at me for his boarding document. He can see the weight clearly, it stills shows 2 pounds over. I kindly tell him that it is still 2 pounds over. Now, maybe if he was very nice and said, oh I am sorry could you please let it go? I probably would have. Since he was being such an arrogant jerk, I decided I could be a jerkette. He said he wasn't going to do it, I kindly said I wasn't going to give him his boarding document. My goodness, that got him burning. While he was hunting for the other 2 pounds to take out, I kindly said to him, "I am sure that since you are Secret Service, I am sure you understand about simple regulations, I am sure you expect people to follow regulations too. Of course he did not respond to me. He finished and I handed him his boarding document. He stormed off saying he hated this airline and would never fly us again. (Can't wait to see him eating crow next week.)

What bothered me the most, and still does, this guy is getting on a flight with a gun. I am sorry, but I think if one has that quick of a temper about something so small, they shouldn't be carrying a firearm, much less getting on a plane with it.

It still upsets me, I rarely have run-ins with customers. I could probably count on one hand how many I have had in all my years.

[767YYZ]

When we meet SWACSA, I'll buy you a cold cocktail...some people just have no decency...irrespective of the position they hold...

[N727NK]

He got on the flight with a gun?? Was he escorting someone or something else offical??

Chris

[traveler]

I'm not sure about all the regs there, but .. you have the option of informing the flight crew of what you experienced. I believe they do have the final decision in whether he boards or not. They might be interested in the info you supply, especially with the firearm involved.

[Paddles_up]

I'm not sure about all the regs there, but .. you have the option of informing the flight crew of what you experienced. I believe they do have the final decision in whether he boards or not. They might be interested in the info you supply, especially with the firearm involved.



trav has a very valid point. The regs are the same here. I have had gate agents call me about something similar. Asking how they should address the problem. I emfatically tell him/her to contact the PIC.

Secret Service agent or not his behavior was unprofessional. If it was me, I would surely contact the Captain. He needs to know.

JM2C

[767YYZ]

Same here. RCMP officers escorting a prisoner unusually presenting themselves about 2 months back. PIC told and went to discuss the issue with them. They were allowed to travel only after they removed the magazines from their pistols, which the PIC insisted on.

[SWACSA]

When we meet SWACSA, I'll buy you a cold cocktail...some people just have no decency...irrespective of the position they hold...


Thanks 767YYZ, that would be great :smile_2: Sometimes that position they hold can make them very arrogant :confus_2:



He got on the flight with a gun?? Was he escorting someone or something else offical??

Chris




:confus_2: He was not escorting anyone. There are a lot of LEO's (Law Enforcement Official) that are permitted to travel with a gun. It is just not anyone with a permit to carry a firearm, ordinary policemen cannot. They have to provide their Federal badge. I am sure that we may have more than usual considering we are near Washington D.C. The week of the Inauguration, my gosh we had hundreds of them.



trav has a very valid point. The regs are the same here. I have had gate agents call me about something similar. Asking how they should address the problem. I emfatically tell him/her to contact the PIC.





I have regrets about not informing the gate. I printed out his reservations with all my notes about his behavior.

[ffpAX]

RCMP officers escorting a prisoner



But can they board with their horses? :wink_2:

[bridget74]

SWACSA, I had something similar happen with an LEO back when I worked your station after 9/11. He needed to get past security checkpoint (I was checking boarding passes and IDs), and I was unsure as to the procedure of letting an LEO through security. Instead of being patient with me while I found out the correct procedure (were any of the procedures clear immediately following 9/11?), he chose to be something of a jerk about it, berating my lack of knowledge on this particular issue.

So once I got everything figured out, I apologized for the brief delay and let him go on his way. However, I never bothered to inform a Supe. About 20 minutes later, I had a Supervisor come and ask me about this particular LEO, as apparently he had also treated the Customer Service Agent in the same rude manner.

Okay. Lesson learned for me. :grin:

P.S. Heard you're losing your Customer Service Manager. Bummer for y'all...he's a great guy. I was particularly fond of his understatements on "Airline." :grin: