Last week, a TSA agent stole $61 from a passenger’s wallet at a security checkpoint at JFK airport in New York.
Joe Bangay, 37, of Queens, N.Y., was working as a screening agent when he stole $61 from a passenger’s wallet, Joe Pentangelo, a spokesman for the Port Authority police, said. The passenger had placed his wallet in a bin at the main screening point at JFK airport, and he noticed that the cash was missing when he retrieved his wallet, Pentangelo said.
Being required to put your belongings in a bin, and having them stolen sure does not place much faith in the system, which is supposed to protect you.
As an aside, this sure shows that the TSA is not hiring the best and brightest, as everyone knows that there isn’t a square inch of most airports where you aren’t on camera. And to risk that for $61? Let’s just hope Mr. Bangay did not reproduce prior to his arrest.
If we have not already learned this from recent police controversy, the lesson here is that while you should usually give them the benefit of the doubt, don’t always trust TSA just because they are wearing a uniform.
You can read the entire article, via NJ.com, here.
Michael Prodanovich is a contributor to Point Me to the Plane, and author of The Ultimate Guide to Free Travel.
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2 comments
Back when TSA was brand new after 9/11 I was flying from ATL to my parents house in DAY when I was in college. I was going through this new “process” for the first time and the tsa told me to take my belt off. I was wearing this really cute Gucci belt I got for my birthday and I took it off and put it in the bin as instructed but when I went to collect my belongings it was not there. 2 officers started looking for it then another officer- a female came out to say that it was considered a weapon with the sharp point on it and I was not allowed to fly with it and it would be confiscated. The 2 other officers just shrugged and walked off with me standing there in bewilderment. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a “weapon” but that this female officer really wanted my very nice and very expensive belt, and seeing as how I was only 18 at the time and didn’t understand things, I didn’t fight it. Meanwhile I was left to walk around Hartsfield constantly holding up my pants. Lesson learned, never wore a belt again to the airport.
Wow, that’s really disappointing, and kind of scary! Sorry you had to go through something like that. I definitely had a feeling that this JFK passenger was not the only one; it will be interesting to see what other stories may come out!