One of the many pages of the TSA agent's notepad. Pic from RunwayGirl
Remember back when the TSA harassed another aviation blogger about a leaked TSA directive? I didn’t think the story could have gotten any crazier, but I was wrong.
Mary Kirby (RunwayGirl) was given photos, from a very reliable source, of a notebook that was dropped by the TSA agent who paid a visit to Steven Frischling (FlyingwithFish) a few days ago.
The source and Kirby are keeping quiet on all the information in the notebook (since they don’t want a visit from the TSA), but Kirby assures me this is not something the TSA would want in the public realm. Asked if she has prepared for her own visit from the TSA Kirby responded, “as any other Irish-American would do, I cleaned my house and made sure I had plenty of teabags at the ready. I’m happy to report that the TSA has not paid me a visit. I guess that means more tea for me.” Hopefully it stays that way.
I have been in contact with Kirby over the past two and a half days since she first posted about the mishap. She has been emailing and calling the TSA, but no one will respond. “I have made several requests for comment to the TSA, both via telephone and email. I have not received a response,” Kirby frustratedly told me.
Why did the TSA care so much about who leaked one of their very public directives, but doesn’t seem to give a darn about a notebook that the TSA agent dropped? Are they hoping this will go away? Kirby thinks so, “it is my best guess that the TSA has decided to say nothing in hopes that this blog story simply goes away.” So far it doesn’t seem it will. Quite a few media sources have already picked up on this and people want answers.
A good aviation friend mentioned to me that the TSA is coming across like a mixture of the three stooges and the mafia. Trying to be strong armed, trying to do the right thing, but doing both poorly. I really pride my blog with trying to stay positive with all aspects of aviation, but the TSA is making it VERY hard recently.
I asked Kirby who should people contact to voice their concern. Since she has had little luck getting a hold of someone her best advice was to write to the TSA Blog through their Twitter account. Hopefully we will all hear from the TSA soon, but since they haven’t even updated their own blog since December 26th, it seems communicating to the public is not a top priority for them.
UPDATE 9:30am: The TSA has emailed Kirby about the notebook. “In addition, a TSA investigator accidentally dropped a notebook, his personal property, in a public area. The notebook did not contain any sensitive security information; however, TSA will continue to review the incident.” Kirby has posted another image of the notebook since the TSA doesn’t feel it is a security breach.
More information:
* More TSA notebook photos via RunwayGirl
* TSA investigator has butterfingers via Gadling
* TSA Special Agent who threatened blogger spaces out, drops notebook in public place via BoingBoing
* Open letter from Frishling to the TSA about the notebook via FlyingwithFish
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