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[FedUpWithYou]

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[WithoutIssue]

If it was me...

and it mad me late for my flight, then yes I'd be pretty brassed-off. 


Otherwise I'd not worry, I don't generally mind seeing the human face of officialdom.

[MrsP81]

I would be slightly annoyed but I wouldn't do anything about it (besides make a snarky comment about it to my DH after we had gotten through the gate).

[fklwmn]

well, I think if he wanted to look through them besides checking them for security purposes, he should have asked if you minded. like... "oh! I love old books, do you mind if I flip through them?"

But yeah, I think you're overreacting. I think if he did that to me it would probably make me smile that my old books brought a smile to his probably tedious day.

He was less than professional, but it wasn't that much of a big deal.

[BurninDinner]

I think I agree.  Annoying but not worth doing anything about.

[KeenerRain]

I have a rare book worth $3000+ which I sometimes travel with because I'm afraid to leave it somewhere.

If anyone touched my book in a rough way or without asking I would be extremely angry. Yes it's valuable but I don't like the advertise that fact. I usually just say they it's rare, even then I hate to. It's my property please don't touch it at all.

I had a customs officer make rude comments about the photos in my little photo album once. Ummmm yeah the picture of my grandfather "really" is him not my boyfriend!

Some people are just rude....

[behindbj]

I agree that I would prefer being asked before someone thumbed through my books, but I don't think that it was a big deal or something to report.

And - just to add to the joy - I was once double-checked through security because I was too pleasant.  You read that right - I was having my usual good day (I'm a pretty happy person, even when I'm not - does that make sense?), so I was humming happily to myself and all ready to go through security:  shoes off, laptop case open, jacket over my arm, watch and cell phone tucked away, big smile and a pleasant good morning.

I went through security and was told I needed to go behind the partitions for an additional search.  I asked why, and the person telling me to please step over looked a little uncomfortable.  Oh well - long time before my flight and it's not like I haven't been "randomly chosen" before.

Important Security Person walks over and greets me.  So - I said a happy "good morning" and asked if I could please be told why I was waved over, as nothing beeped on me and I know that I don't have anything in my carry-on that's on the no-carry list.  ISP looks at me and says "Man, you ARE polite!"

"Yeah - so I am.  What of it?"  ISP explained that the folks were learning about behavioral profiling and that certain behaviors that could be considered out of the ordinary should be watched more closely.  Apparently a pleasant, happy, polite, reasonable traveler is out of the ordinary for a 5:30am flight.  So I was waved over for being too conspicuously not rude.  He apologized and sent me on my way to Starbucks for a cup of coffee on him - for being so patient and polite.

I guess the TSA guy who sent me over was not a morning person.

So BEWARE, ehellions - we are now a TYPE TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY.  I really wouldn't mind if folks did, as long as they learned something in the process.

behindbj

[TZ]

And - just to add to the joy - I was once double-checked through security because I was too pleasant.  You read that right - I was having my usual good day (I'm a pretty happy person, even when I'm not - does that make sense?), so I was humming happily to myself and all ready to go through security:  shoes off, laptop case open, jacket over my arm, watch and cell phone tucked away, big smile and a pleasant good morning.

The same thing happened to my mom, but it was before security was tightened.  We went on a family trip, and she was selected for further searching every.single.time.  Finally, on our return flight home, she asked why she was being chosen.  They told her that she seemed pleasant, so they thought she wouldn't be rude and make a fuss about the airport staff going through her carry on.  In her case, it wasn't a profiling issue; the employees just wanted to make their lives easier!

To the OP, I don't think I would be mad.  I would be a bit taken aback, though.  And I might be annoyed if I was behind you, and this guy was holding up the line.  Your books sound really interesting!  What genre are they?

[Chocolate Cake]

You aren't at all overreacting.  What he did was abuse of his authority.  It is no different then if he unscrewed the lid on your lotion bottle and sniffed it because loves the scent and not because he was checking to see if it was an explosive liquid.   What he did has absolutely nothing to do with his job as a security screener.

Further, because he has the authority and you don't, he put you in a position where you can't very well protest on the spot because, as far as you know, he could have chosen to "make you pay" for objecting with a full fledged security search.  Not that he would necessarily, but that is the exact kind of situation that people in authority have to be aware of so to avoid abusing their situation.

I would write a letter of complaint if I were you.

[thebadchemist]

I agree that I would prefer being asked before someone thumbed through my books, but I don't think that it was a big deal or something to report.

And - just to add to the joy - I was once double-checked through security because I was too pleasant.  You read that right - I was having my usual good day (I'm a pretty happy person, even when I'm not - does that make sense?), so I was humming happily to myself and all ready to go through security:  shoes off, laptop case open, jacket over my arm, watch and cell phone tucked away, big smile and a pleasant good morning.

I went through security and was told I needed to go behind the partitions for an additional search.  I asked why, and the person telling me to please step over looked a little uncomfortable.  Oh well - long time before my flight and it's not like I haven't been "randomly chosen" before.

Important Security Person walks over and greets me.  So - I said a happy "good morning" and asked if I could please be told why I was waved over, as nothing beeped on me and I know that I don't have anything in my carry-on that's on the no-carry list.  ISP looks at me and says "Man, you ARE polite!"

"Yeah - so I am.  What of it?"  ISP explained that the folks were learning about behavioral profiling and that certain behaviors that could be considered out of the ordinary should be watched more closely.  Apparently a pleasant, happy, polite, reasonable traveler is out of the ordinary for a 5:30am flight.  So I was waved over for being too conspicuously not rude.  He apologized and sent me on my way to Starbucks for a cup of coffee on him - for being so patient and polite.

I guess the TSA guy who sent me over was not a morning person.

So BEWARE, ehellions - we are now a TYPE TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY.  I really wouldn't mind if folks did, as long as they learned something in the process.

behindbj

That's awesome! I'm not the most patient person, but I definitely make a point of being polite and patient going through security. Shoes off, jackets off, please/thank you, ID out, everything. I don't care if they search me, it's just that if I had to be up at 4 or 5am and had to deal with a bunch of people, I sure would be annoyed if any of them were rude or uncooperative. So, I try to be the best behaved possible. Yay to you for being patient and polite! And yay to Starbucks!

OT: I was searched three times leaving Lima, Peru. All they found were knick-knacks and cookies (mmm... alfajores... shortbread cookie sandwiches with dulce de leche in the middle). The security guys said they appreciated my patience. I didn't mind. It gave me a chance to work on my Spanish, as they'd chat with me while they searched. I thought it was interesting how American policies for inbound international flights made the departing airport security all that much tougher.