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“Get the gloves out” ticket agent orders TSA agents

August 25, 2008

Airline ticket agents write the darnedest things on your boarding pass.

If you’re on the dreaded TSA watchlist, as Matthew Heffelfinger claims to be, you could find several “S”s notifying the Transportation Security Administration agent that you deserve extra-special screening.

Of maybe they’ll just write something else …

“Here is what a Southwest Airlines agent in Portland did to my boarding pass this weekend,” he wrote in an e-mail to me. “Glad to see the agents have a good sense of humor.”

Southwest’s reaction? “I hope that’s a joke,” said spokeswoman Paula Berg.


Of course, I’ve also asked Heffelfinger, who was nice enough to pass along these shots of his boarding passes, to clarify the circumstances of the alleged markup.

I have to say, after I stopped laughing, I had to wonder: Did this passenger write on his own pass, out of frustration with the process? Did some prankster at Southwest deface his paperwork as a joke?

And did they really strip search this dude?

I don’t know, folks. What do you think?

Update (8/25): Heffelfinger is serious. “The anal cavity search wasn’t very pleasant with the extra-thick latex gloves,” he wrote in a follow-up e-mail. Oh, my.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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  • http://www.shipcriticblog.com Anne Campbell

    My brother is on TSA’s list and he adds an extra hour for getting through the airport. One time they escorted him to a locked room full of illegal immigrants.

  • Thomas Brenneman

    I always used to get the 6 SSSSSS’S. I found out that someone with a similar name was on the list by a ticket agent in Vancouver. After suppling TSA with my documentation and their form, no more SSSSSS’S!!!

  • paul Susmann

    maybe we should have TSA personnel trained in screening for Prostate cancer? At least when they whip out the rubber gloves they could perform a real public service!

  • http://claystorm.livejournal.com Kevin Murray

    I am on said list, or so I have been told, and I have never gotten a boarding pass with any extra “SSSS’s” on it. Nor have I ever had any problems getting thru security.

  • Ted – Phoenix Justice

    I once was unfortunate to receive SSSSS on my ticket. Of course, I had paid cash for a one way ticket on the day of travel from DFW to PHX. Honestly, nothing much more happened then a little extra scrutiny. To me, it was no big deal. The agents were friendly and courteous. It didn’t hurt that it was 6:30 am and I was the first person in line.

  • Michael

    I’ve had the SSSS on the ticket, of course I bought the ticket at the counter the same day – and it was one way. It was completely expected.

  • Matthew Heffelfinger

    Everytime I fly, i buy my ticket last minute and usually don’t bring any luggage hence I’m on the TSA watch list – It’s really my own fault.. Anyway, out of frustration because the flight was delayed an hour, i told the agent to go ahead and write ‘SS’ on the pass and I would be on my way…. he said, “I’ll do one better and wrote “Strip Search” on the front and back “Get out the gloves”…my friends in line all had a good laugh and then realized, Um was he serious?? luckily for me, no anal cavity search
    Cheers!

  • Bill Rowell

    Most of us know the better ways of getting the “Mark” of a selectee (SSSSS) on a boarding pass. Same day, one way, cash with no luggage adds up to a business traveler who may not care when/if he comes back……..

    But I’ve got another one that works 95% of the time to get the “Mark” added, and even the TSA guys didn’t seem to under stand it. Try CrisCrossing your frequent flyer number with any one of the other indicators. By that I mean flying United with my AirCanada number, NorthWest with my Delta number etc.. AND a same day purchase.

    I have even gone so far as checking in on US Air with my US Air number and received a boarding with NO “SSSSS” then asked the ticket agent (still within 6 feet and 3 min of the kiosk) to change the FF number to my United number, and lo and behold, the new boarding pass says that I’m “SPECIAL”, well, at least it has “SSSSS” and I always assume that means I’m “SPECIAL”…..

    Course, I travel enough with same day reservations and changes while going one way that I claim that my middle name is “RANDOM SELECTEE” . It actually takes less time for the extra screening than I lost due to being behind the family traveling for the first time in their lives, or grandma with 6.2 lbs of jewelery that needed 5 trips through to understand that removing ALL of it means ALL…

    Hey, I intend to live my life being happy. I’m in the rare 1% of people that attempt to go through life with a smile on their face. My philosophy is “Start your day in a good mood and you’ve got a 50/50 chance of making through without somebody P***ing in your corn flakes!”

  • Jasper

    I am just shocked at the level of casualness that people have here about the TSA screening. What is this nonsense of getting extra scrutiny when you buy a same day, one way ticket? I am not from this country, but isn’t this supposed to be the ‘land of the free’?

    What right does the gov’t have to decide that all same-day-one-wayers are potential terrorists? Where’s the principle of being innocent until *proven* guilty?

    People, the terrorists are winning if we accept this utter BS. [And please excuse my acronyms]

  • MarkieA

    Jasper – the problem with being *proven* guilty in a terrorist activity is that someone has to die for their to be proof. These activities – as misguided as many of them are – are aimed at preventing that. There’s a fine line to be tread between protecting the public from terrorism and violating their rights. This is not news. This blog and several hundred other similar venues are filled with this discussion every day. For every person who argues against violations of “basic human rights”, there’s another who is willing to submit to a “little indignity” in order to be – or feel – safer. The various agencies in this country assigned to keep us safe have been having a heck of a time trying to find that middle ground. Many people believe that they are not, in fact, trying to find the middle ground; that they are trying to push their agenda and extend their power as far as possible. You’re a frequent poster to this blog; you certainly understand this. However, you must also know that there are quite a few folks – maybe an equal number – who believe that the agencies haven’t gone far enough, or have been forced by “political correctness”, to go in the wrong direction. “95% of the known terrorists out there fit a certain ethnic profile. Let’s not waste time and energy investigating 65-year grandmothers with 10-year grandchildren.” That’s all well and good until that 95% profile starts to look a lot like you. I don’t believe that the profiling of “one-way, same day ticket buyers” is wrong. What often goes wrong, however, is what they do with the information, and how efficiently they investigate.

  • http://www.brandlogic.com Emerson

    Didn’t the 9/11 hijackers all have round-trip tickets?

  • ptkdude

    I actually LIKE getting the SSSSSSS on my boarding pass, particularly when the line for security is long. Even with the extra screening, I’m through security faster than the rest of my party almost every time because there’s practically no line in the “selectee area”.

  • Wendy

    I think being in Southwest’s Boarding Group C is worse punishment than a strip search!

  • Geoff M

    SSSS is a random mark put on the tickets by the computer. I have them on 3 out of 10 of my tickets. If the counter person issueing the pass has any suspisions, you will never get the boarding pass. I t can be there when you check in with electronic check-in, you use curbside, or the human being issues it. It is not to be over-written or ACLU will get involved in one second. The watch list is totally different. It takes a lot to get on or off that list, but being in the airline industry, that SSSS is RANDOM. Southwest would not have the stupidity of putting that info as shown on the boarding pass. They are known for their cutesy actions, but that would violate every human right that is in the airline industry and that person would be dismissed and the airline would have some tough explaining to TSA.

  • Dee

    I got the extra search once because I forgot my drivers license. I did get through security faster. I was a little worried about what the extra security check would be like, but it really wasn’t that big of a deal.

  • Cynthia

    I have a very difficult time believing these comments were written on this boarding pass. If you look closely, you can see the tape line along the departure and arrival city area. Looking at the ticket, it is a reprint. That flight was also delayed an hour out of Portland going to Las vegas and the ticket agent would not have done that to cause the passenger extra attention, thus missing his flight.

  • HI Innkeeper

    As a frequent traveller, the only time the SSSS has ever appeared on my boarding pass was because we missed a connecting flight and were transferred to another airline to complete the trip. That is hardly a random occurence.

    And if the news reports are accurate, the 9/11 hijackers had round trip first class tickets purchased using frequent flyer miles weeks in advance. The only time I’ve seen a terrorist buy a last minute ticket using cash was in the original Airport movie.

  • Mike

    Geoff, if it was truly random, you would think that I would have been picked more than once in the past 6 years. I fly 70-100K miles per year, but almost all on two airlines. No SSSSSS since early 2002.

  • Rick

    It’s not completely random, the rules are discoverable, and the whole thing is almost completely worthless becasue:

    - Ground crew, even those with access to the aircraft, don’t go through screening.

    - IDs (provided by the traveler) are checked against a piece of paper (also provided by the traveler). The piece of paper isn’t checked to see if it’s valid until you get to the gate, and the ID is only checked to see if it looks genuine. There is no way for TSA to determine that the piece of paper, or the ID, presented by the traveler is actually valid.

    - The search for (fictional) dangerous liquids has the TSA so preoccupied confiscating makeup and toothpaste that they are more likely to miss things that are actually dangerous. Like maybe the stuff in the uninspected lunchbox carried by that guy, over there, who cleans the airplanes. Example – while lighters were prohibited items, I regularly carried three or four of them through screening.

    Airport ‘security’ is purely theatrics. It’s a case of politicians saying ‘We must do something. This is something, therefore we must do it.’. It’s not a reasoned and reasonable approach.

    As for the randomness – I used to get selected for screening about 80% of the time. I joined a FF program. Now I don’t get selected.

  • Denise

    I worked for TSA for 2 years…..extra screening is not random…..there are several things that will trigger the screening and they have been stated. Last minute purchase, using cash..etc. If you are on the Watch list that will be dealt with at the ticket counter, before you get to TSA screening.

    I was once on the watchlist…I booked on line, but wasn’t able to select seats and I had to check in at the ticket counter. When I arrived it is when I found out I was on the list and had to show ID and answer additional questions…this was after I left TSA and had a security clearence. I was delayed but in the end did not get any additional screening.

  • Anon

    “SSSS” Quad S, Selectee, what ever yo wanna call it is not necessarily random and does not have anything to do with the “no-fly list.” You get this special mark for a variety of reasons.Most commonly is when the computer dosen’t know enough about you, to fix this, join the airline’s frequent flier program and supply your (correct) Frequent Flier number every time to avoid the secondary screening. Also, a small percentage of travelers will be randomly selected by the computer. A fixed list of names is not how you get the SSSS and it would be terribly ineffective given that most people share a common first and last name, much more than you would think.

  • Jake

    I was put on the list last year when I was sent over seas for 6 months with the company I worked for. When they flew me over I was sent on a one way ticket from the US to the Philippines and I was fine, but when I tried to return I was stopped by sec in Manila had all my luggage searched, I was stripped searched and after two hours I was able to get in line to check in (again) I was then put through 7 more searches which everyone had to go through, but once I arrived in Hong Kong, I was greated my police as soon as I stepped off the plain. Again searched and questioned. They had no sence of humor at all either. I was yet again questioned (not serrched this time) when I was about to board my flight in detroit which was my final connector. The best part of all was the head agint in charge of questioning me in Detroit was actually someone I had grown up with and he helped get everything cleared up. I have flown many times since then and not had a problem at all.

  • Jake

    Before anyone comments to what I said, I realized I left a few things out. I do realize that TSA and the no fly list has nothing to do with the Philippines, but I am a US Citizen therefore I was placed on the list here when the one way ticket back from Manila to the US was purchased and once placed on the list here I was for lack of better words forwarded to the Philippine gvt as someone to watch.

  • Mekhong Kurt

    I’ve had only one experience with getting the SSSS on my boarding pass, at the old international airport in Bangkok, where I live.

    I was going on a regional flight and had a round-trip ticket I had purchased in advance. I had carry-on luggage, but no check-in, as I was going for only overnight.

    Didn’t even notice the marking until a policeman at security asked me about it. He looked at my ticket, questioned me a bit about the purpose of my trip, why I was living in Thailand (I’m American) — some brief and easy questions. I finally asked him why he was asking me the questions, and he explained what the marking meant.

    Then he took me back to the counter area, but told me to go up by myself and ask for a new boarding pass. I did, and the lady was very apologetic — it was the lady who had given it to me. She said she had marked it by mistake but couldn’t give me a new boarding pass.

    A bit alarmed, I went back to the policeman and told him what she had said. He told me to go with him, and we went back to the counter, with my boarding pass in his hand. He handed it over and said (in English), “Give him a new boarding pass — now. You made a mistake.” She protested she couldn’t because of the rules, but he told her he didn’t care what the airline rules were, he wasn’t going to have me delayed and searched because of her error.

    End of argument.

    BUT — I was worried about missing my plane, and told him so. He got on his walkie talkie, walked me through security since he checked my carry-on bag himself after having me empty my pockets into it, as we *walked.* An airline employee pulled up in a cart, and took me, the policeman still with me, to the airplane, which the policeman had ordered held (but only two or three minutes — just enough that without his order, I would have missed the flight!). THEN the policeman walked me all the way to the door of the aircraft, though of course I stopped to give my boarding pass and passport to gate personnel.

    He had written down my name and passport number along the way, and assured me I’d never have that problem again, unless I did something to mess up.

    That was *years* ago — maybe 8 or so — and I’ve never had the slightest problem or a marked-up boarding pass since!

    Yes, I was delayed a bit, but I had arrived late in the first place due to heavy traffic. But actually, I was impressed with everyone’s performance, even the poor check-in lady, since she didn’t make the rules.

    I realize none of that involved the TSA, but my limited experiences with them have been just fine; I’ve been back to the U.S. only twice since it came into existence.

  • Assaulted

    None of the previously mentioned scenarios fit our situation. My wife had the dreaded SSSS on her boarding pass. She went through the metal detector, a full body scan (in the big machine) and all were clean. When I came through the other line the TSA agent had her standing spread eagle and was running her hands over every inch, yes, every single inch of her body. She rubbed her crotch area several times and then said that she needed to secure a a private room. My wife asked why. The Agent said that she needed to remove her clothes. My wife said, “Why wait for the room, just do it right here.” I thought the Agent was going to pass out. Another man came over and when the story was relayed to him he told my wife she could go.

    I think they have gone to far this time.

  • Mekhong Kurt, Bangkok, Thailand

    Assaulted, I read your story about your wife’s, um, “unpleasant” experience.
    If I knew just what direction to do this, I’d get on me knees and bow her way in praise!

    What spunk! What a lady!

    I’ll bet the agent will be telling that one to the grandkids someday. . . . !

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/TNPESAJMZYWT6PXWA4H4PYANJI gemwoww

    What I would like this wonderful United States of America to do is this. Check out all the terroritst that the U.S has caught within the country (within U.S). Then check back their last boarding schedule into the country – did ANY of them have an SSSS? Unlikely. This is a joke.

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