(In fairness it should be noted that in recent tests the TSA did detect 5% — five percent! — of the explosives and weapons sent through their checkpoints … )
(In fairness it should be noted that in recent tests the TSA did detect 5% — five percent! — of the explosives and weapons sent through their checkpoints … )
Ha- cousin was one of the commanders of security at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. “You know that the security protocols the TSA uses are theatre right? All for show, won’t stop anyone serious”.
That’s been my opinion all along. And it won’t change until they actually catch a couple of terrorists. It’s all theater … and it violates our Fourth Amendment rights!
I do believe that the Fourth Amendment was intended to protect Americans in their own homes and we still have that right. At least here in America we can point the finger at ISLS,Hamas,The Taliban and all the extremists who want to see the destruction of The United States Of America. We will never go back to pre 9/11 security conditions here in America.
I believe the right goes far beyond my own home. It goes with me wherever I go. It includes, at the very least, unreasonable search of my body, clothing, and possessions. If our own government takes away our rights, it’s doing the terrorists’ work for them. There will be no point in fighting foreign wars to protect our freedoms if we’ve already given them up at home.
I have to say, when I travel which isn’t that often anymore, TSA treats me well. I am so full of metal they send me through flying through the checkpoints. I also travel light. (I always have a wheelchair ride as I am disabled.) Last time I flew from San Diego, they checked my hands for signs of explosives, however.
I am not troubled by the government. The private sector knows evrything about me and its much more organized and scary.
I haven’t flown anywhere since 2003 so my personal experience is not at all recent. Frankly, my biggest concern now is that if I ever fly again, I won’t have the stamina to stand in those long lines at the security check points. I can barely manage a long checkout line at the supermarket. (But at least there I have a cart to lean on!)
For the last few years, I’ve flown quite a bit, both domestically and internationally. More than once, I’ve arrived at the TSA security line and discovered that I’ve forgotten to put my little tiny pocket knife in the checked baggage. I simply put it in with my (rather large) set of keys, cell phone, belt buckle, fountain pen, wallet and whatever else I’m carrying and they’ve never noticed.
In my opinion… the only way to insure the best security would be to have the real stake holders in charge… meaning the airline companies who’d be legally liable if they screwed up. If the TSA screws up… who cares? Nobody is going to get fired, sued, laid off or otherwise punished.
Back in 2013 the TSA decided to start allowing small pen knives on planes. I didn’t understand it at the time and I still don’t. But when it comes to the government, I’ve about given up trying to understand.
Yep, I agree, if the airlines were responsible for their own security, they’d probably be checking passengers a lot more carefully than the TSA does. They have a lot more to lose than the TSA.
You are absolutely correct…IF the airlines were responsible for their own security AND held accountable the TSA bureaucracy wouldn’t be as costly as it is today! More government is NEVER better.
I’m all for spreading the news. But with this one, I keep thinking, “okay, let’s advertise to the whole world that you have a 95% chance of getting bombs and/or weapons through US TSA check points.”
Good point. I hadn’t thought about that. On the other hand, there are so many other softer targets in this country. But who am I to guess how their minds work.
Often, the proponents of “the private sector can do it better” are dead wrong. However, in this case it makes sense that the airlines should be responsible for their own security (and they probably would do it better). After all, why should we taxpayers who rarely fly anymore be paying for the security of frequent flyers?
I’d think the airlines would do it better just because if they fail and lose a plane to terrorists, they’re going to lose a lot of future business.
Excellent point about we non-flyers paying. I don’t expect to fly again short of a death in the family.
Not only that Pied, but as a private enterprise they would be free to profile and target people who fit the terrorist mold. They’d have to be polite. They’d have to be considerate of older, younger and otherwise impaired customers. In short, they’d be in competition to attract and hold customers.
Competition is something that AmTrack, the USPS, TSA, NSA and all the other alphabet soup agencies do not understand… and they obviously don’t have to.
Not profiling is one of the biggests chinks in the TSA armor. But would a private company be allowed to do it? I thought no one was allowed to do it — even though it’s probably one of the most basic ways of spotting potential terrorists.
Hey, everybody knows this whole thing is a sham – to make the public think they are being protected. Far too many stories…and I’ve got a couple even – agents so busy flirting with each other and horsing around they just wave people through without a glance…at a very ver large airport with many international incoming fights – and not all that far from the border so if someone wanted to, it would be easy…
And today they’re revealing that they haven’t been vetting people properly? Fire them all and save the tax money. Tell the airlines to handle it – as you say, they have a real interest in plane safety.
(once again, so mad I could spit)
A lot of heads should be rolling at the TSA for a lot of reasons. But I’ll bet little if anything happens.