TSA Security a Mixture of the Serious and the Silly
Even given the serious nature of the threat posed by terrorism, one has to feel a bit of sympathy for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Tasked with protecting the nation’s security at points of entrance and egress — particularly our airports — they face a delicate balancing act.
On one side they have the nation as a whole, demanding 100% efficacy in stopping violent attacks on civilian flights. On the other side we find all of the individuals who make up that nation who wish to be inconvenienced as little as possible while flying grandma’s annual fruitcake to her during the holidays.
If they are too trusting and complacent you wind up with some maniac getting on board with explosives tucked into his shoes, underpants, or fringed bonnet. Err in the other direction and you get an overzealous agent slapping handcuffs on journalist Michael Yon for failing to provide his W-2s for the last ten years during screening.
The entire subject seems to set off alarms and hot-tempered emotions on both sides of the aisle. This became exceedingly clear when the excellent conservative political cartoonist Sarjex published a bit of satire on the subject of the undie-bomber at another website where I write. She was immediately labeled a “racist” in comments and email for reasons I never managed to work out. But the single panel cartoon managed to highlight one of the core issues under debate: we don’t want to offend anyone, but we are equally averse to having our airplanes explode in mid-flight.
It’s not as if the TSA isn’t trying. If you visit their website you can view a wide range of items which are banned from flights, keeping us all safer in the friendly skies. These are broken down into helpful categories for the easily confused which include sharp objects (makes sense), guns and firearms (ya think?), and explosives (who could have guessed?).
But along with the no-brainer categories, they have expanded their list to include others such as sporting goods. I suppose I can see where some people would need to be reminded that they can’t bring their golf clubs or pool cues as carry-on items, but spear guns made the list as well. Honestly, folks, the lady took away your Bic lighter when you went through the inspection station. Did you really think you could stroll on with a spear gun?
“She was immediately labeled a “racist” in comments and email for reasons I never managed to work out”
Because in a line of white people, the one negro stereotype was obviously the terrorist.
Here’s your problem – this latest fubar wasn’t allowed to (not) happen because the dutch authorities aren’t allowed to profile. Nobody in the line pointed him out. The suggestion of politically correct failure is therefore specious, and another journalist takes a cheap shot at whatever group is most saliently targetable – in this case, non-whites.
Jazz said: But were people really still trying to carry on hammers, screwdrivers over seven inches in length, and power drills? I know some of these flights can be long and passing the time is a challenge, but what were you planning on doing? Finally getting around to fixing that creaky kitchen cabinet door en route from Chicago to Orlando?
Peter says: I used to work in a job building and installing semi-conductor industry equipment. I was required to take my tools, usually in a wheeled tool box about the size of the average carry-on item, on every job, wherever around the world the install might have been.
After seeing how the airlines handled my toolbag, which I could not lock for obvious reasons, nearly losing half my tools between Boston and Washington-Dulles because the TSA inspector didn’t bother to close my toolbox properly after searching it, I can understand why people who have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on their tools might want to carry them aboard in the overhead rather than risk losing literally their livelyhood because of some overworked, underpaid inspector throwing their box around and the tools going everywhere but their actual destination.
I would never consider carrying my tools as carry-on, but I can understand the urge to do it.
Jazz, you’re not funny enough to attempt satire. In the past, people took onto the plane as carry-on luggage those items that they least wanted to lose (or receive a day or a month after they arrived at their destination) because of the propensity of airlines to screw up. For some people that would be expensive equipment.
As for the ‘necessity’ of full-body scanners, since experts are divided on whether such technology would have detected the explosives in the undy-bombers drawers, why is this an acceptable intrusion into everyone’s privacy – including grandma and 4 month old babies – while focusing attention on those who belong to groups that pose a greater risk is not? There are characteristics shared in common by all terrorists. Whose interests are best served by ignoring this reality?
AMERICA INVITES TERRORISTS BY RAMPANT VISA GIVING;
HOW THE JEWISH LOBBY CAN STOP IT IN A MINUTE
We have a problem with terrorism because we let terrorists in–by giving them visas. 9/11 hijackers and the Christmas terrorist would never have been here, had our corrupt evil govt. not given them visas. The failure was not necessarily of the TSA but of the State Dept. that gave them visas and the govt. that ordered the Dept. to give visas freely. The subsequent Iraq and Afghan wars would never had happened if we did not give them visas. The criminal US govt. is still on a visa giving rampage.
The biggest group that promotes this 3rd world war of unchecked 3rd world immigration is the Jewish lobby. It is the most powerful lobby in the US and half of all contributions to Democrats are from the Jewish lobby. One of the lobby’s biggest goals is to unleash a massive flood of 3rd world immigration into the US and Europe, while promoting the exact opposite for Israel. See “Culture of Critique”, by Kevin McDonald, reviewed/available on:
http://www.savethemales.ca/000164.html
http://www.wake-up-america.net/
Because the Jewish lobby is so powerful (in money and control of the media and the govt, including the Judiciary), most politicians have no choice but to constantly vote and support the lobby’s destructionist policies of open borders and the alien invasion, despite vehement public opposition (80% against).
Judaists believe they are a special race called “Jews”, descended from Middle Eastern/African Torah patriarchs like Abraham (who sold his wife to an African pharaoh), and were persecuted often, so they believe they must destroy society before it harms them (like Egypt) and control it with a divide and conquer strategy, by promoting the alien invasion.
In fact, most Judaists are European Whites whose ancestors were forced to convert to Judaism. See Arthur Koestler, 13th tribe; Dr. Schlomo Sand’s book reviewed on:
http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/the-wandering-who-by-gilad-atzmon.html
Also see: http://www.khazaria.com
The Torah is pure fiction, as is obvious from page 1. Moses never existed. His myth is based on the African myth of Mises. Exodus never happened. See “Deconstructing the Walls of Jericho” (Prof. Ze’ev Herzog):
Their Torah/Talmud teach them that all goyim are animals, and all goyim nations beneath them and it is okay to lie, cheat, exploit and even kill the goyim. See:
http://www.daatemet.org.il/articles/article.cfm?article_id=118
The alien invasion is their war on the US and Europe. We need to educate them and teach them to love their own nation and race instead of destroying it. They can stop much of terrorism simply by ordering the Congressmen and President to just say no–to visas.
I am one who has a problem with the “strip search” machine. Sorry…I see nothing else to call it. Should it maybe be used on suspicious people? Sure, I guess I would not have a problem with that. Should everyone have to go through? No!
I am getting sick and tired of every time something happens and homeland insecurity fails at their job, the first thing to some out of their mouths is something to take away just a little bit more of our freedoms and dignity.(And isn’t this part of what the radicals want?) As a passenger who is fed up with intrusive security because our government does not want to profile or offend muslims, I’m tired of being their scapegoat.
All that would be needed in airports are dogs and profilers walking around. Then metal detectors at security. No more removing shoes, no more “exact names” on boarding passes that is on your id (does my middle initial being left off of my boarding pass make me a terrorist? Really?), no more knee jerk reactions from the jerks in the government, no more treating computers like they are lethal weapons. I’m tired of being accused of possibly wanting to commit a crime just because I walk in an airport door and want to fly. And I’m sure that the majority of people in an airport would feel the same.
Actually, I do agree with Obama (wholy sh*t) about having the extra security in other countries coming to the states that have terror ties. But is every country who should be on the list actually on it? Will homeland insecurity start reading their lists? If another parent turns in their child for possible terror ties, will these incompetents listen now? (Can you imagine what it took for that man to turn in his son?)
Profile, dogs….profile, dogs…. People don’t like dogs? Tough! Then they are the ones to put through the added security. And if that is not enough, stop issuing visas to those in countries on the lists. Also, the government needs to start seriously watching the mosques and other spots here in the states (like the compound in the Catskill area). Ban veils and burquas in public in the USA. Turbans as well if necessary. If another person like this last idiot is caught taking explosives on a plane, he has NO RIGHTS! Do not read him his rights, do not give him an attorney, nothing!
And on the planes, don’t tie passenger’s hands. If they see something wrong, let them act.
Stop the political correctness with Islam.
Absent common sense all the clever well thought out policies (OK that was sarcasm) in the world won’t do you any good.
It isn’t what’s in the passenger’s luggage, it’s what’s in his head.
There is no end to the common items which are entirely benign in the hands of 99.99% of the travelling public, but which terrorists can turn into tools odf death. The TSA approach is futile, endless tailchasing.
The ONLY approach is sensible screening. Multi-index profiling is *not* racist-especially since it isn’t based, crudely, on whether a passenger is named Mohammed, has dark skin or dresses a certain way. Equally or more important is how they behave. The Israelis accomplish the overwhelming majority of their successes simply by asking a couple of benign questions, like “where did you arrive from?” Most terrorists give themselves away by their evasive, shifty behavior at the slighest hint of official scrutiny.
The random searches of grannies from Peoria, and the confiscation of nail clippers and iPods, is *worse* than useless: it’s achieving one of Al-Qaeda’s goals.
I wonder if secret service is politically correct when scanning crowds where Obama is holding speeches. Looking over the crowds with those binoculars. What are they looking for? I hope they are not profiling people in any racist way. That would indeed be bad. Maybe we should look into that. Those binoculars should hover over white grandmothers exactly the same amount of time as over middle eastern looking young men.
Jazz, I think you miss your own point here. TSA is a reactive organization and needs to be abolished or completely given a do-over, but it isn’t their fault. The whole problem with airplane security is that we keep looking at the last attack and react by imposing more and more restrictions on people who have no interest in blowing up planes. The answer, and this needs to come from the top, is profile, profile, profile. Who is attempting to blow up planes? It is not my 80 year old white presbyterian mom, or Jazz Shaw. Muslims need to be singled out for extra inspection, watch lists need to be reinforced, and nobody should be allowed on a plane unless they are properly documented. I know it is not politically correct, but PC is going to get a lot more people killed. We are talking national survival, and we know who are our enemies. There is no way to stop every attack, but TSA and DHS are broken, hopelessly. Sadly, under the current administration and it’s incompetent leadership, more undies-bombers will be visiting us soon.
Trying to stop these guys at the airport is like lining up your entire defense at the 90 yard line. Not to mention the fact that the we can’t control what security measures other countries employ at their airports. When the next terrorist comes up with the next tactic that we haven’t thought of yet, he’s going to walk right through airport security. We catch these guys with intelligence and preemptive action. Kick their doors down at 3:00 am, a week before they’re ready to strike. If they get to the 90 yard line then we’ll try to stop them there but it’s better to shut them down early.
There is guaranteed mediocrity or even incompetence at TSA. Their philosophy of using part time employees ensures that they will never get a truly professional airport screening force.
The government treats screening jobs as if these employees are just grunts and all they need is a body to take care of security. It can take many years before a TSA screener is offered full time work. It is all done by seniority (like a union) and no consideration is given to the skill of the employee. How do they expect to keep intelligent, competent staff when they only allow them to work 25 hours weekly!
My daughter has been a screener for almost 2 years and still has many others ahead of her in line for a full time position. She has been commended by management for her skills and complimented by the flying public for her professionalism. She is fortunate to have some savings but it will soon run out and she will be forced to look elsewhere for employment. Her training and expertise will be gone from TSA and a new untrained employee will be hired to replace her. Those who have lesser skills will stay on and we will get a mediocre, if not incompetent, screening staff.
Isn’t concentrating on people who come from particular countries profiling? I thought we weren’t supposed to do that?
people who can read the mind of chief executive officer of bankrupted and defunct Cyber Trust Technologies will like United nation olrgansisation on climatic change to extend the stopage and ban of CFC and ozone gas sheduled on 10th Ekeh/1st Orie-2010 Afor/January Nkwor.
Sadly, the government knows that the best way to convince the sheeple that it is fighting terrorism is to engage in more invasive security when the sheeple go to the airport. Each attack reduces our freedom and dignity, and the majority welcome such developments.