Hari, that is completely messed up and should not have happened.
I fail to see how that justifies eliminating the agency entirely. Is it just not possible to have an agency that doesn’t make errors in judgment like that? Do we never hear of private security agencies screwing up?
When the agency does nothing but harass people like this, it needs to go.
That’s the thing about the TSA-absolutely NO common sense or practicality. Of course, if the searched only people that were more likely to present a security risk, they would get sued (political correctness). That is why 90 year old grandmothers get full body searches, and young men of middle eastern origin get waved through.
The thing that bothers me is the cost of this ridiculous agency-as government employess, they will be next to impossible to fire. When we have advanced screening technologies (background checks and explosives detectors) we will have thousands of these people sitting around-with nothing to do.
It really does nothing but harass people? I’m not a big fan of the TSA in its current incarnation, but it seems a little extreme to say that it has absolutely no use whatsoever?
Before 9/11, there was still security at airports, but no TSA. How was it handled? Is there any benefit whatsoever to having a centralized agency overseeing security at all airports assuming they don’t overstep their bounds with the help of a Congress willing to allow them carte blanche with their budget and policies.
15000 people? Are you kidding? That’s so far beneath noise level for a nation this large that I’m surprised ANYONE bothered to take notice. It’s negligible.
Why? Because it’s not true, or because you’ve fallen for the “security theatre”?
TSA recently revised its rules for searching children, including not requiring them to remove their shoes.
That’s not an answer to my question. Are you suggesting there is no use for any type of security at U.S. airports at all? Does my disagreeing with that position make me a sucker for “security theatre”? That’s ridiculous. Did you miss my first post in this thread?
As I pointed out in my last post, airport security was not born with the TSA. Security measures were taken in American airports before 9/11…just not to the extremes it is today. Most other countries, if not all, secure their airports in some manner. What I would like to know is how was airport security handled before? Is that what you think we should go back to? What are the benefits of putting the responsibility for security in the hands of individual airports?
They gave them back six years ago.
http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/Interpretive_Rule_Lighters.pdf (see p. 2, right hand column)
When I went through Heathrow recently they had a separate screening lane for families with small children. It made a HUGE difference in the experience, not only because everyone in the same lane was in the same situation (and thus were less likely to get angry at a small child holding up the line) but also because the staff were more child-friendly. I was able to carry my daughter through the metal detector (which was concealed by a big rainbow facade) without problem. I was so impressed I texted BAA to thank them.
Airport security needs to be smarter about a lot of things, including how it treats its customers.
They freed Kris Kringle.
No, I’m suggesting that the TSA does not provide any meaningful security. Even when people act suspiciously on purpose, these morons still can’t do anything useful.