TSA mess and the police

[CPT Tripss]

hey, how about a few of these babies? I know they scare the beejezus out of me.

What scares you more? The lizard? The forked tongue?

 

[CPT Tripss]

I'm afraid to ask, but are muslim women exempt from this search at the airport? Sorry, I am not sure what the final answer is.

If they are exempt, I will be wearing a burqa when I fly.

I heard an interesting interview today with the former head of security at Ben Gurion Airport. Too bad I was driving so I couldn't make notes.

He observed that this airport is perhps the most likely target of any, yet there have been only two attacks on/through the airport . . . neither by Palestinians or other arabs - neither by moslems. One by Japanese and one by Germans.

He views both the new WBIs and racial/religious profiling as ineffective. He does support profiling based on behaviors linked to terrorist practices but stressed that to be effective it must be color blind. According to him, no one gets a pass from the profiling/screening but it is a waste of resourses to focus on racial, ethnic or religious appearences.

He pointed out that the US was using profiling before 9/11 (I think he said it was CAPP), that this system IDed nine of the hijackers, but there was nothing in place to effectively use the information.

 

[Muushka]

I heard an interesting interview today with the former head of security at Ben Gurion Airport. Too bad I was driving so I couldn't make notes.

He observed that this airport is perhps the most likely target of any, yet there have been only two attacks on/through the airport . . . neither by Palestinians or other arabs - neither by moslems. One by Japanese and one by Germans.

He views both the new WBIs and racial/religious profiling as ineffective. He does support profiling based on behaviors linked to terrorist practices but stressed that to be effective it must be color blind. According to him, no one gets a pass from the profiling/screening but it is a waste of resourses to focus on racial, ethnic or religious appearences.

He pointed out that the US was using profiling before 9/11 (I think he said it was CAPP), that this system IDed nine of the hijackers, but there was nothing in place to effectively use the information.

It can't be any more of a waste of resources than treating everyone like they are a terrorist.

I heard an interesting comment yesterday. They said that the TSA is so busy checking pockets and underwear that they are not actually looking in the eyes of the passengers.

 

[Muushka]

Private workers are more apt to be fired for abusive behavior. Government employees well need I say more. If they unionize the tsa they will never be fired.

Fingers crossed that they will not unionize.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Robert Crandall former American Airlines CEO just came out with a statement that was highly negative about the new pat down procedures.

His take was that this could reduce traffic on airlines, which need the passengers to fly for economic recovery.

 

[CPT Tripss]

It can't be any more of a waste of resources than treating everyone like they are a terrorist.

I heard an interesting comment yesterday. They said that the TSA is so busy checking pockets and underwear that they are not actually looking in the eyes of the passengers.

Waste piled atop waste . . . isn't that by definition a compost pile?

Geeze, the least the TSA dude can do is look longingly into my eyes as he runs his hands up my hairy leg on his way to touching my junk.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I heard an interesting interview today with the former head of security at Ben Gurion Airport. Too bad I was driving so I couldn't make notes.

He observed that this airport is perhps the most likely target of any, yet there have been only two attacks on/through the airport . . . neither by Palestinians or other arabs - neither by moslems. One by Japanese and one by Germans.

He views both the new WBIs and racial/religious profiling as ineffective. He does support profiling based on behaviors linked to terrorist practices but stressed that to be effective it must be color blind. According to him, no one gets a pass from the profiling/screening but it is a waste of resourses to focus on racial, ethnic or religious appearences.

He pointed out that the US was using profiling before 9/11 (I think he said it was CAPP), that this system IDed nine of the hijackers, but there was nothing in place to effectively use the information.

I read something to that effect too. And the different intelligence agencies didn't interface.

 

[LuvOrlando]

YAY! I just reread the entire thread today, it took hours and my husband, who is working from home today, teased me all day because of my determination. I was surprised to discover how much I had missed, especially the humor. I actually noted posts 106 about the Friends "Very bad man episode" and 279 with George Carlin on "Airport Security"... absolutely hilarious Be warned for George Carlin's language, if you are sensitive don't even bother googling the guy.

I've been reading the stories in the news about the new calls for airports to drop the TSA and pick up replacement companies. Like everyone else, I don't know how I feel about all of this because all the hands in the cookie jar worry me but here is my 2 cents. I do know what we have now is intolerable to me. I'm not sure how this mess should be resolved but it's pretty plain that the roughshod organization they instituted in a panic after 9/11 can't continue as it is, it's been 9 years now... time to revamp under a magnifying glass.

 

[themilesfamily]

Case in point - my sister called me last night with a story she described as hilarious. She was sent through the backscatter - she told them she had a medical device attached to her (insulin pump). Well whoever was screening in the room where they watch the pictures saw it as worrisome and there were 9 people surrounding her within 10 seconds. Escorted to a private room. She offered to pull the pump out of her pocket and they kept telling her to keep her hands out of her pockets. Finally the room cleared except for 3 women and my sister was able to slowly pull up her shirt and show them the pump.

Then they swabbed everything. Took about 10 minutes and they said thank you and let her go.

Its all in the attitude and she is laughing about it.

Yeah, and our tax dollars paid for the 9 people to surround her and escort her to a private room -- and for 3 people to monitor her while she pulled up her shirt. Over an insulin pump. Heck, I'm surprised they didn't pull a gun on her.

I think this is a perfect example of security/the government gone nuts.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Nine people who were already employed by the TSA, scheduled to work that day at that location, present when a suspicious or undetermined item was seen on the scan screen, and whose job apparently includes responding in such a situation - not any new, additional, or called-in personnel.

Interesting that the person who experienced this laughed about it, while others can't.

 

[bicker]

Sometimes the gain is simply power. I'm not saying there's a huge conspiracy - I'm just saying putting that much power in the hands of the "little guy" can sometimes lead to problems.

That's already been addressed. Just like thousands of other things in our society, ranging from teachers, to doctors, to police officers, to firefighters - if there are anecdotal problems, detect them and address them as they occur. Everything can be abused; that doesn't mean everyone must therefore sit at home and do nothing, never interacting together in society.

This is my opinion, but again, I feel this is an unreasonable search.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but not entitled to expect their opinion to trump the fair and efficient administration of society driven by what's best for society overall, which is something that society determines collectively through its established means, rather than based on what any one specific person feels.

 

[bicker]

The weird thing about this thread is that the people who are pro new searches try to come off all tough but the truth is they are frightened out of their minds over the idea of being faced with what the men and women in the armed forces deal with every day.

You're utterly wrong. I'm one of the people who you are calling "pro new searches" (which, as mentioned before, is an instance of deception of your part) and your characterization is in no way descriptive of my mindset whatsoever. You simply are grasping at straws to try to come up with a way to refute the reality being outlined by many of us who disagree with you. Doing so doesn't add anything to the discussion; it's just defiles it, actually.

They are so paralyzed with this fear that they are attacking anyone and anything that threatens to tug away the thin apron they believe is shielding them from the real world and they embrace any promise of protection without question.

Let's hold up a mirror for you. You posting this is like me posting, "The weird thing is that the people who are anti-new search try to come off all tough but the truth is that they are simple fixated on sex." It is, of course, untrue, but it is as well-founded, and as useful a contribution to the discussion, as what you've written.

 

[bicker]

I still think a poll would be a great layer on this thread. It's such a polarizing issue.

The question is whether a poll would be accurate. In order for that to be the case, they'd have to be normalized (one person, one vote; and the votes be a representative sample of the entire population) and be such that the respondents wouldn't be motivated to lie, just to support their own agenda. You're not going to get critics to say, "I'm really just caught up in mob mentality, so that's why I'm voting A instead of B."

 

[Minnie]

Another painless security check through. Long lines (shorter than last month) was the worst.

 

[OceanAnnie]

The question is whether a poll would be accurate. In order for that to be the case, they'd have to be normalized (one person, one vote; and the votes be a representative sample of the entire population) and be such that the respondents wouldn't be motivated to lie, just to support their own agenda. You're not going to get critics to say, "I'm really just caught up in mob mentality, so that's why I'm voting A instead of B."

I've seen polls running about 50 -50. Lots of people are passionate about the issue. I don't think anyone would lie about it, that's just me. The wording of a poll could have a skewing impact.

 

[Bilberry]

Charles Krauthammer has a good and humorous article today about airports, the TSA, & the age of airport goers with junk.

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAna.../Too-Cowardly-To-Question-Profiling-Taboo.htm

 

[OceanAnnie]

Bilberry, thanks for the link. I enjoyed the article. Totally agree with C.K..

 

[LuvOrlando]

Bilberry, thank you for starting my day with a laugh that last thought is priceless!

Nothing like the humor of a sharp mind to help slide things into place. I also caught Penn Jillette's account from 2003 titled "Federal V.I.P.".

 

[JLTraveling]

Just a heads-up for those of you traveling to WDW:

According to a story I just saw on CNN, Orlando-Sanford airport does NOT have the full body scanners, and is considering replacing the TSA with a private security firm. Private firms are mandated to follow TSA procedures, but hopefully with a less intimidating bedside manner. At any rate, if you are against the scanners, Orlando-Sanford may be an option for you.

 

[Muushka]

Waste piled atop waste . . . isn't that by definition a compost pile?

Geeze, the least the TSA dude can do is look longingly into my eyes as he runs his hands up my hairy leg on his way to touching my junk.

Funniest post of the thread . I nearly lost my coffee out my nose laughing.