TSA got you down?

[Gilldiver]

From what I can see the TSA has been corrupted by the fear of the bureaucratic minions of any failure being blamed on them. We have reports of a 70% failure rate to detect guns and bomb materials in luggage by the x-ray equipment that we already have.

TSA Minimizes Failure to Detect Threats - washingtonpost.com A lot of nice spin by TSA in this story

Until these failure to detect rates drop into the low single digits, any “enhanced” security measures are security theater or just passenger harassment so that Washington can say it’s not our fault.

Fredric the Great said “He who defends everything defends nothing,” TSA is trying to defend everything and doing a poor job of it.

The fact of the matter is that 911 would not happen today as the passengers would take care of the terrorists before they got anywhere near the cockpit. As for the shoe and underwear bombers, it was the passengers who stopped them, not TSA, air marshals, or any level of security thought up by the government.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

From what I can see the TSA has been corrupted by the fear of the bureaucratic minions of any failure being blamed on them. We have reports of a 70% failure rate to detect guns and bomb materials in luggage by the x-ray equipment that we already have.

TSA Minimizes Failure to Detect Threats - washingtonpost.com A lot of nice spin by TSA in this story

Until these failure to detect rates drop into the low single digits, any “enhanced” security measures are security theater or just passenger harassment so that Washington can say it’s not our fault.

Fredric the Great said “He who defends everything defends nothing,” TSA is trying to defend everything and doing a poor job of it.

The fact of the matter is that 911 would not happen today as the passengers would take care of the terrorists before they got anywhere near the cockpit. As for the shoe and underwear bombers, it was the passengers who stopped them, not TSA, air marshals, or any level of security thought up by the government.

The problem is that the TSA doesn't want to know about ... much less do anything about ... the security holes that exist. They want, instead, to promote the illusion of effective security.

This story is about an airline pilot and federal flight deck officer who attempted to show how TSA security can be easily breached. The TSA's response was to send a squad of TSA agents and local Sheriff's deputies to the man's home to confiscate his gun and revoke his right to carry it.

In effect, they don't want to hear the message ... or more importantly, they didn't want YOU to hear it ... so they removed the messenger ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[naimis]

...from slashdot.org:

Government auditors have faulted the TSA and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, for failing to properly test and evaluate technology before spending money on it. The TSA spent about $36 million on devices that puffed air on travelers to 'sniff' them out for explosives residue. All 207 of those machines ended up in warehouses, abandoned as unable to perform as advertised, deployed in many airports before the TSA had fully tested them. Since it was founded in 2001, the TSA has spent roughly $14 billion in more than 20,900 transactions with dozens of contractors, including $8 billion for the famous new body scanners that have recently come under scrutiny for being unable to perform the task for which they are advertised. 'TSA has an obsession of finding a single box that will solve all its problems. They've spent and wasted money looking for that one box, and there is no such solution,' said John Huey, an airport security expert.​

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

...from slashdot.org:

Government auditors have faulted the TSA and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, for failing to properly test and evaluate technology before spending money on it. The TSA spent about $36 million on devices that puffed air on travelers to 'sniff' them out for explosives residue. All 207 of those machines ended up in warehouses, abandoned as unable to perform as advertised, deployed in many airports before the TSA had fully tested them. Since it was founded in 2001, the TSA has spent roughly $14 billion in more than 20,900 transactions with dozens of contractors, including $8 billion for the famous new body scanners that have recently come under scrutiny for being unable to perform the task for which they are advertised. 'TSA has an obsession of finding a single box that will solve all its problems. They've spent and wasted money looking for that one box, and there is no such solution,' said John Huey, an airport security expert.​

... a closer look would show you that many of those devices are made by companies with ties to former Homeland Security personnel ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ronbeau]

... a closer look would show you that many of those devices are made by companies with ties to former Homeland Security personnel ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob, I knew you would love this TSA story from Comcast's "AOL News: 2010's Dumbest Criminals"

My parents used to say "Truth is stranger than fiction ... ". I guess this proves they are correct.

Rolando Negrin

Transportation Security Administration employee Rolando Negrin couldn't take a joke. According to police, Negrin beat a co-worker at Miami International Airport with a baton after the colleague made jokes about the size of Negrin's penis while testing a full-body scanner. (Photo from Miami Dade Police)

Rolando Negrin | AOL News: 2010's Dumbest Criminals | Comcast.net


The following URL starts at the beginning of the list. I think the people reading tis thread will find it amazing (including the guy with horns in his head).

2010's Dumbest Criminal Suspects | AOL News: 2010's Dumbest Criminals | Comcast.net

 

[DennisS]

TSA has now started checking passengers for the Washington Metro transit system, it's expanding turf like all good govt bureaucracys are supposed to do. Stay tuned, they may be coming to public transportation in your city, the govt dog and pony show hits the road.

There's money to be made in those scanners, any bets on how long it takes some "official" to propose that they be posted at all subway entrances.

If you're against being stopped and searched on the way to work, you're not a patriotic american. Do you want the terrorists to win. The TSA is from the govt and here to help you

olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:olice:

I just read on the news today TSA revoked a pilots gun carry priveledge, he did a video about ground crews lack of security on the flight line and posted it on U tube to bring attention to the problem. They sent a clear message, don't ever make us look incompetent

 

[naimis]

This change in policy should by no means be construed to be indicative of a power-hungry control freak of a bureaucrat consolidating his forces.

TSA shuts door on private airport screening program - CNN.com

Also, this is not a picture of John Pistole.

 

[iztok]

I was flying on BNA-CLT route few weeks ago. I tried to pick the line w/o porn scanners but they don't have any so I got the option to opt-out which I did. (they don't inform you that you have an option)

So I get enhanced pat down which was relatively professional and get on my way.

Then I get home and open my suitcase to find a bottle of wine in it (which I picked at the hotel in the morning with intention to give it to my customer but forgot to do so).

So much for TSA, they were more concerned with me opting out than checking what is in my luggage.

 

[FireInMyBones]

...
Now, I'm just going to be limited to where I can get to by car or maybe train...

That seems to be one of Obama's ideas. Silly high speed rail.

 

[naimis]

Some more links! To relevant news items.

TSA Admits Bungling of Airport Body-Scanner Radiation Tests | Threat Level | Wired.com
Man With 4th Amendment Written on Chest Sues Over Airport Arrest | Threat Level | Wired.com
Isle TSA worker arrested in theft of cash from travelers - Hawaii News - Staradvertiser.com

(there were actually some other arrests recently of TSA agents helping themselves to airline passenger cash, but I don't have that URL anymore)