Comments on: Illusionist reveals TSA is all smoke and mirrors

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:28:00 +0000

The problems with TSA are two fold; one strategic and one tactical.

Strategic: Terroristic events are caused by people, not items. Items are the means by which the terrorists carry out their aim. We should be concentrating on the person rather than the means.

Tactical: If more than three ounces is dangerous, why wouldn’t three suicide-minded terrorists each carry three ounces and perhaps a fourth carry the means on detonation?

Tactical: In this life, generally, you get what you pay for. The minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. TSA’s minimum educational requirements are such that someone without a high school diploma but has worked as a guard in a store can be accepted.

Israeli security personnel are highly trained for concentrating on the individual; this is called behavior recognition. Israel pays the equivalent of $26+ per hour, and a great percentage of security employees are ex-military.

The Israeli security model requires human thought and value judgments. TSA is all about standardization… removing human judgment in favor of policies, procedures and being… “Oh so politically correct.” That’s why an 89 year old grandmother receives the same attention as a 24 year old Arab man wearing a keffeyah (Arab head dress).

By: K.M. Richards

K.M. Richards — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:31:00 +0000

“What’s easier to prove than a bottle of water? All they have to do is
make us take a swig and watch us swallow. If it’s anything but water,
they know.”

Exactly. In fact, that was what happened to me the last time I needed to visit the State Office Building in downtown Los Angeles. No hassle from security, they just asked me to take a drink from my bottle to confirm that it contained water. Who’s going to deny that reasonable request?

By: Patricia Faust

Patricia Faust — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:53:00 +0000

Smoke and mirrors….

By: Patricia Faust

Patricia Faust — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:53:00 +0000

Smoke and mirrors….

By: ranger700

ranger700 — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:02:55 +0000

As a former airlines employee, I am disgusted how it has
been “Nationalized” without even taken legal possession by the
Federal Government. one simple solution Take the Train, it may take
a little longer, but a heck of a lot less stress.

By: naoma

naoma — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:38:22 +0000

On my honeymoon many, many years ago my luggage was “lost” but never found. In order to file a claim I was lucky in that many of the clothes were new and I still had receipts. Of course, some things cannot be replaced even with the insurance. Have not had anything similar happen, but shudder each time my baggage leaves my hands.

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:19:35 +0000

it is all about “total Control”. Raise the fear and hold up a fantasy thread, bring the freedom as down as much as possible. But all Citizens follow this because if not you get busted.
Buy a bottle of beer as a 50 year old you will be asked for an ID. This is just an example how far they can go . It is way below any common sense. Ask how many stand up and refuse this BS ? No one ! Sad but in this case each of you can see what will change

By: Joe Farrell

Joe Farrell — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 23:01:13 +0000

I live in fear of time first time that Al Qaeda places a bomb inside someone’s body – or there is a weapon smuggled on board inside a cavity. The nudeoscope will not detect either of these since they are not concealed ‘on the surface’ and since you would no longer going through a magnetometer, it will not be detected that way either.

Do they really think all this high tech mumbo jumbo is going to protect someone from a weapon on board inside a body cavity? Or implanting a bomb? Both of which would be detectable using the magnetometer?

A huge step backward and once again, TSA foils the last threat.

By: kit

kit — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:58:05 +0000

I recently traveled cross coutry from the west coast to the east… and I had a similar problem… thankfully most everything I had taken was brand new and still had the tags. I was flying with my two daughters we had three checked bags one of which had an extra bag inside for the trip home. All three of bags had been disturb while only my bag had an inspection sheet inside. I was missing new clothes and new underwear from my bag. Brand new clothes from my daughters bag, and shoes from the extra bag. As I said before the extra bag and my daughters did not have inspection tags… but heres the kicker the shoes that were missing were my 7 year olds, even though all three of us had the same brand new water shoes. To replace them I had to pay more money than the first time I purchased the shoes while on my vacation. When I called I was told I could call lost and found….which I did, and they told me to file a claim…. I haven’t had the time just yet, but tomorrow I plan to file my claim. cross your fingers for me.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:33:10 +0000

“Does anyone really believe that having 3.4 oz containers in a quart-sized ziplock makes us safe when the screeners have no idea what the liquids could be?”

I have asked this question so many times it’s not even funny.

We’re demanded to toss out a bottle of water, but can put ANYTHING in 3.4 oz or less and no one even checks. What’s easier to prove than a bottle of water? All they have to do is make us take a swig and watch us swallow. If it’s anything but water, they know.

And those little travel bottles could have any kind of explosive in them… and a little could go a long way.

I’m not against the TSA, I’d like to feel safe when I fly, but their work needs to be seriously reconsidered, as evidenced by the attempted attack in Detroit on Christmas Day. They’re still getting through, and making the TSA look worse every time.

By: Ali

Ali — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 15:39:01 +0000

While outside Chicago Airport smoking a cig between flights a few years ago, I got to talking to a TSA guy also out there getting some nicotine, and he as much as said screening is a bunch of bull. (I was complaining about some absurdity I had gone through on the first leg of the flight). He said that all the security doesn’t make you safer, it is just for show, but it was a paycheck for him. Of course that stuck with me ever since. There really is no stopping a competent person from getting something dangerous on a plane short of strip searching everyone, and even then there are possibly ways around it.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:56:44 +0000

A government that is unresponsive to its citizens? Welcome to the new America where the governement has all of the power and the citizens have none. When we as a people are willing to give up freedom and endow the federal government with powers that they shouldn’t have, we will become an inconvience and treated as such. We all act like we are suprised that this is happening.

By: Stephen - NYC

Stephen - NYC — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:21:55 +0000

“better then most,” ok, so spelling is not his strong point. “.better than most.”
Anyway, the TSA now has a twitter account, so you can also tweet your problems to them. Or just follow along and see what’s happening with them.
http://twitter.com/TSABlogTeam
Thank you Duke Nukem (like the id, too) for the reference as I didn’t recall the incident. For anyone else, here is what it refers to (be sure to read the ‘criticism’ paragraph). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kip_Hawley

By: Duke Nukem

Duke Nukem — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:26:31 +0000

I guess Kip Hawley is an idiot.

By: Carl Lundstrom

Carl Lundstrom — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:33:58 +0000

I am glad to see that car rental rates have finally returned to normal, after 2 months of unreal rates. In May I rented a compact car in Denver for $ 12/day. Two months later they wanted $ 140/day for the same car there. I finally got them down to $ 80/day for a compact. A mid size car, in Boston the same week, cost me $ 101/day. If that is not prize gouging, I don’t know what is.