TSA gone wild...uh, I mean, stupid

[apvbguy]

while obuma had nothing to do with the implantation of the agencies you've mentioned he as president/chief executive owns all the problems being spoken about. I think that we can agree that the TSA is a poorly run operation and he(obuma) and/or his appointees have done little if anything to address the problems there, they are in charge, they are the one's who need to do something!

there is no getting around the fact that the charlatan in charge now has a presidential record of ineptness and incompetence that he can't make go away by blaming Bush and his regime

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[OD*]

Let's get off the politics gentlemen, or we'll lose this thread too.

[atctimmy]

I can say a few things that should be pondered as it relates to this thread.

1) I don't believe the media and I certainly don't believe a whining mom who posted on Facebook about how her daughter was mistreated by TSA.

2) Before TSA we had private security at airports and they did a pretty good job. 9/11 was not the fault of private security, top to bottom it was a policy failure. Box cutters were legal to have on an airplane.

3) Lastly as it comes to federal employees I'll say this. It is damn hard to fire someone unless they make the headlines. I have been with the govt for 19 years and I worked with allot of toolbags (and I still do). I have only known of one person who was fired after their first year. I have seen a couple probationary employees let go for lying on their application but only one long time employee get the axe.

[Hopyard]

@ATCTimmy--- pm sent.

[Moops]

I can say a few things that should be pondered as it relates to this thread.

1) I don't believe the media and I certainly don't believe a whining mom who posted on Facebook about how her daughter was mistreated by TSA.

2) Before TSA we had private security at airports and they did a pretty good job. 9/11 was not the fault of private security, top to bottom it was a policy failure. Box cutters were legal to have on an airplane.

3) Lastly as it comes to federal employees I'll say this. It is damn hard to fire someone unless they make the headlines. I have been with the govt for 19 years and I worked with allot of toolbags (and I still do). I have only known of one person who was fired after their first year. I have seen a couple probationary employees let go for lying on their application but only one long time employee get the axe.

1) The TSA has not denied how the girl was treated. Either way, are you saying that frisking a 4 year old girl is okay? Or frisking anyone, for that matter?

2) Here we agree. I would also add that the overall belief that someone else is responsible for our safety when we fly was a contributer to the success of the attacks.

3) Again, agreed. I read an article about teachers in New York who sit in a room all day and do nothing because they are not fit to be in a classroom, but because of the teacher's union, they can't be fired. So they sit there and do nothing.

[atctimmy]

1) The TSA has not denied how the girl was treated. Either way, are you saying that frisking a 4 year old girl is okay? Or frisking anyone, for that matter?

I think that security is security. You have to do it all. Do terrorists not have 4 year olds? Last time I checked kids carry bombs all the time in the sand box.

If we didn't check children and old ladies how long do you think it would be before the BGs figure that out and start giving bombs to kids and old ladies?

Everybody can be a threat.

[Hopyard]

1) The TSA has not denied how the girl was treated. Either way, are you saying that frisking a 4 year old girl is okay? Or frisking anyone, for that matter?

2) Here we agree. I would also add that the overall belief that someone else is responsible for our safety when we fly was a contributer to the success of the attacks.

3) Again, agreed. I read an article about teachers in New York who sit in a room all day and do nothing because they are not fit to be in a classroom, but because of the teacher's union, they can't be fired. So they sit there and do nothing.

Do not confuse what goes on in NYC with how Federal Employees are managed. ATCTimmy and I have had a discussion about this
privately about our differing viewpoint, with both of us having or having had long Federal Careers.

I'm going to say no more on the subject except that the notion that a Federal Employee can't be fired--and easily at that-- is hooey.

[noway2]

This month's edition of Cryptogram by Bruce Schneier has a couple of interesting articles on the TSA including one on why terrorist profiling won't work. The articles also include several foot note links to related works that might make for interesting reading.