TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
#1
Peace onion
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 5,686
TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
What a complete waste of time these onerous new TSA restrictions are.
Attractive women and little kids are (anecdotally) being singled out for gropings and molestations.
When is this nonsense going to end? When people stop flying and hit the airlines in the goolies? Money talks. Maybe then the airlines will lobby to stop this BS.
BTW, can you name one terrorist the TSA stopped?
Attractive women and little kids are (anecdotally) being singled out for gropings and molestations.
When is this nonsense going to end? When people stop flying and hit the airlines in the goolies? Money talks. Maybe then the airlines will lobby to stop this BS.
BTW, can you name one terrorist the TSA stopped?
#2
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
Already happening...have seen BA and Ryan Air bosses on the telly in the last week calling for relaxation of the rules.....not that they're going to get anywhere.....and I think they know it. I don't think they would really want to take the risk of being the ones to get the rules relaxed then get blown out of the air by the jimmy with a liter bottle of explosives the week after the current rules get relaxed....
#3
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
It is a job creation scheme pure and simple.
A modern new deal.
A modern new deal.
#4
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 4,130
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
What a complete waste of time these onerous new TSA restrictions are.
Attractive women and little kids are (anecdotally) being singled out for gropings and molestations.
When is this nonsense going to end? When people stop flying and hit the airlines in the goolies? Money talks. Maybe then the airlines will lobby to stop this BS.
BTW, can you name one terrorist the TSA stopped?
Attractive women and little kids are (anecdotally) being singled out for gropings and molestations.
When is this nonsense going to end? When people stop flying and hit the airlines in the goolies? Money talks. Maybe then the airlines will lobby to stop this BS.
BTW, can you name one terrorist the TSA stopped?
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=11979353
#5
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
I just flew to UK (LHR) from SFO (and back) and I have to say, security was a breeze in both directions. At SFO, the airline check-in line was reasonable, and I wasn't even asked the rote 'has this bag been under your control ... ' question. The security line was remarkably short, and - other than the now-typical, stupid, 'take off the shoes and throw away the bottled water' routine, I was through in a jiffy. I did have to go into a big round 'scanner' device, which took all of a few seconds, and I got frisked by a guy ... felt like a rather short massage. Pretty much the same casual shit happened in UK when I flew back here.
I flew to Paris just after 9/11, and it was far, far worse (Secondary screenings at the gate, complete hand luggage inspections, etc)
I fly domestic SFO -> PHX about once a month and it's equally boring. I have become so jaded that I often don't leave home until 90 minutes before departure in PHX, allowing less than 60 mins at the airport, and I've only missed one flight ...
Maybe I've been lucky, but I just can't find much to complain about other than the shoes-and-water thingy.
I flew to Paris just after 9/11, and it was far, far worse (Secondary screenings at the gate, complete hand luggage inspections, etc)
I fly domestic SFO -> PHX about once a month and it's equally boring. I have become so jaded that I often don't leave home until 90 minutes before departure in PHX, allowing less than 60 mins at the airport, and I've only missed one flight ...
Maybe I've been lucky, but I just can't find much to complain about other than the shoes-and-water thingy.
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 87
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
its a complete pain in the butt and that in itself means the terrorists have had success cause they have made life more difficult for us all
but no matter how much of a nuisance it feels ( and some officers in some airports in some countries worse than others) i would rather suffer the inconvenience , than be sitting here the week after it has been relaxed and discussing the latest hijacking or mid air explosion
unfortunately we will NEVER be one step ahead of terrorists - we will always be playing catch up - that is why IMHO we have to secure ourselves as much as possible against what we know already and just be prepared, alert towards what might come next
personally i find the airline bosses asking for a relaxation quite dumfounding and i agree with what yorkieabroad has said above
but no matter how much of a nuisance it feels ( and some officers in some airports in some countries worse than others) i would rather suffer the inconvenience , than be sitting here the week after it has been relaxed and discussing the latest hijacking or mid air explosion
unfortunately we will NEVER be one step ahead of terrorists - we will always be playing catch up - that is why IMHO we have to secure ourselves as much as possible against what we know already and just be prepared, alert towards what might come next
personally i find the airline bosses asking for a relaxation quite dumfounding and i agree with what yorkieabroad has said above
#7
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,460
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
I don't find the current security practices any big deal. You do what is required and you are through the security line in a few minutes. In my opinion the big problem with flying is that the logistical realities are always going to mean getting to the airport early and waiting around, compared with taking a train. I've never missed a flight but that is because I build in extra time for eventualities that rarely happen ... heavy traffic, cancelled train, whatever. (Obviously you'll never be able to take a train across an ocean.)
#8
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
It's the continuous changing I find bothersome. I flew out of a little airport in State College, PA last week. Guy ahead of me had a cap on and asked the guy at the inspestion belt if he needed to take it off, and the TSA officer said no. He walked up to the scanner, and the TSA officer at the scanner told him to take his hat off and put it on the conveyor belt!
The first TSA officer did apologize, but you have to wonder about all these changes, if the employees themselves can't even keep up with it.
Another nice experience... flew a few weeks ago out of Logan airport. Fully body scanner at that one, but only one available and the line was huge. After a while, they opened up the std walk through scanner to keep the line moving - so half of us went through the full body scan and the other half went through the standard one. If this is so critical to our national security, why would they compromise such a thing for convenience? Maybe they hope the terrorists will be kind enough to choose the full body scan?
Just seemed a complete joke.
The first TSA officer did apologize, but you have to wonder about all these changes, if the employees themselves can't even keep up with it.
Another nice experience... flew a few weeks ago out of Logan airport. Fully body scanner at that one, but only one available and the line was huge. After a while, they opened up the std walk through scanner to keep the line moving - so half of us went through the full body scan and the other half went through the standard one. If this is so critical to our national security, why would they compromise such a thing for convenience? Maybe they hope the terrorists will be kind enough to choose the full body scan?
Just seemed a complete joke.
#9
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 87
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
but look at it this way
a wannabe terrorist who went thru the standard one on a dry run today could well go back next week thinking he will get the same opportunity and then get caught out because he will be forced to go thru the full scan
we have to do toilet checks frequently on board - to check noones smoking in there, noones tamnpered with the smoke detectors, that noones in there building a bomb or has left parts in there for someone else to collect etc
when we first started doing this we did it at certain points on the clock - but then realised that 'sleepers' would be timing us - and to maximise their useful time in a loo they would slip in just after we did a check and then know that they had a set amount of time before we would check that loo again
now our timings are random and irregular
consistency IS key but with a bit of unpredicatability thrown in ( if there is such a word)
a wannabe terrorist who went thru the standard one on a dry run today could well go back next week thinking he will get the same opportunity and then get caught out because he will be forced to go thru the full scan
we have to do toilet checks frequently on board - to check noones smoking in there, noones tamnpered with the smoke detectors, that noones in there building a bomb or has left parts in there for someone else to collect etc
when we first started doing this we did it at certain points on the clock - but then realised that 'sleepers' would be timing us - and to maximise their useful time in a loo they would slip in just after we did a check and then know that they had a set amount of time before we would check that loo again
now our timings are random and irregular
consistency IS key but with a bit of unpredicatability thrown in ( if there is such a word)
#10
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
I see it as a bit like commuting into London (or any other large city for that matter) - on a good day its tolerable, on a bad day it can be a pain in the a$$, but everyone has to go thru it so "stiff upper lip, old boy". My main hope is that the boredom of queueing will be relieved by getting to see someone throwing a wobbler at the injustice and inconvenience of it all..
There was a news report (may be the one in the link earlier - haven't clicked it) interviewing people on their views on the security measures and the vast majority of those shown were in the "don't like it but what can you do" camp...
I take on babybyrds comments about introducing a randomness into some aspects, but I also think that there should be some consistency...for instance why are there differening standards required for domestic flights vs those originating overseas...? Is that an arrogance that terrorist attacks are more likely to come from overseas rather than from internal threats? That just seems plain daft, particularly considering the events of 9/11.
There was a news report (may be the one in the link earlier - haven't clicked it) interviewing people on their views on the security measures and the vast majority of those shown were in the "don't like it but what can you do" camp...
I take on babybyrds comments about introducing a randomness into some aspects, but I also think that there should be some consistency...for instance why are there differening standards required for domestic flights vs those originating overseas...? Is that an arrogance that terrorist attacks are more likely to come from overseas rather than from internal threats? That just seems plain daft, particularly considering the events of 9/11.
#11
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Location: Arizona
Posts: 4,130
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
#12
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
With apologies to Pastor Neimoller...
First they came for the shoes, but I did not speak out because I was wearing flip flops
Then they came for the bottles of water, but I did not speak out because I wasn't thirsty
Then they came for the nail clippers, but I did not speak out because I just had a mani pedi
Then they came for the printer cartridges, but I did not speak out because I work in a paperless office
Then they came for the pets, but I did not speak out because frankly the easiest way to smuggle something on board is to pay off the baggage handlers who spend half their time riffling through your suitcase looking for stuff to steal anyway.
First they came for the shoes, but I did not speak out because I was wearing flip flops
Then they came for the bottles of water, but I did not speak out because I wasn't thirsty
Then they came for the nail clippers, but I did not speak out because I just had a mani pedi
Then they came for the printer cartridges, but I did not speak out because I work in a paperless office
Then they came for the pets, but I did not speak out because frankly the easiest way to smuggle something on board is to pay off the baggage handlers who spend half their time riffling through your suitcase looking for stuff to steal anyway.
#13
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
#14
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
It makes little sense to screen aircrew. We've already been background checked to death by the TSA. The US Government knows more about us than any of the traveling public already. It's the same skewed logic that forces LPRs to be fingerprinted each time they enter the country even though they have already been background checked. Does your fingerprint change when you leave the country?
I don't see the point in screening the pilots either though. As you said, with all the background checks they'd have to go through to get there there's no sense in it. Plus, aren't a significant number ex-air force as well?
#15
Re: TSA - Time to Stop Aviating?
[QUOTE=Brit3964;8975945]It makes little sense to screen aircrew. We've already been background checked to death by the TSA. QUOTE]
That doesn't make sense to me - if there is a perceived need to put a whole plane load of passengers thru security scans at the airport, it only makes sense to apply that security to all individuals boarding the plane, rather than designing a fairly obvious loophole into the system.
Even if the background check system were 100% reliable, it doesn't make aircrew invulnerable to psychological problems induced by say death of a relative, or infatuation induced stupidity (I've got a present for you but you're not to open it till you land..), blackmail (carry this package or we'll kill your family) etc etc. And a decent 'sleeper' is going to pass all the background checks you like...until they're activated...err, maybe I should stop with the re-runs of MI-5...
That doesn't make sense to me - if there is a perceived need to put a whole plane load of passengers thru security scans at the airport, it only makes sense to apply that security to all individuals boarding the plane, rather than designing a fairly obvious loophole into the system.
Even if the background check system were 100% reliable, it doesn't make aircrew invulnerable to psychological problems induced by say death of a relative, or infatuation induced stupidity (I've got a present for you but you're not to open it till you land..), blackmail (carry this package or we'll kill your family) etc etc. And a decent 'sleeper' is going to pass all the background checks you like...until they're activated...err, maybe I should stop with the re-runs of MI-5...