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Former Newark Airport TSA screener says the job does little to keep fliers safe
When there are internal tests, conducted by the Newark training department, it’s easy to cheat because they use our co-workers. You could be working with someone all morning, and then they’re gone. Word gets around the checkpoint. Someone will come over to you and say, “Hey, it’s Joe. He’s got a blue duffel bag.” (www.nypost.com) More...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Anyone surprised?
Maybe instead of trying to "improve" TSA, we should shut it down completely.
United Flight 93 left KEWR on September 11, 2001, carrying armed terrorists on a mission to destroy something on the ground.
The next terrorist attack originating from KEWR was, let's see.... Oh, yeah, there hasn't been another one! Once again America blows gazillions of dollars and inconveniences thousands of people because something bad happened one time. You'd think the country was being run by lawyers.
Oh, wait, it is.
United Flight 93 left KEWR on September 11, 2001, carrying armed terrorists on a mission to destroy something on the ground.
The next terrorist attack originating from KEWR was, let's see.... Oh, yeah, there hasn't been another one! Once again America blows gazillions of dollars and inconveniences thousands of people because something bad happened one time. You'd think the country was being run by lawyers.
Oh, wait, it is.
Right on, David!
It's like frisking everybody walking along the street because one of them might not be a nice person.
I'm a 78 year old Caucasian, bald, slightly overweight American male, I've served my country well and honorably both in and out of the armed forces. I've have had a command in the US Navy. I've passed so many background investigations for high level security clearances that I can't count 'em. Why should anybody with that kind of curriculum vitae be considered a potential terrorist? The answer, of course, is so as not to hurt the feelings of people whose appearance, ethnic and religious backgrounds are similar to those of the 911 murderers. Perish the thought. EVERYONE MUST BE SEARCHED to avoid offending ANYONE.
TSA thing become another bloated, bureaucratic control organization. It's there to control of YOU. You must endure without complaint -- or else.
The milk sop defense for TSA is that: "If TSA can stop just one terrorist, it's all worth it." That's specious nonsense. If the speed limit were 10mph we'd have less fatal accidents, too, -- but would that be worth it? Of course not.
TSA exists because the 911 hijackers passed through security with box cutters -- which were perfectly legal at the time. The Director of the FBI couldn't have legally stopped those murderers from passing through security, but there was a frenzy to DO SOMETHING -- et voila! TSA was born. Now it's like Herpes Type II. It's here to stay because nobody under 21 remembers its ever having been any other way.
Btw, TSA inconveniences MILLIONS of people, not just thousands. It does the latter at large airports every day. Has it stopped any terrorists from highjacking an airplane? NO. but it's hard to prove a negative.
It's like frisking everybody walking along the street because one of them might not be a nice person.
I'm a 78 year old Caucasian, bald, slightly overweight American male, I've served my country well and honorably both in and out of the armed forces. I've have had a command in the US Navy. I've passed so many background investigations for high level security clearances that I can't count 'em. Why should anybody with that kind of curriculum vitae be considered a potential terrorist? The answer, of course, is so as not to hurt the feelings of people whose appearance, ethnic and religious backgrounds are similar to those of the 911 murderers. Perish the thought. EVERYONE MUST BE SEARCHED to avoid offending ANYONE.
TSA thing become another bloated, bureaucratic control organization. It's there to control of YOU. You must endure without complaint -- or else.
The milk sop defense for TSA is that: "If TSA can stop just one terrorist, it's all worth it." That's specious nonsense. If the speed limit were 10mph we'd have less fatal accidents, too, -- but would that be worth it? Of course not.
TSA exists because the 911 hijackers passed through security with box cutters -- which were perfectly legal at the time. The Director of the FBI couldn't have legally stopped those murderers from passing through security, but there was a frenzy to DO SOMETHING -- et voila! TSA was born. Now it's like Herpes Type II. It's here to stay because nobody under 21 remembers its ever having been any other way.
Btw, TSA inconveniences MILLIONS of people, not just thousands. It does the latter at large airports every day. Has it stopped any terrorists from highjacking an airplane? NO. but it's hard to prove a negative.
Well put. Thanks Vet.
Well said sir.
The only terrorist attacks that have been attempted and failed on American soil/airspace since 9/11 have failed not because of screenings but because of incompetent terrorists. They keep sneaking bombs onto planes in more creative/obvious ways and failing because of luck/stupidity. In that way we actually can prove a negative: these idiots are encouraging terrorists to keep trying more and more creative things.
The sad part is eventually they will succeed and instead of seeing the obvious failures of the TSA our wonderful government will decide we need more security.
The only terrorist attacks that have been attempted and failed on American soil/airspace since 9/11 have failed not because of screenings but because of incompetent terrorists. They keep sneaking bombs onto planes in more creative/obvious ways and failing because of luck/stupidity. In that way we actually can prove a negative: these idiots are encouraging terrorists to keep trying more and more creative things.
The sad part is eventually they will succeed and instead of seeing the obvious failures of the TSA our wonderful government will decide we need more security.
And eventually, another airliner will crash- unrelated to terrorism.
If you try hard enough, and long enough with enough financial backing, you are likely to succeed on occasion. I don't think that is a justification for current TSA policies.
If you try hard enough, and long enough with enough financial backing, you are likely to succeed on occasion. I don't think that is a justification for current TSA policies.
I agree. They're not stopping bad things from happening they are just overreacting to a problem with no solution. The fact is you're much more likely to die on the drive to the airport than by terrorism in the air. Bad people will always exist, and bad people will always do bad things; you need to be safety conscious but at a certain point you end up at a net loss with too much safety. Think of what the billions in lost time and wasted money at airports could do for things that might actually help people.