The Failure Rates at Los Angeles and Chicago Stunned Security Experts.

[LOki]

<blockquote>Most Fake Bombs Missed By Screeners
<i>"WASHINGTON — Security screeners at two of the nation's busiest airports failed to find fake bombs hidden on undercover agents posing as passengers in more than 60% of tests last year, according to a classified report obtained by USA TODAY.

Screeners at Los Angeles International Airport missed about 75% of simulated explosives and bomb parts that Transportation Security Administration testers hid under their clothes or in carry-on bags at checkpoints, the TSA report shows."</i></blockquote>If terrorists had been actually trying to get bombs on planes, no amount of frisking grandma, or profiling that swarthy gentleman would have prevented it--certainly making the rest of us stand in line, bare foot, for two hours watching them confiscate our our hair gel, i-pods, pen knives, and nail clippers would have prevented it.

It's time to give the TSA a bit of a rest, and replace it with sense.

[truthmatters]

I guess the whole threat level thing is bullshit.......hmmmm....

[5stringJeff]

TSA = Thousands Standing Around

These guys are horrible. They make FEMA look like Six Sigma Black Belts.

[gabosaurus]

You can blame the airline industry and the FTA for that. After Sept. 11, a commission studying the transportation situation in the U.S. recommended that airports change to specially trained security personnel. The airlines argued that it would be to expensive. So now we still use the same people.
After the rash of hijackings a great while back, another commission recommended locked and reinforced cockpit doors. The airlines vetoed that as too expensive. As always, the FTA rubber stamped their recommendation.
Do you think the Sept. 11 attacks would have happened if we had gone to locked cockpit doors like many foreign airlines did?

[LOki]

You can blame the airline industry and the FTA for that. After Sept. 11, a commission studying the transportation situation in the U.S. recommended that airports change to specially trained security personnel. The airlines argued that it would be to expensive. So now we still use the same people.
After the rash of hijackings a great while back, another commission recommended locked and reinforced cockpit doors. The airlines vetoed that as too expensive. As always, the FTA rubber stamped their recommendation.
Do you think the Sept. 11 attacks would have happened if we had gone to locked cockpit doors like many foreign airlines did?

Blame who for what? If you'd like to blame the failures of these screeners to find the fake bombs on the FTA and the airline industry, fine. But gabosaurus, you're just missing the bigger issue. The more important point is, there has been no real threat all along. At least not one that justifes, or is addressed by, all the resources wasted, and the bullshit measures that are being taken.

[5stringJeff]

You can blame the airline industry and the FTA for that.

No, we can blame Congress and President Bush for federalizing airport security. Federalizing an industry makes it grossly more inefficient.

[theHawk]

Forget the stupid "random" searches, they don't work. Just do thorough searches on muslims and their baggage. That would keep us much safer.

[5stringJeff]

Forget the stupid "random" searches, they don't work. Just do thorough searches on muslims and their baggage. That would keep us much safer.

Word. Not all Muslims are terrorists, but almost all terrorists are Muslim.

[darin]

Just imagine the nut-roll/cluster fu...SCREW health care would become w/ Federalization....

[gabosaurus]

The airline security people are off their freakin nut. They are terribly inconsistent.
Take last weekend. My husband's company is setting up a new branch office in Orange County and he went down to down advance work. My husband and I both keep a full set of clothes and other essentials at our parents' house, so we can fly light.
My husband flew from SF to Orange County's John Wayne airport with no luggage. No one said a thing, as is usually the case. But when he got to OC to fly back, the security people on duty about had a spasm about him flying with no luggage. He was questioned for half a hour, which caused him to miss his flight. He had to take a later one.