The TSA is a waste of money that doesn't save lives and might actually cost them
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Re: The TSA is a waste of money that doesn't save lives and might actually cost them
#2In the world we live in there is one surefire way to get rid of the TSA: Stop flying.
Sad to say but money is a big motivator, and until the airlines get the message that we don't want to deal with this shit, they aren't going to really push for actual change.
Re: The TSA is a waste of money that doesn't save lives and might actually cost them
#3How do we get rid of it, though? I get that it's terrible, and I've heard all these arguments countless times. How do you actually take action, though?
Re: The TSA is a waste of money that doesn't save lives and might actually cost them
#4It's easy to say that TSA sucks (it does), but it's hard to propose a workable alternative. Well alternative 1, stop making us take off our shoes and taking out our laptops, its clear from pre-check that it's not really necessary.
You need some security. That was clear before 9-11. Airports had security and it was pretty similar to how TSA does it right now. You put your bags on an Xray machine, show your ID, and walk through a metal detector.
I'd suggest keeping the government in charge of what procedures to use, but then using private contracts to actually manage the airport security.
The real problem with TSA isn't that it is intrusive. It's that is terrible mismanaged and has no incentive to improve the experience.
Although apparently airports can opt out of the TSA.
Re: The TSA is a waste of money that doesn't save lives and might actually cost them
#5I live in a small city with a small airport. One day, while waiting for my departure plane to arrive, TSA kicked everyone out of the secure gate and back into the insecure terminal, because the plane would not arrive for another half hour and they didn't want to keep watching us in a room with barely 50 seats. Then we had to go through security again once every single passenger had arrived.
The point is that security is fear-motivated. 99% doesn't matter if it isn't 100%, even if logic and probability puts that 1% insecurity in a .001% chance of actually happening. So if you let the 1% slip through and something happens, well, who wants to take the blame?
And now we have this mess.
Re: The TSA is a waste of money that doesn't save lives and might actually cost them
#6Airports should replace the TSA with security companies that use El Al's techniques: https://skift.com/2013/11/15/tsas-behavioral-detection-techn...
Re: The TSA is a waste of money that doesn't save lives and might actually cost them
#7I wonder how autonomous driving will affect shorter flight commutes. I'll probably never take a car from Philadelphia to LA, but I might prefer to travel by car from Philadelphia to Chicago if I know that I can sleep throughout the car ride (as well as leave whenever is most convenient). When you take into account driving to the airport, checking bags, security, flight delays, baggage claim, and rental cars/driving to your hotel, a 12 hour drive doesn't look nearly as bad, especially when you could leave at 10 PM and wake up at 10 AM arriving at your destination. And it's way less stress compared to the hassle of TSA and flights.
Re: The TSA is a waste of money that doesn't save lives and might actually cost them
#8In terms of $$, by far the biggest cost is in the wasted time of the millions of people who are subjected to this. It's obviously in the billions.
Re: The TSA is a waste of money that doesn't save lives and might actually cost them
#9It's easy to say that TSA sucks (it does), but it's hard to propose a workable alternative. Well alternative 1, stop making us take off our shoes and taking out our laptops, its clear from pre-check that it's not really necessary. You need some security. That was clear before 9-11. Airports had security and it was pretty similar to how TSA does it right now. You put your bags on an Xray machine, show your ID, and wal…
I am not convinced you need more security for aircraft than a bus. As long as there is a solid wall between pilots and passengers, the worst a passenger could do would be to take down an aircraft which is much harder than you might assume.
Re: The TSA is a waste of money that doesn't save lives and might actually cost them
#10In the world we live in there is one surefire way to get rid of the TSA: Stop flying. Sad to say but money is a big motivator, and until the airlines get the message that we don't want to deal with this shit, they aren't going to really push for actual change.
The consultants and business class - who fly regularly, provide the bulk of airline revenue, and get work done on the plane and in the terminal - would not give up flying for the sake of ideology. But if their cars can drive them while they focus on work, well...