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TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

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Re: TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

#51

Post by knowtheory »

mindcrime wrote: post #37
ianhawes wrote: post #34

One of the most irritating aspects of the TSA inefficiencies is that they know the demand at each airport in advance. Because all airlines submit passenger information to the TSA as its booked (often months or weeks in advance), the TSA can shift resources. While I'm all for blaming the TSA, the head of the TSA's union was on NPR this morning and pointed out that Congress diverted funds collected from the "9/11 Tax"…

I do think we should replace/get rid of the TSA, but the neo-conservative method of government excision where you cut off the cash flow and wait for everyone to get pissed off ("starve the beast") is incredibly unpopular. I'm not sure that's even in play here. Neo-conservatives talk about "small government" but it's mostly lip service, especially when it comes to anything related to the military/industrial/espionage/…

It's really not lip service.

The budget sequestration deal in 2011 resulted in 10% across the board cuts in 2013: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_budget_sequestra...

Likewise, if you look at how Congressional Republicans responded to the Obama Administration's request for funding for Zika research you'll see the same thing. The answer was both "no" and "why don't you divert research funds from Ebola to Zika research if you want it so badly" (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/16/congr... )

Budgets have been cut. Not in ways anyone would ever want, but to say that they're not have an impact is not correct.

Re: TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

#52

Post by marcus_holmes »

blisterpeanuts wrote: post #8
marcus_holmes wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

has the TSA stopped a single credible plot since it started doing all this theatre?

They boast of all the knives and guns they've confiscated. I wonder though, whether we'd not be more secure if everyone carried guns on board. A hijacker wouldn't stand a chance. Of course, there might also be some bloody air rage incidents as well. But at the same time, maybe people would act more civil if everyone around them is packing, or at least the flight attendants....

I think we can work this out.

Everyone in the USA has the right to bear arms, and a lot of them do. Result: huge murder rate.

Everyone in the rest of the world does not have the right to carry guns around the place. Result: much smaller murder rate.

I think we can infer that if everyone could take guns on planes then we'd have more people shooting guns on planes and hence more death on planes.

Going from that to stopping people from carrying pocket knives on planes is the bit that I think is suspect logic.

Re: TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

#53

Post by marcus_holmes »

Angostura wrote: post #41
marcus_holmes wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

has the TSA stopped a single credible plot since it started doing all this theatre?

How would we know? How would we know how many actions haven't happened due to the perps being dissuaded by the security measures?

Good point. How do we prove negatives in other areas?

I guess we could experiment. Suspend checks and see how many planes get blown up. If it's none, then de-fund the TSA. If it's more than none then sack whoever thought this stupid idea up.

Re: TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

#54

Post by dsugarman »

ianhawes wrote: post #34

One of the most irritating aspects of the TSA inefficiencies is that they know the demand at each airport in advance. Because all airlines submit passenger information to the TSA as its booked (often months or weeks in advance), the TSA can shift resources. While I'm all for blaming the TSA, the head of the TSA's union was on NPR this morning and pointed out that Congress diverted funds collected from the "9/11 Tax"…

you make a very good point but I still think the TSA can adapt and survive if they stop the security theater bullshit and figure out a much faster screening process requiring less staff. Unless I am missing something, that is what they are being asked to do

Re: TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

#55

Post by joshuaheard »

ianhawes wrote: post #34

One of the most irritating aspects of the TSA inefficiencies is that they know the demand at each airport in advance. Because all airlines submit passenger information to the TSA as its booked (often months or weeks in advance), the TSA can shift resources. While I'm all for blaming the TSA, the head of the TSA's union was on NPR this morning and pointed out that Congress diverted funds collected from the "9/11 Tax"…

Every time government (or union) incompetence comes to light, they call for more funding (or pay).

Re: TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

#56

Post by kirykl »

anonymousDan wrote: post #17

The airport security in most of the American airports I've seen in the last few years is just a complete shambles in terms of efficiency. It takes forever in comparison to most of the busy European airports I've been through. And I doubt the security is any better. For example, London Gatwick has a really fast system where they have a set of packing bays before you get to the scanners/pat downs. This massively reduce…

Some airports used to have an Expert/Casual/Family lane distinction but I haven't seen that in years

Re: TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

#57

Post by GFK_of_xmaspast »

KKKKkkkk1 wrote: post #38

I've been to the DMV yesterday. You wait in line for 40 minutes in the sun just to get a number and then wait some more. Once you get a number, you're counted in the official wait time statistics published on their website, so the extra 40 minutes are shaved off for free. Who ever though it was going to be different when the TSA was created?

I've been driving for 26 years in 6 different states and hardly ever have had any kind of serious wait.

Re: TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

#58

Post by zeveb »

marcus_holmes wrote: post #52
blisterpeanuts wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They boast of all the knives and guns they've confiscated. I wonder though, whether we'd not be more secure if everyone carried guns on board. A hijacker wouldn't stand a chance. Of course, there might also be some bloody air rage incidents as well. But at the same time, maybe people would act more civil if everyone around them is packing, or at least the flight attendants....

I think we can work this out. Everyone in the USA has the right to bear arms, and a lot of them do. Result: huge murder rate. Everyone in the rest of the world does not have the right to carry guns around the place. Result: much smaller murder rate. I think we can infer that if everyone could take guns on planes then we'd have more people shooting guns on planes and hence more death on planes. Going from that to stop…

> Everyone in the USA has the right to bear arms, and a lot of them do. Result: huge murder rate.

The rate of murders committed by folks legally carrying guns is low; the rate of murders committed by Americans using weapons other than firearms is high. It's almost as though Americans in general are more violent than people in many other parts of the world.

Re: TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

#59

Post by robk »

anonymousDan wrote: post #17

The airport security in most of the American airports I've seen in the last few years is just a complete shambles in terms of efficiency. It takes forever in comparison to most of the busy European airports I've been through. And I doubt the security is any better. For example, London Gatwick has a really fast system where they have a set of packing bays before you get to the scanners/pat downs. This massively reduce…

Oh come on that's absurd. I fly weekly across the EU and few are very good and always more inconsistent than most USA airports. I'd kill for precheck in the UK.

Re: TSA's Head of Security 'Removed' from Office

#60

Post by GVIrish »

blisterpeanuts wrote: post #8
marcus_holmes wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

has the TSA stopped a single credible plot since it started doing all this theatre?

They boast of all the knives and guns they've confiscated. I wonder though, whether we'd not be more secure if everyone carried guns on board. A hijacker wouldn't stand a chance. Of course, there might also be some bloody air rage incidents as well. But at the same time, maybe people would act more civil if everyone around them is packing, or at least the flight attendants....

I'm all for gun rights but allowing firearms on airplanes would be a disaster. Just to start with, if you allow firearms a group of hijackers could ostensibly open fire on the cockpit and kill the pilots before any other passenger could neutralize them. You'd be depending on more passengers having guns than hijackers, which would be completely down to luck.

Secondly, you'd have a bunch of incidents of idiots pulling their gun when they shouldn't have, which would lead to avoidable injuries, deaths, panic, etc.

TSA should screen for firearms with metal detectors and xray machines, its just all of the removing the shoes, body scans, laptop scans, banning liquids, and understaffing that are a problem.

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