TSA acknowledges financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home
81–90 of 117 posts
Re: TSA acknowledges financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home
#82She said her fellow officers are “out there working, they’re putting their lives on the line. We took that oath when we got hired here, and we’re not even getting what we deserve.” All budgeting problems aside, how do TSA officers put their lives on the line?
It's a common turn of phrase used by people who are working "for their country" in security related jobs. People in the police, army, and similar forces (whether TSA officers are considered as such is a political point) are often spoken about in similar terms regardless of how dangerous their jobs actually are (e.g. an Army chef based in the US may be revered just as much for putting their 'life on the line' as someo…
Right, but police and army have an actual risk. It’s not really the same comparison.
I never hear people talk about how the postal service mail carriers “put their lives on the line” although they are probably at an increased over TSA because of dog attacks.
Re: TSA acknowledges financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm genuinely curious, myself. In the US, how many deaths in the line of duty are there (per thousand) for police officers, firefighters, and TSA agents, to juxtapose?
Policing is 14th most dangerous job in USA per this list: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/careers/2018/01/09/work... Firefighters and Security guards are not in top 25.
I suspect that BLS doesn't collect statistics on sex workers or the military (or they're not included on this list). There are probably a few other very dangerous jobs that are similarly omitted.
Re: TSA acknowledges financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home
#84ATC staff, inspectors -- I get that, they're useful
TSA?? They're not doing anything of value, for the most part. Three quarters of them could probably be let go. We're not losing much here.
Re: TSA acknowledges financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home
#85The system whereby the government is "shutdown", forcing all its employees to become creditors, but at the same time everyone is expected to treat it as mere theatre where they eventually will be paid, is absurd. If it was France everyone involved would be in the street throwing road flares at the police. They should at the very least be starting to talk up the threat of going on strike - or action short of a strike.
(Also, shutdowns are becoming increasingly frequent. If this continues, maybe one day it won't come out of the shutdown ...)
Re: TSA acknowledges financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home
#86Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think that statement, by itself, tells us much about the TSA's efficacy. Because their mere presence could be an effective deterrent.
We know at least two made it through. Underwear bomber, shoe bomber. We also know pre-9/11 how common it was (non-existent). We also know that they consistently fail audits. Though they've gotten better! Most recently they only failed ~75% of the time at detecting things auditors were trying to smuggle in, instead of the prior 95%! So, yeah, by itself it doesn't. But we have enough data to make a pretty solid eval.
Both the underwear bomber and shoe bomber boarded flights overseas (Amsterdam and Paris respectively) -- so no TSA involvement.
Re: TSA acknowledges financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
Remember before all the TSA nonsense, airports had metal detectors and xrays operated by airport security? Did they not also prevent guns from being carried on planes?
Isn't TSA just Airport Security ?
Airport security didn't try to extort you into buying pre-clearance, or try to enforce ridiculous and pointless rules.
Re: TSA acknowledges financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home
#88ATC staff, inspectors -- I get that, they're useful TSA?? They're not doing anything of value, for the most part. Three quarters of them could probably be let go. We're not losing much here.
That might be true, but it's still fucked up to not pay them, and you guys are being crass by saying this stuff right now. They're people just like you and I, and the TSA front line employees aren't the problem, it's the security theatre that's become the norm that's the issue. Please consider separating your hate for the TSA from the individuals doing their jobs each day.
Re: TSA acknowledges financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
You don't think screening for bombs has any potential to be dangerous?
The TSA has never found a bomb.
...that was reported. Question is whether whose interest it would be in to not publicly report on the number of bombs found by an agency. I can understand NSA and CIA not revealing much but am confused about TSA’s motives since they are much more public facing than anything in the intelligence community.
Re: TSA acknowledges financial stress of shutdown is forcing officers to stay home
#90She said her fellow officers are “out there working, they’re putting their lives on the line. We took that oath when we got hired here, and we’re not even getting what we deserve.” All budgeting problems aside, how do TSA officers put their lives on the line?
Unlike most other forms of law enforcement, TSA agents lives are most at risk when off-duty and someone learns they are an agent in a social setting. As a result, the government shutdown is putting TSA lives in jeopardy.
TSA agents are specifically not law enforcement. They don't swear the same oath as federal law enforcement officers, don't carry weapons, and have no arrest powers.