Capitalism works quite well at solving problems.
Efficiency is when you make a problem and then make people pay you to solve it. Or maybe that was some other word, I forget.
TSA lines are so out of control that travelers are hiring line-sitters
61–70 of 155 posts
Re: TSA lines are so out of control that travelers are hiring line-sitters
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lots of things can crash into buildings. Should they all be screened by TSA? Drones and their operators prior to every launch? 30 minute helicopter tours and high-rise HVAC drop offs? Private satellites? Or is licensing and registration (of pilots and aircraft and manifest and flight plan) enough?
Commercial drones can't bring down buildings. And they're still subject to an awful lot of regulations.
So it’s complete building destruction that is the protective mission here? Not loss of life or general terrorism or something else? I’m glad we are clarifying
I wasn’t aware that DJI drone with 60lb payload was subject to more regulations than a Citation leaving TEB but I guess I’m open to learning what those are.
Re: TSA lines are so out of control that travelers are hiring line-sitters
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
The people arriving on private jets have always bypassed these bureaucratic procedures. Brotherhood and equality.
Why should private plane passengers be subject to TSA? TSA (paid for by you and me by the way, not for free) exists to protect the public from harm, on public flights by common carriers. It used to be contracted by airlines themselves. Unless you are the most extreme of pro-seatbelt law people, it would make little sense for TSA to screen anyone on a private plane manifest unless the client asked them to.
This reminds me of when Steve Job's had his ninja throwing stars confiscated by (airport security) getting on his private jet.
Edited to clarify NOT TSA
Re: TSA lines are so out of control that travelers are hiring line-sitters
#64I don’t even understand why this is an issue, because TSA screening is funded through user fees. There’s a line item of $5.60 per one-way ticket for exactly this that’s separate from airfare and other fees. ( https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/security-fees ) If this is so, why does Congress have to fund the program? Why not pass the funds through directly to the agency?
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the 5.60 per person per flight doesn't cover the cost of TSA airport security operations leaving congress responsible for the gap.
If you are wondering how that could happen, it starts with no-bid contracts and ends with inefficiency and has been heavily influenced by a guy whose name sounds a lot like Schmical Schmertoff.
Re: TSA lines are so out of control that travelers are hiring line-sitters
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yesterday morning, CNN: > In a remarkable 24 hours in Washington, House Republicans snubbed a bipartisan funding deal cut by their own Senate GOP counterparts and instead approved an entirely different plan — prolonging the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. > Then, they left town. It's obvious what's happening. https://lite.cnn.com/2026/03/27/politics/dhs-shutdown-fundin...
Not just bipartisan. That bill was unanimously passed in the Senate.
Negative. It was passed with unanimous consent, there was only maybe five people there. I think that's a big difference between "passed" which gives the connotation that people actually voted on it, "unanimous consent" of the present.
It was also at 2 o'clock in the morning
Re: TSA lines are so out of control that travelers are hiring line-sitters
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why should private plane passengers be subject to TSA? TSA (paid for by you and me by the way, not for free) exists to protect the public from harm, on public flights by common carriers. It used to be contracted by airlines themselves. Unless you are the most extreme of pro-seatbelt law people, it would make little sense for TSA to screen anyone on a private plane manifest unless the client asked them to.
HN can always be counted on to have a good contingent of temporarily embarrassed billionaires ready to stick up for them at the slightest provocation.
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Re: TSA lines are so out of control that travelers are hiring line-sitters
#67I don’t even understand why this is an issue, because TSA screening is funded through user fees. There’s a line item of $5.60 per one-way ticket for exactly this that’s separate from airfare and other fees. ( https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/security-fees ) If this is so, why does Congress have to fund the program? Why not pass the funds through directly to the agency?
AFAIC there's no good reason for airport security to be a federal jobs program in the first place. The airports and/or their contractors are perfectly capable of operating x-ray machines and metal detectors on their own, and from what I understand are even still permitted to but all choose to let the government do it and pay for it. What the fuck is the TSA even supposed to be doing? The 9/11 guys supposedly used box…
I'm not the first to suggest this, but I think "fly at your own risk" airlines would be popular with some people. Keep the cockpit door reinforced, and maintain a gentleman's agreement among travellers on what to do if a passenger threatens a flight. Airport security is now reduced to 10 seconds.
Re: TSA lines are so out of control that travelers are hiring line-sitters
#68[flagged]
its seems far more likely that they are just playing politics as sport. that is they are quite content to cause suffering if they can point the finger at the other team. just like the snap monies in the last shutdown.
>just like the snap monies in the last shutdown.
You know, prior to this sentence "they" could have referred to either party. After all, the last shutdown was largely because the Democrats were fighting for ACA subsidy extensions, but I guess it's only "playing politics as sport" when you don't agree with the justification?
Re: TSA lines are so out of control that travelers are hiring line-sitters
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not just bipartisan. That bill was unanimously passed in the Senate.
Negative. It was passed with unanimous consent, there was only maybe five people there. I think that's a big difference between "passed" which gives the connotation that people actually voted on it, "unanimous consent" of the present. It was also at 2 o'clock in the morning
But what effects does it have on the legislative process? It sounds like at the very least, all the senators vaguely wanted it to be passed, but didn't want to be on the record for voting for it.
Re: TSA lines are so out of control that travelers are hiring line-sitters
#70[flagged]
At least it is a break from the endless stream of anti-LLM posts written by LLM with half the comments being serious replies and the other half fake-politely debating whether it was written by LLM.
Plus there is a bonus start-up opportunity to LLM-code an app that enables travelers to earn money while they wait in line at the airport.