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Can We Just Throw in the Towel on Airport Security Theater Already?

jalopnik.com

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Re: Can We Just Throw in the Towel on Airport Security Theater Already?

#121

Post by interbased »

feoren wrote: post #26

If you're ever wondering why something in the U.S. can't be made better, the answer is often that the existing rent-collectors must be allowed to continue collecting their rent at all costs. This is why we can't have the government file taxes on our behalf: because Intuit would no longer be collecting rent, and rent-collecting must be protected at all costs. This is why we can't have a single-payer healthcare system:…

Does TSA pre-check include any sort of background check? If so, that at least will flag someone with a criminal background. Although that doesn’t necessarily translate to the benefits of TSA pre-check of keep your shoes on and laptop in your bag. So even then it’s just paying to cut the line.

Re: Can We Just Throw in the Towel on Airport Security Theater Already?

#122

Post by bradlys »

daveguy wrote: post #93
J_Shelby_J wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good comment. I'll add that one solution is to simply not fly through TSA airports. I flew JSX last weekend and security was a swab for explosives and a metal detector. It took 30 seconds. Ticket says to arrive to the airport 15 minutes before departure. I'm not sure how scalable flying out of regional airports is, but the extra $200 was worth the price for a) not burning an hour arriving and b) having a large enough…

Why stop there? ...Let them fly private! I don't know about you, but $200 is a lot for me to pay to save an hour.

I don’t typically spend an hour at the airport either.

This is why SFO is generally amazing and my favorite airport in the country. I often show up after boarding has started and have never been close to missing a flight.

Re: Can We Just Throw in the Towel on Airport Security Theater Already?

#123

Post by olliej »

saagarjha wrote: post #51
olliej wrote: post #24

No. If we don’t take our shoes off, how will we maintain our freedom?!?!

I don’t get it. This country gives me the right to bare arms and yet asks me to show me feet?

If I ever need bear arms I know I can go to the Castro, and if I want, I can probably get bear feet there as well :D :D

Good to [figuratively] see you again :D

Re: Can We Just Throw in the Towel on Airport Security Theater Already?

#124

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #98
toomuchtodo wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also, TSA worker is negative status. Someone mentioned upthread this is a job for veterans because we won’t pay UBI or similar. It’s status enough, in some cases (“make work for veterans”.

I don't think so, only a small portion is veterans. It's just a cheap jobs program for work that isn't really hard work and doesn't require much skill other than showing up. https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/factsheets/tsa-numbers >Nearly 20 percent of TSA employees are veterans or still proudly serving

>>Nearly 20 percent of TSA employees are veterans or still proudly serving

That trailing qualification tells us that % of TSA employees still serve - but in a way that is other than proudly.

Re: Can We Just Throw in the Towel on Airport Security Theater Already?

#125

Post by bediger4000 »

noirbot wrote: post #54
StableAlkyne wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it's so obvious, then why didn't this happen on 9/11? Edit: I'm aware that the TSA was created after 9/11. The point I'm making is that it's possible they were able to bring weapons aboard to hijack the planes because security was so lax.

Because a hour-long security line is something that happened after? IIRC there actually was a terrorist attack on a TSA line in the early 2000s.

Yes, that's why we couldn't bring more than 4 ounces of liquid on planes. The theatre about liquids did nothing to address the problems revealed by that attack.

Re: Can We Just Throw in the Towel on Airport Security Theater Already?

#127

Post by kibwen »

ethanbond wrote: post #90
BobaFloutist wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We probably told them too. I assume US won't accept airplanes into its airspace with passengers that haven't been cleared to a security specification that looks almost identical to what TSA does.

Or they don't want jihadists flying planes into their buildings either ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This was solved by improved cockpit security procedures. The security theater at the airport is wholly unnecessary.

Re: Can We Just Throw in the Towel on Airport Security Theater Already?

#128

Post by 1vuio0pswjnm7 »

feoren wrote: post #26

If you're ever wondering why something in the U.S. can't be made better, the answer is often that the existing rent-collectors must be allowed to continue collecting their rent at all costs. This is why we can't have the government file taxes on our behalf: because Intuit would no longer be collecting rent, and rent-collecting must be protected at all costs. This is why we can't have a single-payer healthcare system:…

"This is why we can't have the government file taxes on our behalf: because Intuit would no longer be collecting rent, and rent-collecting must be protected at all costs."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/04/direct-fi...

The US government took the initiative to create this system. AFAICT, Intuit will not be collecting rent for anyone who uses it. Perhaps this will not be a significant number of people but this nonetheless contradicts the assertion in the parent comment that the US government must protect Intuit's rent collection "at all costs".

Re: Can We Just Throw in the Towel on Airport Security Theater Already?

#130

Post by edanm »

Fervicus wrote: post #79
kibwen wrote: post #5

We can stop dancing around the issue while pretending we don't understand why the TSA exists. In the aftermath of 9/11, the government has to be seen doing "something". This was the something. Then, in the following years, the TSA evolved into a welfare program for veterans, because here in the US we can't dream of just giving people money, we have to invent bullshit jobs that make society worse.

TSA emerged in the aftermath of 9/11; TSA is USA specific. But why has every other country has adopted this useless security protocol. I don't understand that.

This might be a crazy idea, but maybe... it's not completely useless? Maybe if many countries deem it necessary, and many people who (I assume) have more expertise than most casual observers like us on HN also deem it necessary, maybe they might be right and we might be wrong about how necessary or not this is?
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