As frustration grows, airports consider ditching TSA

[liberal N proud]

By Derek Kravitz
Washington Post

Some of the nation's biggest airports are responding to recent public outrage over security screening by weighing whether they should hire private firms such as Covenant to replace the Transportation Security Administration. Sixteen airports, including San Francisco and Kansas City International Airport, have made the switch since 2002. One Orlando airport has approved the change but needs to select a contractor, and several others are seriously considering it.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which governs Dulles International and Reagan National airports, is studying the option, spokeswoman Tara Hamilton said.

For airports, the change isn't about money. At issue, airport managers and security experts say, is the unwieldy size and bureaucracy of the federal aviation security system. Private firms may be able to do the job more efficiently and with a personal touch, they argue.

Airports that choose private screeners must submit the request to the TSA. There are no specific criteria for approval, but federal officials can decide whether to grant the request "based on the airport's record of compliance on security regulations and requirements." The TSA pays for the cost of the screening and has the final say on which company gets the contract.

Also in reference to the pilot the TSA is trying to take down for exposing the lax security for the ground crews, I was at the airport yesterday and observed crews coming and going through a door the went directly into the baggage handling area with nothing more than a card swipe.

A card swipe is all that stood between the street and the baggage handling area which leads directly to the tarmac where the aircraft are serviced.

Airport security is a scam.

[blondeatlast]

1. Mixed blessing. nt

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sabrina 1]

15. Perfect! Lol!

I want to see everyone who supports this in our government's Rapiscan images. True leaders do not ask others to do what they themselves will not do.

I want to see Chertoff's, although I think it should come with a warning and the President's and his family's, and every other politician who has supported this garbage for other people, or get rid of them altogether.

This will not solve the problem, handing it over to private industry. That will only make it worse. There is no 'friendly' way to grope strangers.

Two states are planning to ban these machines altogether.

This whole 'security' thing is a huge money-maker, profiting once again from 9/11 and it is disgusting. The EU refused those machines, stating that they did nothing to enhance security.

I hope the public continues to scream and sue and stop flying and whatever it takes to restore some sanity to this country.

[customerserviceguy]

18. I'm with you on scanning Chertoff

but do they make a Rapiscan with a magnifier?

[sabrina 1]

22. Lol!

[MattSh]

24. God I hope not.

Who the hell wants to see that?

[midnight]

3. I wish common sense would replace this so that mothers with bottles of

formula or breast milk can fly with more comfort.

[OregonBlue]

4. NW/Delta has contracted with The Chubb Group for security in Thailand. It's much worse than TSA.

Their employees are idiots. Their solution for "catching" people is to ask stupid questions over and over, form line after line, do screening and pat downs time after time.

First you get a stupid bunch of questions from Chubb Group while waiting to check your bag. Then you go through airport scanners. Then you go through Chubb Group questions and physical search of your bags before you go to boarding area. On leaving the boarding area for the plane itself, you are once again subjected to stupid questions, show your passport and have your luggage searched and possibly a pat down again. If you are not flying directly to the U.S. (like having to change planes in Japan or Korea), you have to go through another scan, another questioning and luggage search in the boarding area and another luggage search, possible pat down before you board the plane.

It is totally ridiculous. They once refused to let me on a plane with a coconut shredder that was a foot and a half long, made of wood, because it had a tongue coming out of the cat's mouth that had a serrated edge. I asked them what they thought I would do, dig this big piece of heavy wood out of my carry on, unwrap the shredder which was packed in newsprint and taped all over, and then run down the isle threatening to scratch someone with it?

Trust me, these private security companies are only in it for the money. They do not hire smart people. They don't really care about security, they care about the bucks. I would much rather deal with government employees than these clowns any day.

[madinmaryland]

5. BULLSHIT. One more chance that the Bush Misadministration is getting

to privatize something that should be a government run operation. Next, the douchebags will be privatizing the police forces and fire fighters of this country.

mim is pissed. :grr:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Not sure that would be better.

Private contractors have to follow the TSA's rules and procedures. But since they're in business to make a buck, they'll pay their employees as little as possible and spend the minimum amount of time and money to train them. So we'll be no better off than we were, except that we'll be groped more clumsily by more poorly-trained people.

[bluestateguy]

7. Yes those private security companies did a FANtastic job before

Don't even get me started about their employees. It would require me to say some very non-PC things.

[valerief]

8. I bet one requirement is that they have to buy Skeletor's scanners. nt

[sabrina 1]

16. Yes, that will be all that is required. It is all about money.

[ladjf]

9. Good. nt

[howaboutme]

10. Tax Dollars + Privatization + Government = Corruption

I don't know the answer, except that when services are privatized it almost certainly leads to corruption with our tax dollars and between politicians, govt contractors, govt employees contract managers all looking for a cushy rotating door and higher costs while politicians and decision makers are on the take.

The first thing we need to do is change the dynamics and the endless war and figure out just why they hate us and start to correct it. It will never be solved by force or by deterrence and in the process will break us.

OBL explained exactly what it was about post 9-11 (I/P problem) but our government refuses to address or correct it. Instead of doing something positive we spend and waste trillions.

[defendandprotect]

11. Agree -- couldn't be more faked -- main purpose of all of this is to scare public ....

Short time after 9/11, my daughter had to fly -- we both put our stuff thru

the metal detectors -- later we realized we had to go back into the larger area --

a woman directed us to a side door -- we went thru expecting to see guards along

the way -- nothing!! We were shocked.

Later we came back exactly the same way -- no one bothered us!!

[sarcasmo]

12. Conditioning the herd to see what the herd will accept.

[tblue37]

13. Ha ha!

"Private firms may be able to do the job more efficiently and with a personal touch. . . ."

I don't know how it could get more personal than the way the TSA is already touching passengers!

[intheflow]

14. TSA gets final say over what security companies are hired?

Awesome: fox, meet henhouse. :grr:

[lib2DaBone]

17. How can Raytheon/Martin Marietta make a profit if they dont have anyone to drop their bombs on?

The WOT is a profit center and a manufactured threat.

TSA is the Kabuki Theater that legitimizes the WOT and keeps the sheeple compliant.


If you think the 911 was orchestrated by a man in a cave with a beard and an outdated cell phone, who master-minded the largest attack on an American Military Exercise on 911 and made it go live....

If you think Bin Laden is alive after Boutris Ghali told you the facts before she was murdered... well...I give up. You believe in the Easter Bunny and there is no hope.

[Kaleko]

20. Couldn't agree more.

One small nit: you must have had Benazir Bhutto in mind. She mentioned OBL's death as a matter of fact during a TV interview with David Frost before she was assassinated.

[Billy Burnett]

21. Here (video)

The Woman Who Knew Too Much
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1uLdmct8_E

[customerserviceguy]

19. I'm for this, for one reason

It's the only way that really high level pressure is going to come to bear on the TSA jackboots. It's not like our President gets it, after all.

[Matariki]

23. "Private firms may be able to do the job more efficiently and with a personal touch:

a 'personal touch' is a huge part of the TSA problem.

Seriously, can't see how going private is going to help - TSA policy needs a overhaul and a big dose reasonableness. And TSA workers probably need better pay, better screening and better job training.