Longtime readers know I’ve never been a fan of the Transportation Security Administration. So I wasn’t the least surprised to read this:
The Department of Homeland Security on Monday reassigned the acting director of the Transportation Security Administration and ordered the agency to revise its security procedures after screeners at airport checkpoints failed to detect weapons and other prohibited items 95 percent of the time in a covert test.
… In the investigation, undercover agents were able to get prohibited items through security checkpoints in 67 of 70 instances, according to ABC News, which first reported the findings.
I’m not a terrorist, but if I were, I’m pretty sure I’d have no problem sneaking prohibited items through airport security. In fact, no sneaking required. Twice, I’ve inadvertently passed bottles of water through security—once in the outer mesh pocket of my backpack, and once in my back pocket. On multiple occasions I’ve forgotten to take my toiletries out of my carry-on luggage before scanning. And once, I flew round trip between Seattle and Philadelphia only to realize after the fact that I’d left a 10-inch serrated knife in the bottom of my backpack.
Oops.
The truth is, there is nothing that TSA has done at the security checkpoint since 9/11 that would have prevented another 9/11, because that was achieved entirely by requiring reinforced cockpit doors. That was the weak point in the system—a secure cockpit door combined with the memory of 9/11 is all that is needed to prevent a similar tragedy. (On the other hand, a locked cockpit door apparently played a crucial role in enabling the suicidal crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, so there’s that.)
What would I do to improve the system? Drop the ban on liquids and gels, and go back to simple metal detectors. One good bomb-sniffing dog would be a helluva lot more effective than a dozen TSA agents ogling at porno-scanners.
Commercial air travel is by far the safest form of transportation. TSA’s security theater mostly just succeeds in making it less comfortable and convenient.
“TSA’s security theater mostly just succeeds in making it less comfortable and convenient.”
Yeah, but it makes the politicians look like they’re doing something to protect you from those nasty terrorists, which is what really matters.
The Patriot Act needs repealing, and then we can rid ourselves of the Department of Homeland Security and all of its sub-agencies, especially the TSA.
If we want to win the “War on Terror,” we should stop trying to intervene in other countries.
What TSA really needs is to unionize, amirite?
@2,
as a nation, in order to exercise that degree of restraint, judgment and analysis, we’d probably have to start by developing the capacity to self-criticize. Instead half the eligible voters in this country are still living out a WWII John Wayne movie fantasy – only with real human lives in the balance.
Far too many of us insist on believing that with only better strategy, better intelligence, or greater willingness to escalate any given conflict we can impose whatever outcomes we desire. Our own history teaches us otherwise. Yet we refuse to learn from it.
Our airport security system has significant holes in it, so Homeland Security announces that fact to the world, including our terrorist enemies?
When I was in military security service, there were many things we didn’t want our enemies to know, and this certainly would’ve been one of them!
@6,
Well, the tests, and findings, were first reported by ABC News. Yes, Obummer’s Homeland Security announces this to a libtard site first! Par for the course!
If I were the CIA, I’d concoct a memo saying our airport security has holes in it, leak it to Puddy, then stake out the airport and wait for some stupid terrorists to show up at the turnstile.
Most of our airports are designe d and meant to be a public building. It’s entirely shameful that the American public is barred from the Airport they own. Not including the no man zone of international flights that has always been just that. Shouldn’t the NRA be insisting that Americans have a right to have their guns on any US flight? Though most pilots would prefer the nutcases leave their guns at home, and many don’t like the Sky Marshals to have a gun on their plane.
Most of the stuff done immediately after 9/11 didn’t make our airports any safer. It’s actually been insinuated that all the hijackers were clean and none of the measures would have stopped them except good old police work in reaction to these odd fellows learning to fly planes but no interest in landing them. There is no threat from the vast majority of the flying public. There are a few smugglers. And any terrorists trying to get in are going to be very clean. Of course now they will likely look like Red Brigade guys.
The challenge for them is to top 9/11. Hard to do. Concentrating so much effort on travelers probably overlooks the next soft target they may go after.. Or the fact they are more likely to use a surface to air missile at the end of a runway or how a done than try a repeat of 9/11 for the reasons Goldy mentions.
The body scan remains the most galling/pointless humiliation of travel.
Funny how when the Patriot Act needs to be reauthorized we all of the sudden find out that the TSA is failing miserably at keeping out bombs and weapons. Coincidence or Conspiracy?