August 1, 2012
Security for Life
Right after September 11, 2001, when terrorists used the U.S. airlines to achieve their ends, the creation of a government entity responsible for securing air travel seemed right and prudent. In the aftermath of the attack, a new cabinet-level department (Homeland Security) was created that incorporated numerous agencies, some of which had already existed. The Transportation Security Administration was entirely new, an entity created solely in response to 9/11.
The TSA would ensure that aircraft, ramps and boarding areas would be screened to be free of devices or substances (and, it was hoped, people) that could cause harm. At the same time, the sky marshal program, originally launched under President Richard Nixon, was resurrected to place armed undercover federal officers aboard random flights — the theory being that if someone managed to get past the TSA, the airplane cabin would be covered. Some airline pilots were trained and armed, but cockpit entrances were reinforced to bar entry, which was the first line of defense for the front office.
A lot of people probably thought at the time that these measures would be temporary. After all, the original sky marshals were disbanded in 1973, only to be revived again later, and largely forgotten again even later than that. We got used to that on-again, off-again pattern, and figured that, you know, let 10 or 15 years slide by without any incidents, and the TSA would slowly fade away, just as before.
Only now it’s looking like what you see is what you’re gonna get — forever. Yes, forever is a long time, but currently, if one looks for a rationale that might allow the money and resources consumed by air security to be spent on something else, it’s hard to make the argument. In a way, the decision to give the federal government sole responsibility for secure air travel was a line which, once crossed, couldn’t be traversed again.
It’s not just that a huge bureaucracy has been created — it has — and that once created, bureaucracies endure — they do — it’s the simple logic that abandoning air security and re-opening air travel to people who would perpetrate violent acts is unthinkable. Why? Because it practically invites anybody who harbors the idea to go ahead and carry it out.
Try to imagine that you’re a member of Congress who thinks it would be good for the country to gradually reduce air security in the name of traveler convenience (I mean, everybody hates the check-in, right?) or cost savings (TSA costs just under $8 billion a year, DHS just under $40 billion). Where would you start to try to sell the idea?
Food for thought. So what do you think?
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Where’s the “right now” choice?
Comment by DAVE REES — August 1, 2012 @ 10:28 pm
How about “Now” for an answer? The TSA has done more to destroy the American way of life than the terrorists ever did. They have arcane and ever-changing rules that are applied at the whim of the agent. There is no appeal, no recourse if they decide that you aren’t going to fly on any given day and the procedure to get removed from the “No Fly” list is an exercise in Kafkian futility. They perform unlawful virtual strip searches. They have tried to stifle free speech.
That’s not how America is supposed to operate. Shut down the TSA now!
Comment by JohnD — August 1, 2012 @ 11:59 pm
You’re absolutely right, “Now” should have been one of the choices. So we’ve added it.
Comment by The Editors — August 2, 2012 @ 1:40 am
Hmmm…….
Maybe the bad guys haven’t won after all.
Looks like America has finally got tired of living in artificial fear.
May the Eagle fly once more!
Comment by DAVE REES — August 9, 2012 @ 2:45 am
There is little evidence that TSA has thwarted anything. However they have confiscated a huge number of water bottles, nail clippers, and Leathermans.
What is needed is a security program that looks for specific types of people, not harrass granny in her wheelchair. Look to the Israelis for an example.
Comment by Graham — September 3, 2012 @ 2:27 am
I voted “Never,” but my actual choice would have been “After the Global War on Terrorism is over”.
I was an Army EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) officer turned Intelligence Analyst back in the late ’60s and early ’70s, and military personnel – particularly those of Hispanic descent and/or those working in classified fields – were warned not to fly in the “Southern Tier” (e.g. Gulf Coast) states in uniform, to use civilian ID rather than Military ID (which we were to hide in our shoes, for example) and in case of a hijacking, to tell the person next to us that we were in the military and to notify the FBI upon return to the US were we taken from the aircraft upon landing in Cuba….
Other than that, I agree with Graham that we should learn aircraft security from the Israelis!
Comment by RangerJim — September 22, 2012 @ 10:16 pm
I worked in airline security as my first job leaving the Navy in 1990. Based on that year of time working for Midway at PHL, I say give the job back to the airlines. The quality of TSA employees I’ve run into, are about one half step from burger flipper. Yet making more money than I did as a Airline worker. While the Machines used are better, The people are not. The rules & bureaucracy are horrible. AS a short term reaction, TSA made sense. In 2012? One of the black marks of President Bush’s term. Why terrorists have a love of airplanes never made sense to me. You can derail a train or shoot up a shopping mall with a lot less hassle. If you really wanted to take out a plane, a truck mounted SAM makes more sense than burning underwear………….
Save the taxpayers money & headaches. End TSA & give the job back to the Airlines. Send the White shirt shoe checkers back to Wendy’s.
Comment by Walter — October 1, 2012 @ 9:47 pm
The saying goes “the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there” is true. There is no way to actually stop terrorism, only reduce it’s impact. TSA needs to upgrade it’s training, starting with it’s culture. Currently, any passenger is a threat. It needs to move to “these are the people I’m protecting”. Less arbitrary and knee-jerk, and more thought out.
Comment by MichaelT — October 21, 2012 @ 1:44 am
We need real security, not political correct harassing of the flying public. Let’s get an organization that focus’s on real threats not general flying public stupidity.
A friend of mine in law enforcement told me that many of the TSA people are “rejects” from police departments, and he was a recruiter for a large city. My interaction with TSA people has been a disaster, from outright trying to get a reaction out of me, to bullying, etc.
Most threats to aircraft travel are well known, the others no one has heard from. Time to focus on reducing the threat, not on general stupidity.
Bureaucrats like TSA only have two motives (1)to continue to grow in terms of people and budget, (2)get more power as they perceive it. NOTHING to do with public safety, and TSA has very aptly demonstrated they follow those principles.
Comment by John — November 16, 2012 @ 5:39 am
Most of the comments here tell it like it is.We need ,not more security,but smarter,more effective security.Israel’s would be a good system to emulate, I have not read of any major problems with their systems,and have heard of few gripes because of the effectiveness of that system. I have flown internationally and most other security systems I have dealt with seem much more effective and much less invasive than ours.I fail to see the reasons to fear water as the TSA seems to do,or bottles of cosmetics larger than 4 ounces–Does it take more than 4 ounces to destroy an airplane? I think not.
Comment by Ken Kemper — December 4, 2012 @ 3:05 am
Dear TSA.
I went from Flying 300,000+ miles a year to 0, because i got fed up with the mindless security, TSA = I will NEVER travel again THX TSA for nothing
Comment by swashy — December 17, 2012 @ 7:57 pm
Remember when security guards were considered cop wannabes and were made fun of? Now they are in charge. I will drive for three days to get somewhere rather than put up with TSA B.S.
Comment by David — December 18, 2012 @ 1:01 am