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TSA disciplines 43 screeners over lax security in Florida

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TSA disciplines 43 screeners over lax security in Florida

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Old Jun 5, 2012, 1:21 am
  #1  
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TSA disciplines 43 screeners over lax security in Florida

Haven't we heard this type of story before??

USA Today: TSA disciplines 43 screeners over lax security in Florida

Five Transportation Security Administration workers at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers have been fired and another 38 suspended after an internal investigation found they failed to perform random screenings last year.

The 43, a combination of front-line screeners and supervisors, represent about 15 percent of the roughly 280 TSA employees at the airport. The number of workers involved makes it one of the largest disciplinary actions TSA has taken in its 10-year history, TSA spokesman David Castelveter confirmed.
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Old Jun 5, 2012, 6:18 am
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During a two-month period last year, as many as 400 passengers who underwent routine screening at Southwest Florida International Airport never got additional random checks, Castelveter said.

...

"It's the random secondary (check) that did not happen," he [Castelveter] said. "At no time was a traveler's safety at risk and there was no impact on flight operations."

So then what's the issue? TSA acknowledges that 400 people were not unneccesarily molested, harrased, etc., but people were fired for not unnecessarily molesting, harassing, etc. those passengers when after they admit it was not a safety issue? I guess I need to be heading off to camp soon so I can learn to accept this line of reasoning.


"If someone is gaming your system and knows pretty well what your procedures are, they will send agents to try to get things through on the basis that they can beat the system in place," said Billie Vincent, a former security director for the Federal Aviation Administration. "The random (check) then adds an element of unknown to the process which makes it more difficult to defeat … It's an essential part of the process."
Well, wait -- were traveler's at risk or not then? 'We've got to do this because you're at risk, but really you're not, but you really are'.' Huh? Relying on the luck of a random check -- wait, I'm still confused - are passengers at risk or not?


At seven airports, pilots in uniform with work identification can bypass screening and head straight to their planes under a program called Known Crewmember.
Hadn't heard of this one yet... implies there is "zero" screening for these folks - not even a WTMD or xray of carry on. I'm guessing there's more to this (I hope) than the writer implies. Is it me or does this go against... oh nevermind... I'll just await for my camp assignment so I can learn to willfully accept these contradictory statements without question...
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Old Jun 5, 2012, 8:22 am
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Already being discussed here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/check...ional-rsw.html
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Old Jun 5, 2012, 3:43 pm
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What do you call 43 disciplined TSA screeners?...
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Old Jun 5, 2012, 3:51 pm
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Originally Posted by JoeBas
What do you call 43 disciplined TSA screeners?...
"Disciplined," or "punished?"

I've never seen a "disciplined" screener. Or a "professional" one.
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Old Jun 5, 2012, 3:57 pm
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Originally Posted by Mientree
...
Hadn't heard of this one yet... implies there is "zero" screening for these folks - not even a WTMD or xray of carry on. I'm guessing there's more to this (I hope) than the writer implies. Is it me or does this go against... oh nevermind... I'll just await for my camp assignment so I can learn to willfully accept these contradictory statements without question...
Your understanding is exactly correct.

There is zero screening of these folks. Zip. Zero. Nada.

No WTMD. No x-ray of carry on. Nothing. Of course there's always that wacky, unpredictable screening TSA crows about, but really, it doesn't happen to airline employees. It simply doesn't. Particularly not uniformed crew members.

I know that the last time I was through MSP, one checkpoint had the exit-guarding screener sitting at a podium with a laptop to verify credentials. Flash a badge, off you go.

Long, long before this lame known crewmember "test", pilots, FAs, and any manner of airport employee accessed the "sterile" area of the airport through at least 3 side doors, bypassing "security" circus entirely. They also may board buses in at least 3 off-site locations where they are driven onto the tarmac and dropped off. As a member of management, I occasionally was able to convince certain airport employees to let me walk behind their counter, also bypassing "security" entirely.

It's how guns end up on planes:

AJC: DL FA flies with gun

NBC: Pilot flew for days with gun
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Old Jun 5, 2012, 8:26 pm
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Originally Posted by JoeBas
What do you call 43 disciplined TSA screeners?...
A good start?
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Old Jun 5, 2012, 9:38 pm
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How can you say out of one side of your mouth that they weren't doing anything and then say at the other "at no time was passenger's security at risk."

That is clearly a lie.

The CBS report says: "Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., wrote a letter to TSA administrator John Pistole demanding more answers. "If necessary we'll subpoena the documents and find out who knew about what when and why it took a year, a year to take disciplinary action."

I hope that this investigation leads to some answers.
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Old Jun 5, 2012, 11:09 pm
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Originally Posted by JoeBas
What do you call 43 disciplined TSA screeners?...
Yes, this mean if they are not good behavior and it is an inappropriate thing at TSA checkpoint. They have a warning for several times. They will get a warning from AFSD & manager. THey will be firing from TSA and they won't be working at airport anymore. This means they will written it up and he will get a termination letters.

Originally Posted by Caradoc
"Disciplined," or "punished?"

I've never seen a "disciplined" screener. Or a "professional" one.
Right, if someone who will get disciplinary action from AFSD & TSA manager, too.
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Old Jun 5, 2012, 11:24 pm
  #10  
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Originally Posted by reamworks
The CBS report says: "Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., wrote a letter to TSA administrator John Pistole demanding more answers. "If necessary we'll subpoena the documents and find out who knew about what when and why it took a year, a year to take disciplinary action."

I hope that this investigation leads to some answers.
Don't hold your breath.

Pistole will ignore the letter and he will ignore any subpoena (if one is even issued). He knows Mica won't do anything except blather to the press and make idle threats.
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Old Jun 6, 2012, 8:18 am
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Originally Posted by sylvas808
A good start?
Oldest joke in the book.
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