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2012 Survey: How Effective is the Transportation Security Administration?

2012 Survey: How Effective is the Transportation Security Administration?

Old Aug 20, 2012, 11:07 am
  #91  
 
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The things they put female business travelers through is simply awful. Lets see, lots of potential for explosives in high heel pumps with paper thin soles. And that tiny Hermes silk scarf? Off it comes. Lots of potential for mayhem there. Oh, an underwire bra or metalic earrings? Can't take off the sweater because there is nothing under it? Time for a hand screening. Enough!! Why not randomize screening? The idea that we need to screen everyone is naive. Also, wait times are getting even longer with the new nudo-scan technology. I regularly "opt out" because it simply takes less time to be hand wanded. The next incident will almost certainly involve checked baggage, an airport employee, or more likely another form of transport. The entire screening process needs to be rethought.
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Old Aug 20, 2012, 11:12 am
  #92  
 
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Oh, and the survey is also poorly designed. How was the TSA "Experience"? I thought the people who last screened me were polite and professional. The "Experience" with TSA staff was fine. However, the fact that I had to wait on line for 20 minutes and have my carry-on opened and examined (nothing there, other than lingerie and a couple of adapters) and to have to undress and redress was, well, not fine. The questions could have been: "Did you have to wait long?" "Did you find the process intrusive", etc... I think the survey response would be quite different if it had been worded slighty differently...
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Old Aug 20, 2012, 12:35 pm
  #93  
 
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Originally Posted by RadioGirl
No.
And the false dichotomy (either "TSA as it is today" or "no security whatsoever") has been discussed and dismissed many times before in this forum. So I'm not going to go into all the argument again.

What I want is security that balances risk with response. For many of us on this forum, that means reverting to 9/10/01 security: a WTMD to find the guns and larger knives, x-ray of baggage, and perhaps a random ETD to deter people with explosives. (OT: I got a random ETD on both my flights in Australia today. ) Use a hand-held wand if there's an alarm on the WTMD. Apply a discrete, professional patdown if that doesn't resolve the issue. That's it. That's all.

And for that matter, that's what the other 199 countries in the world, more or less, do for airport security. And you'll notice that there aren't planes falling out of the sky in Australia or Switzerland or Japan.

The ID check adds nothing to the security process: it doesn't matter what someone's name is. The shoe carnival is pointless; anything that could conceivably be hidden in a shoe could equally be hidden in the mouth or a body cavity. The war on liquids is pointless: the possibility of combining two stable liquids post-checkpoint to create a viable explosive is so remote that it's not worth worrying about. The body scanner is (a) invasive, (b) slow, (c) ineffective (it misses things), (d) inefficient (it has a high false-positive rate) and (e) expensive. And people can steal your stuff while you're standing there with your hands in the air getting scanned. So far it's found lots of pleats, sweat stains, hair clips, zippers, and non-existent "anomalies" and not one actual terrorist threat. Stop it already. Finally, strip-searching elderly women, people with prostheses, toddlers, and - for that matter - anyone else is an over-reaction. Stop it already.

No one here is arguing for no security. There have been previous threads that canvassed this opinion. We just want sensible security, where the action is based on risk, not on some Bruce Willis Hollywood movie plot.
I can't give you enough of ^
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Old Aug 20, 2012, 3:35 pm
  #94  
 
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All I can say...

There is a reason it is called Thousands Standing Around

Last edited by essxjay; Aug 22, 2012 at 9:44 pm Reason: derogatory reference
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 8:06 am
  #95  
 
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Precheck is fine when it works, unfortunately, I'm batting <30% on using it. It doesn't work if there's international segments in the itinerary (for me, it doesn't even work on a final domestic segment returning from international). Even a TSA supe told me that getting it more than 25% is "lucky" (yes, I know some folks have had better luck, but I also know folks that have had worse luck).

At many airports you have to stand in the regular, long line in order to even find out if you are cleared to use it. That defeats any potential time-savings you might get: it just minimizes your chance of a grope.

I won't go so far as to call Precheck a failure as it has good points and COULD be quite successful if one can get cleared more often or save time.

I'll also note that at many airports (and IAD, this includes you) the screeners tend to be obnoxious, authoritarian, and threatening.

I've cut back my travel a LOT. It's been 3 months now and I have noted a great reduction in stress not having to deal with them.
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 10:31 am
  #96  
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Originally Posted by Global_Hi_Flyer
I'll also note that at many airports (and IAD, this includes you) the screeners tend to be obnoxious, authoritarian, and threatening.
IAD?

I've also encountered TSA staff there with a sense of humour. And being helpful to Priority pax.

Funny how we can get completely different views at the same location.
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Old Aug 21, 2012, 1:42 pm
  #97  
 
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Originally Posted by T8191
IAD?

I've also encountered TSA staff there with a sense of humour. And being helpful to Priority pax.

Funny how we can get completely different views at the same location.
IAD isn't as bad as ORD.
ORD has bunches of the "I might just ruin your day" types. Classic little people with big power, using and abusing it freely.
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Old Aug 22, 2012, 8:04 pm
  #98  
 
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What, I can vote but not see the results? Why is there not a typical summary of a poll after I vote, or at least a link to results? I mean you got my input for nothing, so why cant I see how I rate as compared to this very narrow non-representative sample population?
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Old Aug 22, 2012, 8:09 pm
  #99  
 
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Originally Posted by Dan_E
What, I can vote but not see the results? Why is there not a typical summary of a poll after I vote, or at least a link to results? I mean you got my input for nothing, so why cant I see how I rate as compared to this very narrow non-representative sample population?
Quoting from the first post in this thread:

Results of this survey will be announced both on-line in the magazine and here on FlyerTalk.
This will be in early September by the way.

For those entering this thread here, the survey can be taken online here.

Last edited by jspira; Aug 22, 2012 at 8:28 pm
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Old Aug 23, 2012, 8:00 pm
  #100  
 
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Originally Posted by jspira
Quoting from the first post in this thread:



This will be in early September by the way.

For those entering this thread here, the survey can be taken online here.
Thanks homey, I see that. But my point is....why? Why do I have to wait, why cant the original pollster reward my participation with the results immediately?

Thanks
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Old Aug 23, 2012, 11:14 pm
  #101  
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Originally Posted by RadioGirl
No.
And the false dichotomy (either "TSA as it is today" or "no security whatsoever") has been discussed and dismissed many times before in this forum. So I'm not going to go into all the argument again.

What I want is security that balances risk with response. For many of us on this forum, that means reverting to 9/10/01 security: a WTMD to find the guns and larger knives, x-ray of baggage, and perhaps a random ETD to deter people with explosives. (OT: I got a random ETD on both my flights in Australia today. ) Use a hand-held wand if there's an alarm on the WTMD. Apply a discrete, professional patdown if that doesn't resolve the issue. That's it. That's all.

And for that matter, that's what the other 199 countries in the world, more or less, do for airport security. And you'll notice that there aren't planes falling out of the sky in Australia or Switzerland or Japan.

The ID check adds nothing to the security process: it doesn't matter what someone's name is. The shoe carnival is pointless; anything that could conceivably be hidden in a shoe could equally be hidden in the mouth or a body cavity. The war on liquids is pointless: the possibility of combining two stable liquids post-checkpoint to create a viable explosive is so remote that it's not worth worrying about. The body scanner is (a) invasive, (b) slow, (c) ineffective (it misses things), (d) inefficient (it has a high false-positive rate) and (e) expensive. And people can steal your stuff while you're standing there with your hands in the air getting scanned. So far it's found lots of pleats, sweat stains, hair clips, zippers, and non-existent "anomalies" and not one actual terrorist threat. Stop it already. Finally, strip-searching elderly women, people with prostheses, toddlers, and - for that matter - anyone else is an over-reaction. Stop it already.

No one here is arguing for no security. There have been previous threads that canvassed this opinion. We just want sensible security, where the action is based on risk, not on some Bruce Willis Hollywood movie plot.
Amen. Perfectly stated (as usual).

I'll add my personal comment that I'm tired of all the class warfare from the thugs working for the TSA. Yeah, I know that they are low-paid and don't get to travel a lot like most of us do, but that's not a reason to act like petty dictators -- not to mention that their apparent "power" is almost entirely an illusion. When you stand up to them, they back down every time.

Bruce
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Old Aug 24, 2012, 9:58 am
  #102  
 
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TSA is just another Government waste ...... put it in the hands of private business .....
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Old Aug 24, 2012, 10:06 am
  #103  
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Originally Posted by ineedstrokes
TSA is just another Government waste ...... put it in the hands of private business .....
Has anyone said "Welcome to FT"?

I will - it seems the polite thing to do. At least, it is on the BA Board
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Old Aug 24, 2012, 6:46 pm
  #104  
 
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Originally Posted by rabtech
How many times have we seen this argument (and others like it)? And yet, no planes have been blown up by terrorists since 9/11. If you think it is because the terrorists are no longer interested in doing so, you are dreaming!! Is it SOLELY because of passenger screening? Of course not. But that is one part of the equation, and one that I am willing to endure when traveling.
No, it's because there are no terrorists in the U.S. if you haven't noticed.
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Old Aug 26, 2012, 7:15 pm
  #105  
 
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TSA is a total waste of money and an major infringement of the 4th amendment. Put a "bat day" size bat in every seat pocket of every plane if you want security. TSA is just the first another step in the conditioning of the masses to more and more government control and socialism. Wake up America!
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