Former screener blogs about the TSA
Jan 9, 2013, 6:45 pm
#31
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I'd say I'm surprised no TSO (or even LTSO or STSO) has thought about doing this, but the need to believe is strong...)
Jan 10, 2013, 3:16 am
#33
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You are quite correct. Including the BXS there are at least four x-ray devices used by the TSA any of which could malfunction and create a hazard.
Jan 12, 2013, 6:54 am
#34
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His imitation of a French cat had me laughing out loud this morning.
I've never had the opportunity to witness a cat go through screening, but I can't believe they would ask a cat owner to take a cat out of it's carrier in such a large, noisy space. That is, indeed, asking for mayhem.
Cats, as we all know, are stubborn little things. They do not like being bossed around. In this way, cats are probably the biggest, baddest, most patriotic Anti-TSA Americans on the planet (all cats are American when they hit a TSA checkpoint. Even French cats are like, “Merde! Zees is bullsheet! Why do I have to come out of zees carrier! Why you are patting me down!? Do not touch me I scratch you! .... zees I run away now and abort my screening!”
Jan 12, 2013, 11:16 am
#35
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I have seen it happen. Not recently, but I have seen it happen.
Jan 13, 2013, 1:31 am
#36
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I helped a then-girlfriend with her family's cross-country move by flying with her and her ornery, old cat who hadn't left the house its whole life. This was just after the TSA's inception. Yes, they made her carry the kitty through the WTMD. Yes, it was very tense for all of us until the terrified cat was securely back in the carrier.
Jan 28, 2013, 7:16 am
#38
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,444
Sorry for the bump, but his comments on Backscatter machines are not to be missed:
http://takingsenseaway.wordpress.com...pen-letter-to/
http://takingsenseaway.wordpress.com...pen-letter-to/
Jan 28, 2013, 7:26 am
#39
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
Sorry for the bump, but his comments on Backscatter machines are not to be missed:
http://takingsenseaway.wordpress.com...pen-letter-to/
http://takingsenseaway.wordpress.com...pen-letter-to/
Jan 28, 2013, 3:45 pm
#40
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: PDX
Posts: 469
I think it's a CYA move.
Rapiscan told TSA the machines were "safe". Nobody elaborated, and TSA didn't care to delve deeper, but they have reassurances from the manufacturer that the machines are "safe". There is no danger. Hence, dosimeters are not needed to check for a danger that doesn't exist.
However, allowing TSOs to wear dosimeters would be tantamount to acknowledging that there might be a danger. After all, the logic goes, if you thought there was enough of a radiation hazard to allow your employees to wear radiation sensors, why didn't you take more steps to protect them from that theoretical danger? And why would you have told everyone there is no danger when you clearly thought there was enough to allow them to wear dosimeters?
By denying TSOs the ability to wear dosimeters, TSA can lay any blame off on Rapiscan when and if BSX cancer clusters break in the news. "Well, they TOLD us their machine was safe! I guess they LIED! BAD RAPISCAN!"
EDITED TO ADD:
Forget about TSOs weearing doimeters. Just stick a frikkin' dosimeter badge to the outside of each machine where the TSOs stand while a victim, er, suspect, er, body, er, passenger is inside.
Rapiscan told TSA the machines were "safe". Nobody elaborated, and TSA didn't care to delve deeper, but they have reassurances from the manufacturer that the machines are "safe". There is no danger. Hence, dosimeters are not needed to check for a danger that doesn't exist.
However, allowing TSOs to wear dosimeters would be tantamount to acknowledging that there might be a danger. After all, the logic goes, if you thought there was enough of a radiation hazard to allow your employees to wear radiation sensors, why didn't you take more steps to protect them from that theoretical danger? And why would you have told everyone there is no danger when you clearly thought there was enough to allow them to wear dosimeters?
By denying TSOs the ability to wear dosimeters, TSA can lay any blame off on Rapiscan when and if BSX cancer clusters break in the news. "Well, they TOLD us their machine was safe! I guess they LIED! BAD RAPISCAN!"
EDITED TO ADD:
Forget about TSOs weearing doimeters. Just stick a frikkin' dosimeter badge to the outside of each machine where the TSOs stand while a victim, er, suspect, er, body, er, passenger is inside.
Great great post that I agree with 100%. It definitely is a liability issue where TSA does not want to be blamed. It reminds me of the parking lot of a college I used to attend that had a ton of problems with break-ins and thefts of vehicles. They had signs posted everywhere about not leaving valuables out, but downplayed the theft problem. When asked why can't they do anything about it, they said if they installed cameras, then they could be held legally liable for said problems and wouldn't deal with that. This leads me too...
The TSA is trying to pass the buck here. If they really knew it was 100% safe, certainly they would of told us by now to deflect some of the bad PR they've had. By acting nieve, they are giving themselves cover if it ever comes out that these machines are unsafe.
I'm surprised, however, that not ONE person has been able to independently test one of the body scanners, or even put up a dosimeter (whether approved or not) to check these machines. Its such a huge agency that it surprises me nobody has tried yet. Do they have all these extra body scanners in a warehouse because they don't want any of them to 'get out' to someone who might test one and be able to throw a wrench into this huge charade?