Congress Wants TSA to Secure Amtrak & Buses
#46
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It will be interesting to watch the details of what's allowed on the train/bus.
A couple years ago, an older friend was traveling by Greyhound. At the first extended stop, the drive announced that anyone who got off would be frisked before getting back on, so if you had a pocket knife, you had to leave it on the bus or not get off yourself.
Nothing had been said about having pocket knives on one's person when my friend originally boarded the bus and the bus driver obviously knew that there might be people already on board who had pocket knives (or other prohibited items). Absolutely made no sense, but then, it didn't make sense for TSA to force arriving Amtrak pax to detour away from the direct exit and through the sterile area so they could be screened.
Will pocket knives be prohibited unless checked? What about liquids? Aren't explosives deemed a threat on Amtrak?
Will there be the same ID requirements?
I'm not talking about the occasional exercises we've seen; I'm talking about what it will be like if Congress and TSA seize the growth opportunities - hire more TSOs, buy lots of over-priced security scanners, bla-bla.
A couple years ago, an older friend was traveling by Greyhound. At the first extended stop, the drive announced that anyone who got off would be frisked before getting back on, so if you had a pocket knife, you had to leave it on the bus or not get off yourself.
Nothing had been said about having pocket knives on one's person when my friend originally boarded the bus and the bus driver obviously knew that there might be people already on board who had pocket knives (or other prohibited items). Absolutely made no sense, but then, it didn't make sense for TSA to force arriving Amtrak pax to detour away from the direct exit and through the sterile area so they could be screened.
Will pocket knives be prohibited unless checked? What about liquids? Aren't explosives deemed a threat on Amtrak?
Will there be the same ID requirements?
I'm not talking about the occasional exercises we've seen; I'm talking about what it will be like if Congress and TSA seize the growth opportunities - hire more TSOs, buy lots of over-priced security scanners, bla-bla.
#48
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
It will be interesting to watch the details of what's allowed on the train/bus.
A couple years ago, an older friend was traveling by Greyhound. At the first extended stop, the drive announced that anyone who got off would be frisked before getting back on, so if you had a pocket knife, you had to leave it on the bus or not get off yourself.
Nothing had been said about having pocket knives on one's person when my friend originally boarded the bus and the bus driver obviously knew that there might be people already on board who had pocket knives (or other prohibited items). Absolutely made no sense, but then, it didn't make sense for TSA to force arriving Amtrak pax to detour away from the direct exit and through the sterile area so they could be screened.
Will pocket knives be prohibited unless checked? What about liquids? Aren't explosives deemed a threat on Amtrak?
Will there be the same ID requirements?
I'm not talking about the occasional exercises we've seen; I'm talking about what it will be like if Congress and TSA seize the growth opportunities - hire more TSOs, buy lots of over-priced security scanners, bla-bla.
A couple years ago, an older friend was traveling by Greyhound. At the first extended stop, the drive announced that anyone who got off would be frisked before getting back on, so if you had a pocket knife, you had to leave it on the bus or not get off yourself.
Nothing had been said about having pocket knives on one's person when my friend originally boarded the bus and the bus driver obviously knew that there might be people already on board who had pocket knives (or other prohibited items). Absolutely made no sense, but then, it didn't make sense for TSA to force arriving Amtrak pax to detour away from the direct exit and through the sterile area so they could be screened.
Will pocket knives be prohibited unless checked? What about liquids? Aren't explosives deemed a threat on Amtrak?
Will there be the same ID requirements?
I'm not talking about the occasional exercises we've seen; I'm talking about what it will be like if Congress and TSA seize the growth opportunities - hire more TSOs, buy lots of over-priced security scanners, bla-bla.
#49
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I don't know. He chose not to leave the bus and was on the opposite side of the bus from the door.
None of it made any sense. The origin and the intermediate stop were in two different states, so perhaps that had something to do with it. There's no reason for the bus driver to make a story like that up, particularly to a busload of pax he's just driven for hours with no problems.
I've always assumed it was some kind of VIPR exercise, something like the train station exit episode.
Both episodes are just a reminder of how far TSA can extend its reach if it wants to.
None of it made any sense. The origin and the intermediate stop were in two different states, so perhaps that had something to do with it. There's no reason for the bus driver to make a story like that up, particularly to a busload of pax he's just driven for hours with no problems.
I've always assumed it was some kind of VIPR exercise, something like the train station exit episode.
Both episodes are just a reminder of how far TSA can extend its reach if it wants to.
#51
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
More instances like this could be fallout from TSA getting into train and bus stations:
http://www.toddstarnes.com/column/ts...-pastors-bible
http://www.toddstarnes.com/column/ts...-pastors-bible
I thought it was so strange, Dr. Lingerfelt told me. He fanned through the entire Bible and very nicely explained to us that we got stopped because of the Bible.
#53
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
I realize that books look solid on x-ray, but once it is known it is a book, then there is no need to "fan" through it. A block of cheese looks like a bomb, too, but TSA doesn't cut it into small pieces looking for whatever.
#54
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#56
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#57
Join Date: Aug 2012
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#59
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#60
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I would think a complete book vs one with the center cut out would look different on x-ray. Regardless, only a quick look should be needed to determine that no weapons are secreted in any book.