USA Today.com - TSA tests ID scanning machines at IAD
Apr 14, 2012, 12:05 pm
#1
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USA Today.com - TSA tests ID scanning machines at IAD
http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/p...asses/671390/1
I guess we all knew or suspected this was coming.
Just another ridiculous waste of taxpayer money on machines to fix a problem created by incompetent TSOs who are not able to do a job that isn't needed in the first place, namely Travel Document Checker.
I wonder if any former TSA or DHS bigwigs have any involvement with the company that manufactures and sells these machines?
I guess we all knew or suspected this was coming.
Just another ridiculous waste of taxpayer money on machines to fix a problem created by incompetent TSOs who are not able to do a job that isn't needed in the first place, namely Travel Document Checker.
I wonder if any former TSA or DHS bigwigs have any involvement with the company that manufactures and sells these machines?
Apr 14, 2012, 12:18 pm
#2
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http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/p...asses/671390/1
I guess we all knew or suspected this was coming.
Just another ridiculous waste of taxpayer money on machines to fix a problem created by incompetent TSOs who are not able to do a job that isn't needed in the first place, namely Travel Document Checker.
I wonder if any former TSA or DHS bigwigs have any involvement with the company that manufactures and sells these machines?
I guess we all knew or suspected this was coming.
Just another ridiculous waste of taxpayer money on machines to fix a problem created by incompetent TSOs who are not able to do a job that isn't needed in the first place, namely Travel Document Checker.
I wonder if any former TSA or DHS bigwigs have any involvement with the company that manufactures and sells these machines?
Apr 14, 2012, 12:19 pm
#3
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The first 30 machines cost $3.2 million, Soule said. Three companies – BAE Systems Information Solutions, Trans Digital Technologies and NCR Government Systems -- provided the initial machines that were customized for the TSA.
re than $100k per machine. At that price its' far cheaper to hire a few more of the thousands standing around to perform this unnecessary job.
Apr 14, 2012, 1:18 pm
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To be fair ... that cost probably includes the development costs. One would hope that further units would cost less, as economies of scale come into play.
Apr 14, 2012, 2:17 pm
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Now being a machine-oops, I meant a computer this prompts me to wonder will the information be stored or not.....
But wait, the TSA says.....
Now where have I heard that before? 
But you would think that with our tax dollars hard at work making lobbyists rich, you would think that this very basic part would/should be included as this is the only part of this mishegas that makes any sense and should be done
The computer scans the materials and checks to make sure such security features as holograms and bar codes are present.
The passengers' information from the ID and boarding pass is displayed on the computer screen, along with their photo scanned from their ID. The machine compares all the data collected from the front and back of the ID and the boarding pass. If everything matches, the TSA agent is then prompted to allow the passenger to proceed.
The passengers' information from the ID and boarding pass is displayed on the computer screen, along with their photo scanned from their ID. The machine compares all the data collected from the front and back of the ID and the boarding pass. If everything matches, the TSA agent is then prompted to allow the passenger to proceed.
The machines do not save the information collected once the agent clears the data to advance to the next passenger,
But you would think that with our tax dollars hard at work making lobbyists rich, you would think that this very basic part would/should be included as this is the only part of this mishegas that makes any sense and should be done
passenger data is not checked against any watch lists or other databases.
Apr 14, 2012, 2:47 pm
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What's to compare?
The machine compares all the data collected from the front and back of the ID and the boarding pass.
A boarding pass does not contain an address, photo, gender, date of birth (unless TSA starts requiring this secure fright stuff on every BP), DL number, name of state where a person's DL was issued, or categories of motor vehicles a person is authorized to operate by their license to drive.
They say
the machines will be stand alone devices not hooked to any datbases to get and compare such info.That leaves only the NAME to compare. First, Middle Last, perhaps in a different order on the two items.
TSA is admitting the TDCs cannot do this mentally, after reading the name off both the BP and ID, because they want to buy a machine to compare the names.
Why not just hire some TDCs who can read and process three words mentally?
Apr 14, 2012, 3:07 pm
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Apr 14, 2012, 3:24 pm
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d start for about $600. Bars have been using these things for years.
Apr 14, 2012, 3:43 pm
#12
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Possibly to the National Security Agencies multi-billion dollar data center being built in Bluffdale UT.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/201...tacenter/all/1
.
Apr 14, 2012, 6:05 pm
#13
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If they'd started at Amazon they'd find a gd start for about $600. Bars have been using these things for years.
d start for about $600. Bars have been using these things for years.But your main point --- the "not invented here" syndrome --- is not without merit.
Apr 14, 2012, 6:37 pm
#14
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The bigger problem is that Chertoff and the other ex-TSA carpetbaggers don't have their finger in that pie, so it can't happen.
