Originally Posted by
jkhuggins
Bart ... I largely agree with you. Just want to quibble with one point:
Of course, there are "uniforms" and there are "uniforms". The scrubs worn by nurses at a hospital or doctor's office are uniforms. So are the polo shirts and khakis worn by Best Buy employees. And so are the dress shirts, ties, coats, and badges worn by LEOs. All of them create an image of professionalism appropriate to their setting.
I have no problem with a uniform code for TSOs. It's helpful to recognize, at a glance, who at a checkpoint is a TSO and who is not. And uniforms can help to remind the wearer of the professional standards expected of those wearing the uniform.
But, as you stated, one can create a uniform that doesn't attempt to convey the mistaken impression (to wearer or passenger) that a TSO is a LEO.
^
And that's the point I was getting at. I like blue only because white is a stain magnet. The blue polo shirts worn by baggage screeners minus the embroidered TSA badge but with a TSA logo and perhaps the words TSO underneath it would suffice in my book. Makes it easy for passengers to identify TSOs and takes away the over-bearing appearance that a badge and LEO-type uniform tends to convey from time to time.