Originally Posted by
Boggie Dog
I get it too and don't disagree that TSA likely ( I have my doubts) has some good, honest, hardworking people.
I think TSA calling itself a counter-terrorism agency, which is really a reach for airport passenger screeners, is a large part of the problem.
Mom and Pop heading off to Vegas are not terrorist, should not be considered terrorist, and should not be treated like potential terrorist. They are also not in prison and should not be treated like they are under arrest. They are not in military boot camp and don't need to be treated like they are.
TSA's silly reliance on SSI to hide the disgusting things they do at checkpoints needs to end.
If your going to feel my "resistance" at least have the backbone to call it what it is, a penis, or other appropriately named body part. I don't need TSA to hide behind polite speak in order to avoid accountability.
If TSA is going to deploy technology at least be honest enough to demonstrate that it has been independently tested and is effective in its role.
TSA screeners are not LEO's. Don't try to make people believe otherwise.
A little effort on building goodwill from the top of TSA down to today's new hire might help change the public's negative perception of TSA and its employees.
Finally, if a TSA screener is a criminal and is caught doing something of a criminal nature while on the job I think the public has every right to know what the person did and exactly what TSA did in response. The individuals privacy should be a secondary concern.
Finally, act like a responsible government agency should act. TSA knew of the screener who was assaulting passengers at Denver and didn't do anything. TSA could have acted sooner but didn't. TSA could have pursued legal charges but did not. And this is just one example. TSA knew that Stacey Armato was illegally held hostage at a TSA checkpoint but as far as I know no legal actions were ever taken against the TSA employees involved. Another case, Phil Mocek, TSA employees gave false reports to police. Phil fought and won the case at great personal expense and it was evident that the TSA employees lied to police yet nothing ever was done to the TSA employees. And in my own case the FLL FSD refused to investigate an attempted theft by a TSA screener. Instead I was told that we have to expect more invasive actions by TSA.
So yeah, I suspect that TSA has some good people the problem is knowing which ones!
Sometimes things are broken beyond repair or the cost of repair is just not economical.
TSA is such a case!
You are on target and I agree with pretty much everything you have said here and elsewhere on the site.
To the point of being an anti-terrorist agency I could not agree more, I too think that is a big part of the problem.
I am not exactly sure what SSI is, but I have seen reference to it before, thus I am guessing some sort of Gov't coding/classification system.
Something the paramedic (who moonlights as a Part Time TSA Employee) said to me today reinforced something you wrote, his Supervisor routinely says that things like pat downs which the Supervisor admits is not pleasant is for the greater good and that TSA is on the front line of aviation safety.
The paramedic thinks most of the rhetoric from his Supervisor is bunk and he says some of his fellow co-workers do too, especially when you are patting down (for example) Mom who is taking the family to Disneyworld or The Frat Brother going on Spring Break to Vegas.
By the way the paramedic is a really good guy, so there are a few good TSA employees out there. He said that he tries to be polite, courteous and professional in his role as TSA Employee, but admits that some of his co-workers do not and in fact can be real jerks. He tries to be light hearted when the moment calls for it and jokes around with the passengers as he believes smiling is contagious.