Originally Posted by Bart
I agree with your frustration about screeners not following correct procedure. I find that I have to remind my screeners that not all shoes have to be removed. I think most of them do a good job of following procedures correctly, but this is something I have to stay on top of.
There lies the problem with a government agency. There is no need to "stay on top" of anything. First time a screeners is unable to determine 1" of thickness: Verbal warning. Second time a screeners is unable to determine 1" of thickness: Written warning. Third time a screeners is unable to determine 1" of thickness: Termination.
We were promised "professionalism", what we got was no better than security on 9/10/2001, only a lot more expensive.
Originally Posted by Bart
Hard to address this with your attempts to attack TSA with sarcasm. Nonetheless, I'll pose the same question to you as I posed to Cholula: if TSA were to determine after a period of time that based on the fact that no shoe bombs were detected, should it stop specifically screening shoes or perhaps modify the procedure to a random selection of one out of every five passengers? Would this be an acceptable alternative? I don't think you can discount shoes as a method for smuggling in explosives. Nat Heatwole smuggled items in his shoes to prove how he could defeat the WTMD, and there have been other incidents of knives and razor blades deliberately inserted inside the soles of shoes. The point here is that shoes can be hollowed out and used to smuggle items through security if not specifically screened. How do we address this possibility? You seem willing to rely solely on the statistical improbability that it will ever occur again.
I think you are confusing sarcasm with complete disdain. As a 20 year security professional I am personally offended that anyone in this agency claims that they are providing "Security".
As for the statistical improbability, the number of successful shoe bombs stands at
ZERO. The number of shoe bombs caught by the TSA stands at
ZERO. The TSA needs to focus on real threats, not react to false ones.
Originally Posted by Bart
Believe it or not, I do agree with you that TSA staffs can be streamlined. I do not agree with your cookie-cutter approach and find your numbers quite unrealistic. Again, you're slipping your anti-TSA bias into this and attempting to disguise it as reasonable discussion. I believe that a manpower survey is needed to determine how many screeners are really needed to adequately address the various passenger loads and various peak travel periods.
What "cookie-cutter" approach are you referring to? What numbers are unrealistic. Are you stating that eliminating the shoe nonsense would not reduce the need for screeners?
Originally Posted by Bart
By the way, David Stone retired from the United States Navy as a rear admiral. As a retired military officer, I find your lack of respect for the United States military offensive and disgusting. If this was your attempt at humor, then I didn't see it. If not, then know this: you just lost several points in my book.
I don't care one bit how many "points" I have lost. A career as a Military Officer is a noble career. It does
NOT however, qualify one to be in charge of an agency that is supposed to be providing security. Too often in this country, people equate military and LEO experience as "security" experience. It's quite the opposite. Military and LEO experience is primarily reactionary, that's exactly the TSA wastes so much effort on reacting to non-existent threats.
In addition, I noticed that you only mentioned Stone. What about Magaw, Loy, Nacarra and the idiot in charge of LAX to name four off the top of my head?
Originally Posted by Bart
It's called a figure of speech. However, statistically speaking, terrorism really affects a very small number of people. If we were to go purely with the statistical probabilities, a great majority of us would never be affected. Of course, the few who are victimized by it may strongly object to this attitude. I don't believe ignoring it or accepting it as a matter of fate is the answer.
I believe you are wrong. As I stated above, the number of successful shoe bomb incidents still stands at exactly
ZERO. The TSA needs to focus on real threats. But, in order for that to happen, all of the Coast Guard washouts would have to go and be replaced with real security professionals. We all know that will never happen.