Oh come on! Would you rather have another 9-11 than subject everyone to the most thorough search possible?

Look - I accept that many of you feel the TSA process is far from perfect, but I would like to add my perspective.

I am not a US citizen, but travel to the States frequently (around 12 times a year - plus numerous internal US flights). I actually prefer the level of 'security' (read 'reassurance') that I'm given by the TSA. When I get on board a flight in the US I actually feel safe. I can't say that about flights from some other airports in other countries (including, at times, the UK).

If you're a smart, highly organised and intelligent terrorist, intent on bringing a plane down, there a plenty of ways of doing that and you're going to find a way.

But what about the one-offs, the weirdos and whackos? Many of them are a biscuit short of the pack and enhanced security might just weed them out. I'm all for that. Some people really are stupid enough to take things with them which will get picked up by the TSA.

Being British, I would certainly question why someone was walking around with >10,000 cash. We just don't see that as normal. I would want someone to question that. In the UK, this kind of money would often come from illegal transactions (selling illegally imported cigarettes or pirated CDs or from vice etc).

Carrying a lot of cash isn't illegal. But it's fairly stupid. Stupidity like that should raise suspicion. Suspicious activity should be investigated.

Some of the 'rules' being implemented are reactionary. But what would you differently? I watched a programme recently recreating the final few minutes of the AA flight on 9-11. Just watching as the cabin dividers were closed made me cringe (knowing the problems this would cause a few minutes later). If I was a government employee, going in to work the next day and tasked with stopping this ever happening again, I would have mandated the removal of curtains plus a raft of other stuff at checkpoints etc. And yes, the rules keep changing, but that is a combination of lessons continually being learned and new situations arising.

Back to the TSA and their duties and what they should be allowed to report.

If a mom or dad was walking through a TSA checkpoint with a child, and the child looked under duress, I would want the TSA to report that to someone. What happens if that child was being taken away from its other parent? If it was a kidnapping (removal of child against a court order), I would be the first person to ask 'how could they have got through all the airport checkpoint without someone asking the child if something was wrong?

On earlier comments in this thread... the judgment in the legal case above seems to be fairly clear... as long as the reason for the search was for security (rather than to make $250) then whatever is found is subject to normal procedures.

Back to my personal experiences. I don't really mind having to take off my shoes - it takes a minute more of my time. I have been 'SSSSd' three out of the last 16 flights. It delayed me a few extra minutes. The TSA was always polite. In one case, it saved me 10 minutes because the SSSS queue was empty, compared to a huge regular line.

I don't mind my boarding pass being checked every few minutes. I was in Budapest recently and my identity was not checked a single time post immigration. No check before boarding the aircraft. I felt pretty uncomfortable that in reality - anybody could have been on that aircraft which would be flying over central London. The more check the better.

Just my two cents in support of the TSA, and probably a little off topic! (but I thought they needed some support )

Regards WG