Police: TSA agent at JFK stole $5K from passenger
Feb 3, 2012, 11:30 am
#31
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
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What we need is something that will finally infuriate the two toughest groups to crack:
- Pro-TSAers: People who think the TSA is the only thing preventing 9/11-style attacks from occurring on a daily basis.
- Don't-carers: People who might see the uselessness, but it's just a part of the cost of being in the Greatest Country on Earth(TM), and that flyers should just shut up and deal with it. Freedom isn't free.
These two groups like to grab their bag/purse off the X-ray exit belt without checking to make sure their iPad is still there. When they get to the gate and sit down, only to find their iPad missing, one of two things will happen:
1- It happens to enough people, they draw a line to the TSA, and here comes the public outrage, or
2- It gets chalked up to a random pick-pocketing, and the TSA will be off the hook. Any suggestion that it was a TS"O" would be met with "They're federal officers; they would never do such a thing!"
- Pro-TSAers: People who think the TSA is the only thing preventing 9/11-style attacks from occurring on a daily basis.
- Don't-carers: People who might see the uselessness, but it's just a part of the cost of being in the Greatest Country on Earth(TM), and that flyers should just shut up and deal with it. Freedom isn't free.
These two groups like to grab their bag/purse off the X-ray exit belt without checking to make sure their iPad is still there. When they get to the gate and sit down, only to find their iPad missing, one of two things will happen:
1- It happens to enough people, they draw a line to the TSA, and here comes the public outrage, or
2- It gets chalked up to a random pick-pocketing, and the TSA will be off the hook. Any suggestion that it was a TS"O" would be met with "They're federal officers; they would never do such a thing!"
Mike
Feb 3, 2012, 12:03 pm
#32
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 627
Sigh, I would have thought that what has happened so far would have done the job for us. Right now, I'm convinced that nothing short of a headline reading "TSA responsible for FOX canceling American Idol" will get the majority of the public to demand the end of the agency.
Mike
Mike
- Doing a terminal dump at a major hub on an extremely busy travel day. Dump all of ATL the day before thanksgiving, order all planes still on the tarmac to return to the gates and dump as well, and nobody goes back in until the entire sterile area is cleared, then everyone has to re-clear the TSA. Have it turn out that the dump was because a clerk saw a full-size toothpaste tube on the X-ray, got his bags mixed up, and accidentally let the passenger walk off with it.
- TS"O"s start openly snatching passengers' belongings in the sterile area.
- TS"O"s are issued pepper spray, stun guns, or firearms. TS"O"s start spraying, stunning, or shooting passengers for doing things like refusing to say their own names.
- TS"O"s ground an entire fleet of high-capacity aircraft at a major airport by damaging them while testing them for terrorist access.
- Said terrorist-access testing results in multiple high-capacity aircraft crashes.
- Extremely large numbers of frequent fliers or TS"O"s are diagnosed with cancer, and it's undoubtedly traced directly back to NoS exposure.
- Male TS"O"s start playing "You will have sexual intercourse with me, or you will not fly today."
- At least one TS"O" is convicted of home burglary or home invasion, finding that he got the address off a passenger's driver's license.
Feb 3, 2012, 12:13 pm
#33
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Feb 3, 2012, 2:27 pm
#34
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I've been thinking of other things it would take to get the masses infuriated against the TSA. We've already discussed theft becoming so rampant that it happens in >=50% of all TSA encounters.
- Doing a terminal dump at a major hub on an extremely busy travel day. Dump all of ATL the day before thanksgiving, order all planes still on the tarmac to return to the gates and dump as well, and nobody goes back in until the entire sterile area is cleared, then everyone has to re-clear the TSA. Have it turn out that the dump was because a clerk saw a full-size toothpaste tube on the X-ray, got his bags mixed up, and accidentally let the passenger walk off with it.
1. TS"O"s start openly snatching passengers' belongings in the sterile area.
2. TS"O"s are issued pepper spray, stun guns, or firearms. TS"O"s start spraying, stunning, or shooting passengers for doing things like refusing to say their own names.
3. TS"O"s ground an entire fleet of high-capacity aircraft at a major airport by damaging them while testing them for terrorist access.
4. Said terrorist-access testing results in multiple high-capacity aircraft crashes.
5. Extremely large numbers of frequent fliers or TS"O"s are diagnosed with cancer, and it's undoubtedly traced directly back to NoS exposure.
6. Male TS"O"s start playing "You will have sexual intercourse with me, or you will not fly today."
7. At least one TS"O" is convicted of home burglary or home invasion, finding that he got the address off a passenger's driver's license.
- Doing a terminal dump at a major hub on an extremely busy travel day. Dump all of ATL the day before thanksgiving, order all planes still on the tarmac to return to the gates and dump as well, and nobody goes back in until the entire sterile area is cleared, then everyone has to re-clear the TSA. Have it turn out that the dump was because a clerk saw a full-size toothpaste tube on the X-ray, got his bags mixed up, and accidentally let the passenger walk off with it.
1. TS"O"s start openly snatching passengers' belongings in the sterile area.
2. TS"O"s are issued pepper spray, stun guns, or firearms. TS"O"s start spraying, stunning, or shooting passengers for doing things like refusing to say their own names.
3. TS"O"s ground an entire fleet of high-capacity aircraft at a major airport by damaging them while testing them for terrorist access.
4. Said terrorist-access testing results in multiple high-capacity aircraft crashes.
5. Extremely large numbers of frequent fliers or TS"O"s are diagnosed with cancer, and it's undoubtedly traced directly back to NoS exposure.
6. Male TS"O"s start playing "You will have sexual intercourse with me, or you will not fly today."
7. At least one TS"O" is convicted of home burglary or home invasion, finding that he got the address off a passenger's driver's license.
#2,3: "Anything for security. It's inconvenient, but it's better than letting a terrorist on."
#4: Blame the mechanics.
#5: Think how long it took to go after the cigarette manufacturers.
#6,7: "The actions of a few rogue TSOs do not represent..."
How scary that it only took me about 60 seconds to come up with all of those excuses.
Until something changes, I'm sticking to my American Idol theory.
Mike
Feb 3, 2012, 2:47 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 627
Really? Are there any documented cases of TS"O"s, in (or out of) uniform, performing strong-arm snatchings? As in, punching a passenger in the face and snatching their laptop as they use it?
Of course, any would be isolated incidents, not reflecting on the outstanding work done by the other 50,000 clerks to prevent another 9/11.
I still stand by what I've said in the past. If I were the general manager for an airport, I'd hire off-duty cops and make sure that every on-duty TS"O" is under constant police supervision. The second a TS"O" assaults someone or steals something, it's cuffs, a ride downtown, and a visit with the State Attorney for criminal charges.
This would not require a 1:1 TS"O":cop ratio; it would simply mean that every on-duty TS"O" must be in a cop's line of sight, including behind the scenes where they're checking checked bags for valuab...er, explosives.
I'd hope that my "cops for TS'O's" plan would pass a cost-benefit analysis, with the cost of the cops being less than the cost of what would otherwise be stolen...of course, it's very difficult to put a price on someone not having fingers shoved up their vulva.
Plus, it would be a great marketing point--TLH is constantly trying to beg locals to use TLH instead of the cheaper ECP, VLD, or JAX.
Of course, any would be isolated incidents, not reflecting on the outstanding work done by the other 50,000 clerks to prevent another 9/11.
I still stand by what I've said in the past. If I were the general manager for an airport, I'd hire off-duty cops and make sure that every on-duty TS"O" is under constant police supervision. The second a TS"O" assaults someone or steals something, it's cuffs, a ride downtown, and a visit with the State Attorney for criminal charges.
This would not require a 1:1 TS"O":cop ratio; it would simply mean that every on-duty TS"O" must be in a cop's line of sight, including behind the scenes where they're checking checked bags for valuab...er, explosives.
I'd hope that my "cops for TS'O's" plan would pass a cost-benefit analysis, with the cost of the cops being less than the cost of what would otherwise be stolen...of course, it's very difficult to put a price on someone not having fingers shoved up their vulva.
Plus, it would be a great marketing point--TLH is constantly trying to beg locals to use TLH instead of the cheaper ECP, VLD, or JAX.
Feb 18, 2012, 10:42 pm
#36
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Letter to the Editor: What crime says about some TSA employees
Here's the link to a great letter-to-the-editor by Donald F. Peterson that appeared in the East Penn News:
East Penn News:
Donald F. Peterson:
What crime says about some TSA employees
9:51 p.m. EST, February 18, 2012
East Penn News:
Donald F. Peterson:
What crime says about some TSA employees
9:51 p.m. EST, February 18, 2012
Feb 19, 2012, 5:34 am
#37
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
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Here's the link to a great letter-to-the-editor by Donald F. Peterson that appeared in the East Penn News:
East Penn News:
Donald F. Peterson:
What crime says about some TSA employees
9:51 p.m. EST, February 18, 2012
East Penn News:
Donald F. Peterson:
What crime says about some TSA employees
9:51 p.m. EST, February 18, 2012
The only thing worse than knowing that this is going on is the fact that our TSA employees are so stupid that they don't even know that there are security cameras in the airports. That is scary.
It is a quote from the letter. I do not necessarily agree, but it is funny.
Feb 19, 2012, 9:39 am
#38
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Additionally, with the installation of the NoS, the checkpoints are constantly being reconfigured. Pax are routinely harassed when trying to keep their bags in view, and there's no assurance that cameras are realigned to monitor TSO activity.
They've also been working in an environment where citizen photographers are routinely harassed under the guise of security.
I'd say that if a TSO is caught and confronted with footage, more likely he/she is shocked that it exists, that it shows anything, that management bothered to look, that there are repercussions instead of retraining.
Interesting, too, that in recent months we're finally getting to see just how quickly they can view footage if they want to. (Makes one wonder why it is taking so long to review the tapes of the Fayetteville checkpoint that missed ex**osives in a bag-checked bag).
Feb 20, 2012, 12:23 pm
#39
Join Date: Nov 2010
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Posts: 4,332
A good reminder. I don't always do this but should -- I place myself out of the way and take a moment between ID check and screening to put all my valuables deep inside my carry on, lock all zippers, and put the key in a side pocket.
Anyway rustling around my bag won't get far, and they'll need my presence to open my bag.
Sadly this doesn't help my laptop - but I place that between shows and carry on so at least it's "sandwiched" between my belongings in the chute.
Anyway rustling around my bag won't get far, and they'll need my presence to open my bag.
Sadly this doesn't help my laptop - but I place that between shows and carry on so at least it's "sandwiched" between my belongings in the chute.
Or maybe it's not so funny because the TSOs getting caught know how long this sort of thing has been going on. They know how long public complaints have been ignored, denied, or met with "the tape is lost/camera turned off/doesn't show any nefarious activity", so why should they expect it to matter if there are cameras? Then there were the 'edited' tapes, like the Stacy Armato tape.
Additionally, with the installation of the NoS, the checkpoints are constantly being reconfigured. Pax are routinely harassed when trying to keep their bags in view, and there's no assurance that cameras are realigned to monitor TSO activity.
They've also been working in an environment where citizen photographers are routinely harassed under the guise of security.
I'd say that if a TSO is caught and confronted with footage, more likely he/she is shocked that it exists, that it shows anything, that management bothered to look, that there are repercussions instead of retraining.
Interesting, too, that in recent months we're finally getting to see just how quickly they can view footage if they want to. (Makes one wonder why it is taking so long to review the tapes of the Fayetteville checkpoint that missed ex**osives in a bag-checked bag).
Additionally, with the installation of the NoS, the checkpoints are constantly being reconfigured. Pax are routinely harassed when trying to keep their bags in view, and there's no assurance that cameras are realigned to monitor TSO activity.
They've also been working in an environment where citizen photographers are routinely harassed under the guise of security.
I'd say that if a TSO is caught and confronted with footage, more likely he/she is shocked that it exists, that it shows anything, that management bothered to look, that there are repercussions instead of retraining.
Interesting, too, that in recent months we're finally getting to see just how quickly they can view footage if they want to. (Makes one wonder why it is taking so long to review the tapes of the Fayetteville checkpoint that missed ex**osives in a bag-checked bag).