TSA is the gift to the world that just keeps on giving.
Each day there is a new absurdity to contemplate.
I've given up on Kafka!
This is way more entertaining.

How is this not a direct threat to aviation security? :rolleyes:

Bribery charges? How about Conspiracy to Defraud the Government as well? For those of you who love to write your Congress critters, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU SHOULD BE OUTRAGED ABOUT. The is a malicious violation of the public trust that also theorectically endangered countless lives. (Assuming they are convicted)

They do make reasonable clowns, though.

Enlarging mine: Like I said in my post right above yours.....it does take times to circle the wagons ;)

When knowing the first question TSA investigators will be asking is how do we transfer fault to the public supports the circling wagons theory.

Or he'll take the same approach he used with the Fayetteville incident (explosive missed in bag during bag check).

He'll ignore it completely.

Update from Philly.com

A training instructor with the Transportation Security Administration at Philadelphia International Airport pleaded guilty in federal court today to taking a bribe from a security officer.

Shannon Gilliam, 29, of Sharon Hill, potentially faces four to 27 months in prison under advisory sentencing guidelines.

There are a few more details in the plea documents, it appears that the agent who was paying for the instructor to take the test (after failing twice) got cold feet and told his supervisor about it all.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...be_at_PHL.html

At least additional court costs won't be stacked onto the waste of money thus far incurred.

The SENTENCING for this criminal was today.

I want to vomit! This criminal was sentenced to "house arrest" today. He should be serving hard time! He put the Public at a tremendous risk.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pe...probation.html

His reprehensible defense attorney said that he was "depressed" (boo hoo!) and merely committed a "situational crime"
Whoever was responsible for this sentencing committed a crime against the traveling public.

Lets not go overboard, here. I agreement with you that the guy should be doing hard time (I'd say about 6 months seems appropriate) but no planes fell oil of the sky. The risk, despite what the fear mongers would have us believe, is minimal, not "tremendous".

The problem is that the TSA likes to play it both ways.

Someone got an item past their prodigiously ineffective Maginot line? Not a threat.

Someone got caught with something totally innocuous-yet-prohibited that doesn't pose a plausible threat? Goes on their "Good Catch of the Week" list.

Grandma has to have her underwear sniffed, toddlers have to hobble through the metal detector without their braces, and little girls with cerebral palsy have to be humiliated at the checkpoint because the claimed threat is so high.

But a screener who bribes their way past their own tests? Meh. Not an issue.

+1

A screener who brings a loaded gun to work? Not an issue.

A failure to detect a couple bricks of nasty in a bag that's already been pulled for a check? Not to worry, one of the other 19 layers protected us.

The interesting one is dozens of people not 'randomly' screened after passing regular screening.

Dangerous? Absolutely not, 19 other layers of security protected them, no one was in jeopardy at any time. However, 5 people have been fired and a couple dozen more suspended and the taxpayer is footing the bill to bring in outside screeners from other airports because of a months-old entirely trivial incident when, according to the TSA, no one was ever in danger at any time. :rolleyes:

I do hope this trainer is disqualified from future employment with TSA. I understand financial difficulties and depression and all, but when you are on the front lines of the war on terrorism, risking your life every day to ensure the safety of our flying citizens, there's just no room for error. Zero tolerance at the checkpoint should extend to the employees.

FIRST.

The FIRST report of theft, misbehavior, molestation, general thuggery, etc. should be from the other TSA employees at the checkpoint, not from the public.

If they want respect, they should be worthy of it.

Currently, they're worthy only of derision.

Well, I got close, anyway.

Mike

totally agree!!!
 

and of course I'm sure we'll have that statement by Mr. Scumbag Director "that this in no reflects the 1000's of professional..." as nauseum BS he loves to spew.

HE needs to be fired & this agency needs to be closed!!!