'The TSA Blog: TSA Blog Year in Review: 2013'
Jan 24, 14, 10:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SEA/YVR/BLI
Programs: UA "Lifetime" Gold and Silver Wings, AS MVPG75K, HH Diamond, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 9,276
'The TSA Blog: TSA Blog Year in Review: 2013'
Alternative headline via Drudge Report link:
IN CONTROL: TSA boasts of 638,705,790 searches, pat-downs and screenings of passengers in 2013...
IN CONTROL: TSA boasts of 638,705,790 searches, pat-downs and screenings of passengers in 2013...
Jan 24, 14, 10:59 am
#2
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Wild Wild Life, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,714
Yawn. Throw TSA out of our airports, replace with airline-selected security personnel with no government interference and planes become safer.
Jan 24, 14, 11:25 am
#3
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO, CDG, PBI
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,567
And each and every prohibited it that was caught should have been caught and thus the TSA is yet again self-promoting for simply doing their job 
. And then there's the fact that not one single ter'wrist has been caught by the TSA (tho one sock-monkey was rendered harmless) 
. And then there's the fact that not one single ter'wrist has been caught by the TSA (tho one sock-monkey was rendered harmless)
Jan 24, 14, 3:12 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,517
One of the comments, which is, I believe, from someone we "know:"
Check out this article from 1985 --
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...g=4844,6538112
Using the low-tech metal detectors, the pre-TSA screeners caught nearly 1,500 guns *in just the first six months of the year."
In other words, nearly twice the rate of the TSA's achievements in 2013.
And according to the data here --
http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/ri...01_37.html_mfd
-- there were a little over half as many passengers in 1985 as in 2013.
So the 1985 pre-TSA screeners, using lowly metal detection technology, essentially spotted guns at four times the rate as the TSA and its $8 billion budget.
Care to comment, Bob? Or did I use too many numbers for ya?
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...g=4844,6538112
Using the low-tech metal detectors, the pre-TSA screeners caught nearly 1,500 guns *in just the first six months of the year."
In other words, nearly twice the rate of the TSA's achievements in 2013.
And according to the data here --
http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/ri...01_37.html_mfd
-- there were a little over half as many passengers in 1985 as in 2013.
So the 1985 pre-TSA screeners, using lowly metal detection technology, essentially spotted guns at four times the rate as the TSA and its $8 billion budget.
Care to comment, Bob? Or did I use too many numbers for ya?
Jan 24, 14, 4:01 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 13,688
Originally Posted by petaluma1
One of the comments, which is, I believe, from someone we "know:"
Quote:
Check out this article from 1985 --
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...g=4844,6538112
Using the low-tech metal detectors, the pre-TSA screeners caught nearly 1,500 guns *in just the first six months of the year."
In other words, nearly twice the rate of the TSA's achievements in 2013.
And according to the data here --
http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/ri...01_37.html_mfd
-- there were a little over half as many passengers in 1985 as in 2013.
So the 1985 pre-TSA screeners, using lowly metal detection technology, essentially spotted guns at four times the rate as the TSA and its $8 billion budget.
Care to comment, Bob? Or did I use too many numbers for ya?
Quote:
Check out this article from 1985 --
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...g=4844,6538112
Using the low-tech metal detectors, the pre-TSA screeners caught nearly 1,500 guns *in just the first six months of the year."
In other words, nearly twice the rate of the TSA's achievements in 2013.
And according to the data here --
http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/ri...01_37.html_mfd
-- there were a little over half as many passengers in 1985 as in 2013.
So the 1985 pre-TSA screeners, using lowly metal detection technology, essentially spotted guns at four times the rate as the TSA and its $8 billion budget.
Care to comment, Bob? Or did I use too many numbers for ya?
Jan 24, 14, 4:33 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boston
Posts: 821
Originally Posted by FliesWay2Much
Another major difference was that anyone could pass through security and go airside back then. They screened a lot more people than just passengers.
Jan 24, 14, 8:02 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 13,688
Originally Posted by saulblum
Good point, but no matter how you slice the data, the screeners 30 years ago were clearly no worse at finding guns than today's gang.
I go back to the George Carlin days: "The kid who swallows too many marbles doesn't grow up to have kids of his own."
Jan 25, 14, 6:14 am
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: CPH
Programs: Delta SM
Posts: 497
These figures don't make much sense to me without context. Far be it for me to defend the TSA (which I won't), but isn't it possible that the pre-9/11 screeners had twice as many weapons being smuggled than the TSA does? That would certainly account for twice as many weapons being seized.
What if the pre-9/11 screeners were up against three times as many guns being smuggled through as the current TSA screeners? Then their catch rate is pretty abysmal compared to the current system.
There needs to be a little more statistics available to be able to parse this in an intelligent way.
What if the pre-9/11 screeners were up against three times as many guns being smuggled through as the current TSA screeners? Then their catch rate is pretty abysmal compared to the current system.
There needs to be a little more statistics available to be able to parse this in an intelligent way.
Jan 25, 14, 7:31 am
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: CPH
Programs: Delta SM
Posts: 497
Originally Posted by saulblum
Of course we don't know how many weapons TSOs miss either.
Jan 25, 14, 8:37 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DEN, or so it says...
Programs: UA1K/RCC, Avis CHM, NWA Plat, SPG Plat
Posts: 2,844
Originally Posted by saulblum
Of course we don't know how many weapons TSOs miss either.
But we do know how many tewwowwists were caught at any given US airport.
Jan 25, 14, 8:51 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boston
Posts: 821
Originally Posted by dimramon
But we do know how many tewwowwists were caught at any given US airport.
There's plenty to criticize about the TSA, but saying it's a failure because no terrorists have been caught at checkpoints only makes you look, well, stupid.
Jan 25, 14, 12:08 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DEN, or so it says...
Programs: UA1K/RCC, Avis CHM, NWA Plat, SPG Plat
Posts: 2,844
Originally Posted by saulblum
If your burglar alarm fails to catch any burglars in the act, do you return it for a refund?
There's plenty to criticize about the TSA, but saying it's a failure because no terrorists have been caught at checkpoints only makes you look, well, stupid.
There's plenty to criticize about the TSA, but saying it's a failure because no terrorists have been caught at checkpoints only makes you look, well, stupid.
And thanks for using the word "stupid"
Jan 25, 14, 1:04 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boston
Posts: 821
Originally Posted by dimramon
In a report, the GAO noted that at least 16 people who would later be accused of terrorist plots traveled through US airports in a matter of a few years.
And thanks for using the word "stupid"
And thanks for using the word "stupid"
I thought it was to keep weapons off planes, but what do I know?
