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'Dear America, I Saw You Naked'
Worth a read...
And yes, we were laughing. Confessions of an ex-TSA agent. On Jan. 4, 2010, when my boss saw my letter to the editor in the New York Times, we had a little chat. It was rare for the federal security director at Chicago O’Hare to sit down with her floor-level Transportation Security Administration officers—it usually presaged a termination—and so I was nervous as I settled in across the desk from her. She was a woman in her forties with sharp blue eyes that seemed to size you up for placement in a spreadsheet. She held up a copy of the newspaper, open to the letters page. My contribution, under the headline “To Stop a Terrorist: No Lack of Ideas,” was circled in blue pen. |
That was interesting reading. It was full of stuff like this (that should come as no surprise to most of us):
We quickly found out the trainer was not kidding: Officers discovered that the machines were good at detecting just about everything besides cleverly hidden explosives and guns. The only thing more absurd than how poorly the full-body scanners performed was the incredible amount of time the machines wasted for everyone. |
Originally Posted by Xyzzy
(Post 22257946)
That was interesting reading. It was full of stuff like this (that should come as no surprise to most of us):
Most of my co-workers found humor in the I.O. room on a cruder level. Just as the long-suffering American public waiting on those security lines suspected, jokes about the passengers ran rampant among my TSA colleagues: Many of the images we gawked at were of overweight people, their every fold and dimple on full awful display. |
I hope this is a watershed moment in the TSA's existence. Don't forget to snap photos of the TSA checkpoints, particularly the agents and submit them to http://tsasecuritytheater.tumblr.com
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Unfortunately, none of this stuff is really news to those of us who have been on FT for a while.
But I look forward to his book. I'll probably buy it and try to loan it to my friends who are not interested in aviation security because they don't fly. But I'd really love to see a copy of this book given gratis to every senator and representative in the US Congress. |
Originally Posted by WillCAD
(Post 22258205)
...But I'd really love to see a copy of this book given gratis to every senator and representative in the US Congress.
I still can't believe that they can't see how toxic the TSA is. TSA lost all credibility for me when they decided to x-ray everybody and take naked pics. Any agency that thinks it is okay to violate travelers' health and dignity in such ways is an agency that clearly lacks fundamental good judgment and common sense, and I cannot trust anything the TSA says or does because of it. |
Originally Posted by Schmurrr
(Post 22258668)
...I cannot trust anything the TSA says or does because of it.
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I wonder what the official TSA response from Blogger Bob will be. I thought the article was well done. I hope it goes viral and is picked up by all the major news sites.
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Originally Posted by HawaiiTrvlr
(Post 22258691)
I wonder what the official TSA response from Blogger Bob will be. I thought the article was well done. I hope it goes viral and is picked up by all the major news sites.
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Originally Posted by HawaiiTrvlr
(Post 22258691)
I wonder what the official TSA response from Blogger Bob will be. I thought the article was well done. I hope it goes viral and is picked up by all the major news sites.
Originally Posted by chollie
(Post 22258767)
If he addresses it at all, it will be 'one rogue agent does not represent the views and actions of thousands of great agents putting their lives on the line (and hands on you and your belongings) every day to keep the skies safe. TSA respects every pax's dignity while striving to bla-bla...'
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Originally Posted by HawaiiTrvlr
(Post 22258691)
I wonder what the official TSA response from Blogger Bob will be.
Originally Posted by chollie
(Post 22258767)
If he addresses it at all, it will be 'one rogue agent does not represent the views and actions of thousands of great agents putting their lives on the line (and hands on you and your belongings) every day to keep the skies safe. TSA respects every pax's dignity while striving to bla-bla...'
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Originally Posted by jkhuggins
(Post 22258920)
More likely, it'll be along the lines of "this information is dated ... most of the complaints are about stuff we've changed like privacy filters on the scanners ... we're much better now than we were then".
What Those TSA Guys Are Really Saying Definitions in “The Insider’s TSA Dictionary” taken from James Harrington’s blog, “Taking Sense Away.” 10-100: Originally, CB radio lingo for a bathroom break. This is what some TSA officers say when they’re tired of their co-workers. Alfalfa: TSA malespeak for an attractive female passenger. [per TOS, trimmed for respect to copyrights - mods] |
Some Great Quotes From The Politico Article
Interestingly, he confirmed much of what we have suspected or even joked about: Politico:
Most TSA officers I talked to told me they felt the agency’s day-to-day operations represented an abuse of public trust and funds. ...my co-workers at the airport didn’t know Algeria from a medical condition... I.O. room ["voyeur room"] duty quickly devolved into an unofficial break. It was the one place in the airport free of surveillance cameras, since the TSA had assured the public that no nude images of passengers would be stored on any recording device, closed circuit cameras included. |
Articles like this are why I want to carry on 5oz jars of urine on every flight :mad:
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Originally Posted by Schmurrr
(Post 22258668)
Good idea. I'd certainly buy copies for my Senators and Congressperson.
I still can't believe that they can't see how toxic the TSA is. |
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