chollie

Over the years, the angriest and most bitter people I've seen here have been alleged TSOs or CBP agents. Occasionally someone drops in, announces that TSA rocks and accuses anyone critical of TSA of wanting to eliminate all security because, of course, those are the only two options available, right?

I might be bitter or angry if I or someone I love is killed in an air catastrophe that involves US TSOs or airport employees with unfettered access to the secure areas. YMMV, of course, in such a situation, you might be philosophical enough to shrug and say 'sh*t happens, nobody's perfect, security can never be 100% - but would you rather have no security at all?'

FredAnderssen

Here's an article from the Washington Post which disseminates the Government Accountability Office's report on BDOs.

So my questions to you are why do you think we should continue to support programs which are shown to be ineffective? Do you think that this is money well spent? Is it possible that there are other programs in which the TSA engages that are equally ineffective and wasteful?

Many of us here certainly think so, and we have the evidence, knowledge and sense to back it up.

tanja

Everyone wants security. It is just that USA's TSA is one of the rudest in the whole world.They yell, scream and demand. And pretty much you are screwed if you dont want your "breast" squezed. Your genitals touched and chopped. Yes that is security. That is PERVERTS at the best.
TSA is SICK. I dont think more secure cause they do that.I feel sick to my stomach.

flyerORD

I actually don't think airport employees should be able to bypass security, at all, ever. What I find hysterical is certain individuals living their lives so negatively. That generation is on its way out soon enough.

FredAnderssen

Yeah, it's a real knee slapper. Welcome to your future. Welcome to the next generation of drugged-up followers:

"By this time the soma had begun to work. Eyes shone, cheeks were flushed, the inner light of universal benevolence broke out on every face in happy, friendly smiles."

flyerORD

I'm not misunderstanding anything. YOU said it's non-science, yet the Israeli's use it daily. I don't have an opinion one way or another whether it should be used stateside, but you opened that can of worms by claiming it has no merit. You just forgot that it is actually used very effectively elsewhere, which disproves your theory that it's useless. Can it be improved upon here, of course. Everything can be improved upon. Pre 9/11 security is a generational thing that the newer generations never experienced and would probably gasp at the thought. Old people who refuse progress in any form, even imperfect progress hinder society.

petaluma1

You know nothing, absolutely nothing, about how any of us live our lives.

Spoddy

I don't have any sources to cite right now, but I believe the Israeli methods are much different and their staff actually trained properly.

The US/TSA version uses very different methods, something I believe the GAO (linked up thread) even mentioned.

Been a while since I've read it.

flyerORD

Overall, yes, but it doesn't take rocket science to spot negativity.

malmostoso

Just to bring the discussion back on topic, this article in French explains that at BRU "[...]electronic equipment such as cellphones, tablets and smartphones are going to be checked more in detail, to make sure that they do not contain explosives".

Make of that what you will, I guess my next trip to the US will see me carry my good ol' Nokia dumbphone. And my laptop will stay at home.

halls120

You're in the wrong place if you believe in the fantasy that TSA actually provides any better security than what they replaced.

petaluma1

Tomorrow is July 4th. I presume that you would have called our Founding Fathers bitter and negative old men.

(And before you claim that they weren't "old" men, remember that life expectancy in 1776 was far less than it is today.)

Spiff

You certainly don't miss an opportunity to show your ignorance. What goes on at TLV is not what goes on at USA airports.

Most of what has changed at airports since 2001 is not progress. It's ignorance, panic, stupidity, and harassment, but it's not progress. Society is hindered in its development by not using critical thinking and instead ignorantly obeying without question.

84fiero

I imagine the Founding Fathers are rolling in their graves at the ridiculous restrictions on our freedom of movement and privacy under the farce of "security"

Ari

TLV profiles by religion, race, nationality and purpose of travel among other things. Based on those factors, they make a risk assessment. The risk assessment is based on the history of who has attacked in the past and who is more likely to dislike Israel. The behavior profiling in TLV is mainly to tell if you are telling the truth about the above factors-- it is the means to an end and not the end itself. This is allowed in TLV because Israeli society accepts a lower freedom/security ratio than we do in the USA.

In contrast, TSA doesn't profile a person for who they are or what they are traveling for, they just look at a person and decide if that person's behavior meets certain criteria. The problem is that there is no basis, scientific, historical, logical or otherwise, for the proposition that people that exhibit the behaviors TSA looks for are a higher security risk. The "evidence" cited by TSA to support the program has been rejected by the GAO as bogus. GAO says TSA would have done just as well flipping a coin.

I hope you now better understand the difference between profiling and behavior detection.