Point taken, but we can argue that their business model is the reason for their financial success as well. More than likely it is a combo of the two.

With all respect to Doppy and Cholula, who are more experienced and knowledgable than I am, even the majors who are losing gobs of money are more responsive than TSA. I have a number I can call. They take my questions and concerns seriously. They give me a response most of the time, and when they do not they respond and when I call and/or email they reconsider their position.

The TSA has none of this customer service platform in place. They do not care one whit about passengers. They have nothing to lose because there is no correlation between the operating budget and the passenger. They have no shareholders to please. So, frankly, the TSA doesn't give a cr*p.

Of course, this is just a distration because the airlines aren't private security companies. My original point stands. TSA is non-responsive to customer complaints. Private companies were, and would be today.

Not true in my experience. American Airlines is a for profit business that values my business. When I choose to go elsewhere, they want to woo me back. The TSA doesn't give a cr*p. If I complain to AA about security checkpoints today, they can shrug their shoulders and say "too bad, it's the government." If I complain to AA about security checkpoints when AA is partially paying the bill for private screeners, the get serious about it and make sure I (as a good customer) don't get harassed again.

You are saying that you could have gone to AA and they would skirt you through security? Make sure you weren't "hassled"? (Of course, hassled is your defintion and not someone elses)

If that is the case then thank the Lord they have no more control over it.

Agree 1000%! The TSA is not even a remote stakeholder in the viability of the commercial aviation business. As a matter of fact, in their perfect world, there are no flights with passengers at all. Then, they would have more resources to harass us on AMTRAK, buses, in our cars, and in our homes.

No, and I'd appreciate it if you actually read my posts. I clearly stated that AA would make sure that their contractor, a private company, was accountable for their treatment of passengers. Accountability being something with which you are evidently unfamiliar.

Yep. Those nasty TSA folk took the job simply for the excitement of harassing people. They wake up every day and think, "I wonder how many people I can harass today"?

<sigh>

" If I complain to AA about security checkpoints when AA is partially paying the bill for private screeners, the get serious about it and make sure I (as a good customer) don't get harassed again."

So how did I misquote you? You are saying that AA would make sure you don't get harassed again. There it is - your words.

Nope, you said they would make sure you aren't harassed again. And I am well aware of accountability, as if I make a mistake on my job I don't lose a sale or lose so money. If I make a mistake then people get hurt. Maybe dead. So yeah, I have a pretty good idea what accountability is.

No, the TSA people simply follow the orders of an inept and unaccountable management.

Instead of your patented sigh (denoting defeat?), could you please respond to the questions? For instance, do you really think the TSA is accountable, as I have asked several times?

OK, then -- explain to all of us , in cogent terms, why the TSA and you, as a screener, are a stakeholder. Why do you care if the airline industry is viable (other than for the selfish reason of a paycheck)? ...

Yes I do. It has modified many of its policies since their inception after complaints. The other option is to vote in the people you want to run the company. I don't have that option at any airline. If they say to go get bent I cannot do a damn thing except take my business elsewhere. If my government does the same I can try and get them voted out. The government, even with all its secret parts, is still more open than the internal operations of most companys, who are under no compulsion to reveal anything. There is no CSPAN, no public access, no accountability. They can do whatever they want and only have to respond if they feel that they might lose enough business to be in jeapordy of bankruptcy.

Lets look at some of these accountable businesses of late. Here is a small list to check out : http://www.citizenworks.org/enron/corp-scandal.php

Yep, they sure are accountable.

Oops. You made the big mistake. Apparently law dawg is not a screener, and is offended when identified as such.

Again, I AM NOT A SCREENER.

And all of us in the G are stakeholders in trying to make sure that another attack on this country does not come to pass. We are stakeholders because no country can survive and thrive in today's world without a viable civilian aviation sector.

Not offended. But I do get tired of repeating myself.

I'm in the "G", too, only I'm in an agency preparing to fight the NEXT war. The TSA is 50% public relations and 50% fighting the LAST war. I've been inside the Beltway for the better part of 30 years. I'll guarantee nobody in the TSA has the broad perspective to care a rat's eyelash about the viability of the airline industry. They are too busy defending their budget and justifying their existence.