One excellent reason for this is because if TSA were law enforcement, whatever legality might inhere in their "administrative search" regime would be substantially degraded, as the administrative search cannot be conducted for the purpose of general law enforcement.

And yet the TSA just loooves to brag about catching celebrities with doobs... far outside the scope of the TSA "administrative search."

I have that rock that repels elephants! See? See? It is working! There are no elephants around!!!!!!!11!!!1!!!1oneone

You know that and I know that ;) but there are many TSO's out there who think and act otherwise :mad:

Unfortunately I have to agree with you. I wish it were otherwise, but you have hit a nail on the head.

I'm not really sure why this is so, and it certainly is not all that common, but there do seem to be a few frustrated LEO-wannabe's wearing the TSA uniform. I correct them when I see them, but that is just one TSO to another and I suspect that what I have to say has little effect. :(

Ron for once I complement you^

While I too appreciate your attempt at "correction", if it is done with the same attitude that you sometimes display here, I can see why it is ignored.

Try mentoring, it might work better.....;)

With all respect to everyone in the conversation ... effective mentoring requires that the recipient be willing to receive the mentoring. I suspect that those TSOs who are "frustrated LEO wanna-be's" would be rather unwilling to accept mentoring, even from the most noble source.

Homer: Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a charm.
Lisa: That's spacious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: Thank you, dear.
Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
Homer: Oh, how does it work?
Lisa: It doesn't work.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: It's just a stupid rock.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
[Homer thinks of this, then pulls out some money]
Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.
[Lisa refuses at first, then takes the exchange]

So, tell me, has the TSA ever caught an actual terrorist?

Oh yes, yes they have; lots of them. Of course they can't tell us about it, we'll just have to take their word for it.

/sarcasm

And there lies the rub as where you take action and it may/may not be successful (no offense meant :)), each airport is its own little fiefdom with its own "we do things differently here" rules and that is a systemic problem across the board. TSA coprporate has to take the McDonalds® approach but in reality, the way the TSA is set up, it can never happen as sadly, TSA corporate is too messed up in its own right to even have a clue as to what happens in the trenches


As do I ^ (tho it has been more than once for me ;))