The brat husband is a locksmith and their company has national accounts in the terminals. He has to bring pointy and sharp objects to do his job. He told me he had to go to a store in T1 LAX this week and fix an exit door and grill gate lock. I said what happens when you go through security with all your pointy tools?

He said, well I don't go through security. I go to the ticket counter area where I meet an escort and through the back to the elevator. I am then escorted into the secure area by this employee and I do my job. When I leave I just leave through the exit elevator since I'm pushing my tool cart.

So much for security checks for workers. He said the only time he's gone through security has been when he's flown out for business.

He's an honest guy but there might be others who are not and bingo, they can whack their escort and have free reign in the terminal.

Just thought I'd share that tasty bit of security theater with you.
da brat.

I believe the 'escort' is supposed to stay with him, not just escort him through the SIDA door.

Keywords: "supposed to"

~~ Irish

Yet another of the MASSIVE number of loopholes in this "makes us all safer" system. All one has to do is get a job with a locksmith (or one of many other jobs) and you can plant weapons all over the airport.

If you take a few minutes on your next trip to the airport you will witness that almost no screening takes place for airport workers.

At DFW the employees use a difference set of doors away from the checkpoints to enter the sterile area. They carry anything they want and do not get screened.

Any claims that the sterile area is secure is TSA BS and clearly demonstrates why TSA screening of "only passengers" is a wasted effort.

I propose yet again that we not consider a "Trusted Traveler" program but instead institute a "Pseudo Airport Employee" program. Here is how it would work:

1. I submit to the background check required of every sterile side airport employee.
   
2. If I pass, I get a Photo ID and a lanyard. The ID does not open any doors air side. It is just a photo ID.
   
3. When I get to security, I go to the employee line, I wave the ID, x-ray my stuff, walk through the metal detector, and head to the gate.
   
4. I may even pick up a bit of trash on the way.

It will be usable in my home airport, or half the time I go through security. Return trips would require a national clearance which would be more difficult to implement.

Looks like LAX needs to hire a better escort service.

His escort did stay with him the entire time he was working but did not stay to make sure he exited. When I was the queen of the exit (now long retired)we'd see lots of workmen exiting with their tools. Always wondered how they got into the "secured area"?

He has a TS clearance because he also works on DOD/DOJ/and DHS locks. He got it when he worked for the Navy, has specialized government training on specialized locks as well as regular customers. He usually has to be escorted in those buildings too. But no searches.