aircraft engineer

This is from another thread - but it fits here, too -

Quote:
Originally Posted by whatsinyourbag
We're not the idiots... It's you "I am a frequent flyer, corporate platinum card holder" people that are the idiots...


C'mon bagman - IF we are the idiots, why is it YOU that works for TSA? You couldn't find anything BETTER to do? (or nobody wanted you?) And don't try the "patriotic" angle - go join the military if that's what you want

The reason so many are irritated at TSA has NOTHING to do with either "security" or "lack of security" (per se) - it has to do with a combination of attitudes and "play-show" performances on the part of those wearing the white shirts with the logo on the chest and a perception that the higher-ups have no SENSE of security. In the beginning, it was about concealable weapons, so we had the ubiquitous X-RAY - OK, that made sense at the time. Then we had 9/11 (supposedly "legal" non-weapons were used to commandeer aircraft and turn the AIRCRAFT into the weapon) So - we got the knee-jerk reaction to eliminate all the potential "non-weapons" - even those things that only a "ninja-master" or 007 could use as a weapon. Fine, made sense until the situation changed and the flight decks were armored. "They" can't get in now - take a few hostages? SURE - JUST TRY. Whether or not TSA or DHS realizes (or more correctly, wants to ADMIT it) there are LOTS of items commonly available on an aircraft that become great DEFENSE weapons. Passengers can and will defend themselves now that the "need" is real (no more "flights to where ever and everybody gets off the plane" - passenger mode now is FIGHT, try to keep the purp alive, but it isn't exactly a REQUIREMENT!)

Now that we are past the window dressing, we get to the dual TSA purpose (oh, yes I firmly believe they (you) have a purpose) - KEEP THE EXPLOSIVES OFF THE AIRCRAFT (with a subsidiary purpose to keep GUNS off, not because they can take the aircraft, but because it makes sense to not have dead bodies around - the AIRCRAFT as a weapon is safe). Knives, scissors, nail files - yeah possibly annoying, but so what? - the pilot lands the plane and the idiot gets hauled off in either a police car or a stretcher (depending on "dead or alive" - remember those defense weapons I referred to?) OK - so GUNS are rather large chunks of metal (metal detector gets them whether on person or in bags) Explosives, though are another matter. Xrays won't detect them (but for some reason fruitcake seems to remind TSA of blocks of C4 - must be the shape) so the alternative is the swab or thermal neutron scanning. Swab is pretty non-specific but whatever, it works. TN scans work but are used for baggage scans. This "liquid" thing is pretty far fetched but giving the benefit of the doubt - they COULD allow sealed factory CANS but that probably makes too much sense. (At least then I could bring my own drinks to have while I wait instead of needing to spend a ridiculous amount in the airport - I solved that, though, by having an empty bottle and dry mix to put with the water from the water fountain)

They nixed the frequent traveller card (not that I would use it - costs too much for the time savings). They won't (officially anyway) allow TSA to profile (and that's more a matter of PC than anything else) So, now that the rules have changed, what's your beef with flyers? (or are you just jealous?)

AND I MEAN EVERYTHING I WROTE!!