Saw this on the NW corporate newsletter site:

http://catalog.nwa.com/newsline/0307_09c.html

TSA Security Enhancements
Effective Wednesday, March 21, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced enhanced security procedures within the United States and its territories

The primary TSA enhancement is random screening of passengers at boarding gates. A second TSA enhancement is a random aircraft search. The TSA may conduct random visual inspection of the aircraft cabins prior to the commencement of passenger boarding.

While there is no intelligence that indicates a specific threat to aviation, this mobilization illustrates TSA�s ability to quickly and unpredictably deploy assets based on risk. The agency has developed a longer-term, sustainable plan with U.S. airport and airline partners for the entire U.S. aviation system

What a bunch of BS.

Dammit, now i can't stash that chainsaw and hockey mask on the seat. Seriously ... is going on here?

In other words this is totally unnecessary.

But they just said there's no risk. This merely shows their ability to misallocate resources.

What the **** will TSA goons spot that an FA (or several) will overlook? It is not TSA's concern what equipment is on board an aircraft. About all they can hope to provide is a QA followup to the airplane cleaning crews. Heck, just give them toilet swabs & vacuum cleaners & fire the cleaning crews.

This is just insane.

Now you have to waste space in an overhead bin or locker and close the doors.

They're only supposed to be doing a visual inspection, which I take to mean walking through the planes.

What legal authority do they even have to invite themselves onto the aircraft?

The random screening at gates is alarming. If TSA screening at checkpoints is thorough, screening at gates is unnecessary. Passengers already have a hassle getting through checkpoints, with removing shoes, placing laptops into bins, and putting toiletries into baggies. What is the upside to this random screening if the checkpoint procedures are adequate?

It gives them the opportunity to "randomly" hassle people they don't like, such as those who use "freedom baggies", or show ANY disrespect toward commandant Kip, etc...

What thuggery.

Yeah, that's what people in the TSA do every day. They wake up thinking of new ways to hassle people, abuse civil liberties, etc. It has nothing to do with them trying to do a good job at all. Its all about harassment.....

No its about a bureaucracy doing anything they can to justify their existance and expansion. A horrific waste of resource, but a great jobs program.

So now you'll have to play the walk slow, walk faster, walk slow game so some other sucker gets stopped.

Can we all say it:
KIP HAWLEY IS AN IDIOT.

More like enhanced harasssssssment.

Risk?
looks more like TSA is trying to have some job security..... finding
ways to keep themselves occupied and waste tax dollars.


"KIP HAWLEY IS AN IDIOT" is an understatement. I'd say corrupt!!!!

I made the extra effort to find the original source material, because I felt the corporate newsletter was likely a very incomplete summary. I went to Google and typed: TSA random screening gates. Now I'm exhausted after doing all that work nobody else could do.

Here: http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/20..._03132007.shtm

It's a surge at 5 airports, not nationwide. The newsletter failed to mention that little tidbit.

Uh-o, somebody warn the FA's to hide the water bottles. TSA will have a field day if they find the drink cart.

On a more serious note, anyone think they will re-enforce the liqiud ban at the gate?