law dawg

http://www.securityinfowatch.com/onl...ng/11507SIW384

viking407rob

>>>But Rob Campbell, who loads and unloads planes at Terminal B, called plans for 100 percent screening "absolutely foolish." He pointed out that "badged" Logan employees undergo criminal background checks prior to hiring.

"The events of 9/11, as horrific as they were, had nothing to do with the employees at the airport," said Campbell, an officer of Local 507 of the Transport Workers Union. "They were (expletive) terrorists. Screening employees that make the airport work and thrive on a daily basis seems to be repetitious and overkill."<<<


So terrorist can't pass background checks, too? Does that mean if all of us went through a criminal background check we could then bypass the shoe carnival? Airport employees pose a far greater risk than travelers, IMO. To me, screening airline customers (who are the ones really making the airport work and thrive) is "repetitious and overkill."

eyecue

I am all for it. The number of items that we find on employees when they are forced to go through passenger screening is amazing.I had a "ramp rat" last week with a 5 1/2 inch steak knife in his lunch box. They repeatedly do what they want when they know that they can get away with it. If I was a passenger, I would be more angry that those employees get away with no screening and I have to be screened. So if for the sake of argument you are saying that they are employees and are a threat then you should be for the screening. The thing about employees is that they lose their badges and also could have their badges stolen/altered/forged. You seem to be arguing against yourself.

LGA_UAL

People forget that employees with unescorted access to the ramp have access to weapons (including firearms) in checked baggage. I question how much safer this change would actually make us.

underpressure

^ As am I

whirledtraveler

This could be very dangerous. If the rule is that no one can enter the secure area unless they are screened by someone who is already in the secure area, the TSA could accidentally close an airport permanently after a shift.

eyecue

Not likely to happen. There are ranks in TSA that dont have to be screened.

LessO2

TSAers too?

Gargoyle

Not good. The higher the rank, the greater the thread they pose.

I have much more faith in the rank and file than in the leadership.

viking407rob

The point of my comment was that it should be an "all or none" situation. Everyone who enters should be screened or no one. No need having all this "security" for passengers if it isn't being enforced across the board. What would keep an airport employee from bringing something in and giving it to a pax who had already cleared security??? I am totally for screening airport employees, including TSA. 80% or more of the general population could easily pass those "background checks." If passengers aren't beyond suspicion, no one should be. No sense in trying to have it both ways. It's insane to harass honest travelers, while turning right around and allowing Waldo the janitor to enter unchecked and roam freely. This reeks of insanity and hypocrisy.

Global_Hi_Flyer

So? He wants to eat something for lunch that needs to be cut.

Shall we talk about all the so-called weapons and other "dangerous" that are in the unlocked checked bags that this ramp rat handles? Like the cooking knives that my chef friend carries. Or the firearms that are declared and checked. Or the "dangerous" bottles of liquids that are banned from carryon.

Ramprat

There's a few airports that for whatever design/layout reason, happen to be 100% security. PHX happens to be one of them. I don't think I've met anyone that works at PHX that doesn't have at least one complaint about TSA, or envy the fact that I can bypass when reporting to work.


From the position of a rampie, in my opinion trying to enforce the TSA rules on me is somewhat absurd. Here I am, a person that is entrusted with the responsibility of servicing millions of dollars of aircraft and the safety of the passengers on board, handling their checked bags, in a work environment where there is access to flammable, corrosive, or otherwise hazardous materials, sharp or heavy implements that could be wielded as weapons... but I'm not allowed to have metal silverware to eat my dinner.


My main issue with TSA are that the rules seem to be enforced arbitrarily based on how many cups of coffee the particular screener had at the start of shift, and that basically TSA appears to me to be a bunch of shopping mall rent-a-cops trying to fight terrorism.

Like most airline employees, I have a lunchbox. I like chocolate pudding. What happens on the day that a TSA employee decides that my pudding cup is too large? Or maybe doesn't like the idea of beef chili with noodles, or whatever home-cooked meal I've packed?

I'm glad I work in a station where employees are trusted to do their jobs, so that I don't have to endure that on a daily basis.

Spiff

Ramprat, welcome to FlyerTalk!

Employees should face the same screening that passengers do.

If employees think that the shoe carnival, liquid nonsense, and other Hawley-brained "security" measures are stupid, they should speak out against them being applied to anyone, not just themselves.

Employees and passengers should unite to rid our airports of the disease called the TSA. I would love to see the day when the TSA is frog-marched out of the terminal and tossed off airport property.

coachrowsey

Ramprat, welcome to Flyertalk. Great post. I'm also glad I work in a station that for the the most part trust employees also.
I'm sure that TSA employee must have got huge.... on when he took the employees dinner knife & now he or she can't eat their steak.
With only one or two exceptions I refuse to as much a speak to them.

bocastephen

Everyone with AOA access, including TSA employees of all ranks, should be screened before accessing the AOA. Through the fence operators can either do it on their side (and their expense), or can fence their operations in, create a sterile zone, and have staff bussed across the ramp after they clear at the terminal.