At the time the TSA was hired the majority of workers had previously been airport security which is was low-skill/low-pay job. When Bush Jr established the TSA, those same people were federalized. Meaning Federal pay, benefits, retirement, etc for the same low skill level.
They haven't improved much since then. The organization has essentially made Security Theater an event with audience participation. Yet they routinely miss threats -- like they have a 95% FAILURE rate at points.
I accidentally brought a full-sized 4th of July smokebomb through TSA and didn't realize it until I unpacked after I got home.
I'm not talking one of those small, spherical smokebombs. No, this was one of those 5" long, 1" diameter sticks, and it was by itself in a pocket of my netbook bag, which didn't have room for much else, so it's not like the xray image would have been confusing.
Seems like tons of other people have had similar experiences.
TSA's impact on safety is largely imagination and wishful thinking.
That sounds about right, I took a domestic flight from SFO to PSP this week. I had a full-sized tube of toothpaste going there, with no issues, and they took it away coming back.
Well, most intentionally-downed passenger aircraft in the last decade were apparent pilot suicides that were enabled by the post 9/11 cockpit security doors, so I guess we won.
> I think what's really preventing future 9/11 attacks is the attitude of the passengers.
I'm certain of this. The scheme used on 9/11 was a one-and-done affair. It cannot be repeated. We know this because only one hour after the first plane hit the north tower of WTC, that infamous "let's roll" line was overheard on a phone call from Flight 93.
Not only are future attempts at this unworkable, not even the 4th attempt of that day was viable!
Airport screening should be for bombs or other materials that cannot be countered by passenger resistance. Drugs, pocket knives, darts, etc. should be passed through without comment. This would also improve the effectiveness of the screening! With fewer items to be on the lookout for, the screening can be more effective.
I've been into blogs on aviation accidents recently and can confidently say that it's both the attitudes of passengers post-9/11 and locking the cabin by default that has prevented most hijacking attempts. Pilot suicides are a threat, yes, but they are much much much rarer than attempted hijackings, so they're less of a risk than the alternative (which is leaving the cabin unlocked for anyone to just waltz into and beat the captain up: https://admiralcloudberg.medium.com/the-dead-mans-gambit-the...).
It’s a theater performance for the benefit of the unsophisticated public that happens to be a jobs program as a second order effect.
After 9/11, there was an overwhelming urge for government to “do something”, and this is the result. If you’re the one to dismantle the TSA, however strong your data is why it should be done, it’ll be your head to roll as soon as a negative event occurs. And so the show must go on.
