A Sincere Defense of the TSA

A commenter who is of course exaclty who they say they are offers up the following arguments:

  • The TSA doesn’t steal stuff.
  • If you criticize the TSA, you favor no security.
  • Since we don’t have hijackings, the TSA is doing a great job.

Hoisted from the Comments:

James, it’s hard to believe someone took your knife. TSA personnel are told there’s a zero tolerance to stealing at the checkpoint. In other words, you’ll be fired. Screeners have been fired for this very same thing. If you see someone stealing like this, as with your knife, go find a supervisor and let them know. Why didn’t you mail your knife back to yourself?

Things that are thrown away in the trash i.e. liquids. They are thrown out through the normal trash disposal. Again, TSA personnel will be fired if they go dumpster shopping. Zero tolerance is zero tolerance.

TSA has come a long ways and has bent over backwards on so many occasions to satisfy the passenger. They’re not there to work against you, but work with you any way they can.

The traveling public is still ignorant to so many things because someone said this or someone hears this i.e. as Granny been strip searched in public. We all know we can trust the media. Please, give me a break.

James, TSA could satisfy you and do away with security totally. Would you or want your family go fly? Sounds stupid doesn’t it? This is like saying, “I received an invalid speeding ticket so I don’t any use for the cops.” Well, at least ’til you need one.

Go to http://www.TSA.gov web site. There’s a wealth of information at this site. I travel with the same rules as everyone else. I find it’s not a problem to be safe or have my family fly safe.

TSA must be doing their job. When was the last time a U.S. aircraft was commandered?

9/11 less we forget. Never again!!!

Priceless.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. “Things that are thrown away in the trash i.e. liquids. They are thrown out through the normal trash disposal.”

    And if the TSA really thought those liquids had even the slightest chance of being explosives, do you think they would be “thrown out through the normal trash disposal”?

    Most of the people who criticize the TSA are not in favor of NO security; quite the opposite, they are in favor of EFFECTIVE security. In other words, they are in favor of security which tries to protect us against real and serious threats, and does not allow itself to be distracted from that important goal by nonsense.

    While the TSA is busy focusing so much attention on X-raying flip-flops and confiscating pocket knives (do you really think you could get into a cockpit with a knife these days? REALLY?) they may be at risk of missing whatever technique is being developed by Al-Qaeda G3. Listen, if the iPhone is on model G3, do you really think the terrorists are still working in v1.0? So why is the TSA???

    Dear TSA: We have NOT forgotten 9/11! Which is exactly why we want you to start thinking ahead of the curve, and not behind it. Security theater is meaningless. Security is priceless. PLEASE do your best to keep us safe!

  2. I agree with Dan. It simply doesn’t feel like the TSA is at the cutting edge of security. They are visible (which is great) and have gotten much more polite (also great). However I think that the focus on routine procedures may blur efforts to catch the innovative bad guys.

    I hope that there is a lot of security that we don’t see.

Comments are closed.