Long security lines snaked into baggage claim areas and parking garages at some U.S. airports this weekend, a possible indicator of more widespread travel problems as the latest government shutdown drags on.
That kind of disruption, while not yet widespread, is not a concern that typically surfaces at San Francisco International Airport, the largest of nearly two dozen U.S. airports where screening checkpoints are staffed by private contractors under a little-used federal program that allows airports to outsource security screenings while maintaining TSA oversight.
Because contractors’ pay comes from a federal contract, it often continues even when the government shuts down.
Been security theater since inception.
Hey I know! Lets clump all of the civilian targets in a big group and make sure we pack them tight BEFORE we check for bombs. Bombs that get through anyways.
I’m loathe to praise the Israelis, but their approach to airport security is quite good, with a mind on minimal bunching up of crowds, not to create a clear target for terrorists.
It is very racist, though, any elevated melanin levels in the skin will make you subject to getting picked out and searched. But that happens with the TSA too.
It is very racist, though, any elevated melanin levels in the skin will make you subject to getting picked out and searched.
Ive seen this first hand at LAX too. They let me, the white guy go through the metal detector while forcing my wife, MIL, and SIL with brown skin to go through the body scanner.
You mean the security that involves clearing out not only the gate that is destined for Tel Aviv, but all of the adjacent gates around that one, roping it off, and forcing everyone to queue up so that you can present your luggage to their personnel and have them go through every bag one by one? That approach?
I will admit that it’s been over a decade since I flew to Israel, but I will never forget the intrusiveness of what I went through going to and from.
Well yeah, their airport security actually has to work
Remember, no Russian.
TSA is make-work with zero return on investment. These people should be repairing roads and bridges, working on innumerable infrastructure projects that could improve common people’s lives.
The headline is possibly misleading. This story seems to largely discuss potential privatization of the security services that TSA provides, not eliminating the security theater that TSA is.
Yes because the thing that will fix TSA is a monopoly extracting profit from it.
Extra fees upon extra fees upon extra fees to fly.
Why doesn’t anyone fly anymore?
That’s how it was handled prior to 9/11
Ah yes, let’s use contractors. Anyone else remember when USIS was just faking background checks? I’ve been a Federal contractor, and while there are some great, hard working people doing government work as contractors, the companies behind those contractors are almost universally doing everything they can to skirt the line between “completing the contract” and “outright fraud”. They certainly have no interest in doing what is best for the organization, people or tax payers. It’s all money grubbing assholes looking to leech off the tax payer.
We need to realize that 90% of everything done in the wake of 9/11 were bad ideas. With DHS itself being a monumental fuck-up. We did need better inter-department communications. But, by creating one agency to rule them all, we put too much budget in one bucket and failed to let specialists in each area focus on their area of specialization.
The TSA is security theater, its effectiveness has been documented as notoriously useless with not finding any legitimate threats. Just confiscating things from people that look like weapons.
I have to take certain tools with me on my business trips, and I’ve learned to take a cheap Home Depot pliers because they occasionally get confiscated for being 1/4" too long. I started buying these cheap $3 pliers after my $25 pair got confiscated.
How am I supposed to hijack a plane with a pair of pliers? Why is a 7" pair unable to hijack a plane, but a 7 1/4" pair can?
I dunno man 7" isnt very average.
Tsa agents are jealous of your pliers length
If they think I can hijack a plane with 5oz of water, there’s no telling what you could do with pliers.
Your pliers vs the pliers she tells you not to worry about.
darn I was hoping this was some sanity to get rid of the security theater and go back to pre 911 sanity.
Friendly reminder that baggage fees were supposed to be a temporary measure to help airlines recover after 9/11 crashed their stocks.
(Voice of Ron Howard): It wasn’t.
Bring on the delays and public outrage. It’s just about the only thing that’ll force congress to do its job. It’s not like the other unfunded LE agencies will stop doing their thing or the Coast Guard will close down ports or stop rescuing people, despite also being kneecapped by the shutdown.
I’m all up for the elimination of TSA agents. The old fashioned French way, even, to make it more efficient and to send a clear message.
Yes. My immediate thoughts were, in order, 1. great! 2. They will probably apply at ICE.
I’m still surprised that no suicide bomber has targeted the lines at the screening checkpoints in airports.
I don’t know what hidden security exists that could catch them before they get to that point, but it seems like it would be an irresistible target.
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Honestly given all the rampant anarchy the US is causing all over, now is probably the worst time to do this. I agree it’s theatre but I hope it deters at least some woodbe attackers. Reigning it back during a time of peace is understandable. During a time of war is just negligence.
Security theatre is not effective… The FBI and NSA are actually pretty good at discovering attacks before they happen though
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Just about anything can be an excuse for cancelling elections.
Also, I’d look up the history of TSA audits, where they consistently fail to catch test contraband. Over 90% failure rate IIRC.
They did the one practical thing they could have done after 9/11, which was maintain better security practices on cockpit doors while in flight. Much of the rest is just theater.
I have flow through SFO and other airports with non-TSA security quite a bit, and the contractor’s work is just as thorough as TSA. Don’t tell their bosses, but I have even seen a few smile on occasion. I don’t think we lose anything, security-wise, by privatizing TSA.
It’s basically a jobs program. Not a very good one, but that’s what the TSA actually accomplishes
I did say “what little” they still prevent by accident. Especially stupid ones or domestic. Take them away and it’s open season for all.
