TSA is over steppin its bounds

Pistolpak1

New Member
It is my personal opinion that the TSA has way too much power and not enough intelligence to have it. How many times have you as flight crew that you are endangering the safety of yourself and other by having a pair of nail clippers or too much toothpaste? Is it my imagination or are these ego maniacs with less than G.E.D.s think they are police officers with their sewn on badges tell you are not fit to fly. now dont call me a terrorist supporter because I understand why they are there but for crying out flight crew ( dare I say) require special priviledge and should be suseptable (sp?) to the same rules. I mean make sure the pilot is actaully a pilot but dont strip search me and make me late just because you want to flex your muscles and authurity to make yourself feel better. They are out of control. does anyone agree?
 
Uh, yes I agree. One of my top reasons for staying out of the U.S. airline industry. Although in CLT we had the eye scan system that let us bypass security. That was quite nice. Not sure if it is still there though.


Typhoonpilot
 
The TSA people you interact with by and large just enforce the asinine rules set forth by the administration that you never see. Some of them are A-holes to be sure, but most are decent in my experience. The problem is the TSA administrators who haven't the slightest clue about how to improve security.
 
Don't get mad at the agents in the airports, they are only following the rules that were given to them. For calling them out saying that they have GED's is totally stupid. How would you know what level of education they have achieved? At some airlines all you need is a high school diploma to be a pilot on a jet. Think b4 you write.
 
And even if the TSA really did, or continues to in the future, to overstep their bounds. . .who the hell is going to stand up to them?

Average citizen?

Member of congress?

The President? lol
 
I haven't had any issues with TSA yet. I always smile, say hello and they have YET to give me a problem. I go through my rollerboard, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, nail clippers and all - never once had a problem.

Maybe its just a few a-holes at certain locations that have a grudge against pilots.
 
I haven't had any issues with TSA yet. I always smile, say hello and they have YET to give me a problem. I go through my rollerboard, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, nail clippers and all - never once had a problem.

Maybe its just a few a-holes at certain locations that have a grudge against pilots.


Everything in BGM (very small town airport) is fine. In fact, the agents hang out with us sometimes on the weekend. It's their boss thats the problem. She ordered us to destroy italian food grandparents had packed in their checked luggage because it was setting off the swab scanner. We destroyed it alright, in our stomachs, but that made her even angrier.
 
U Although in CLT we had the eye scan system that let us bypass security. That was quite nice. Not sure if it is still there though.

It's still there. Express had a big fight with the TSA about getting added to the database for it and of course we lost. The irony is that the new IDs that everybody had to get don't work with the old card reader so until they get a new card machine, some people are having to go through the lines again.
 
Security is tighter overseas, but they don't spend an inordinate amount of time screwing with flight crews in Europe.

The difference is night and day because customs and security in the EU and in the USA!
 
I think we need to do what the Israelis do. Instead of going after nail clippers and shampoo bottles, give everyone a two minute interview. This allows you to figure out if someone is behaving suspiciously or not. I have been through security in Tel Aviv, Israel a couple of times. Security is very tight, but you don't feel like you have been violated after going through the process.

The biggest difference I see between the two systems? In the US they go after nail clippers, in Israel they go after terrorists.
 
why do they xray my 3oz bottles of shampoo? the whole point is to limit LIQUID explosives, which won't show up on an xray...
 
why do they xray my 3oz bottles of shampoo? the whole point is to limit LIQUID explosives, which won't show up on an xray...

Well everyone knows my half full 4 oz. tube of toothpaste along with my shaving cream can cause a plane to come down...:sarcasm:
 
See, run by a politician:

Kip Hawley's extensive transportation and technology experience in both the private and public sectors will bring an innovative era to his tenure of Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). He was nominated by President Bush on May 6, 2005, confirmed by the Senate on July 22, and sworn in by Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Michael Jackson on July 27.

This is the second time Hawley has occupied a duty station at TSA. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta tapped him to lead "Go-Teams" of government and private sector experts who tackled the monumental task of building a new federal agency at warp speed. Deadlines were met and TSA was created.

Hawley brings more than 20 years of transportation and technology to TSA, now part of the Department of Homeland Security with security responsibilities across all modes of transportation. In executive positions at Union Pacific Railroad and at companies specializing in supply chain services, Hawley delivered technology solutions applicable to all forms of transportation.

He also has broad government experience, having previously served on the Air Traffic Services Subcommittee of the Federal Aviation Administration. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush appointed Hawley to the National Commission on Intermodal Transportation. Earlier, he was a Deputy Assistant and Special Assistant to President Reagan. Hawley also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and Executive Director of Governmental Affairs for the Department of Transportation, responsible for strategic planning for departmental legislative proposals and budgets.

Hawley earned a J.D. degree from the University of Virginia Law School and a B.A. from Brown University.

Commissions and committees. Yawn.

I'm sure the terrorists are cringing in dark alleys working on their exit strategy.
 
I have not used this yet, but I have a very simple way to tell the TSA to shove off.

If you feel that they are overstepping their bounds. Ask to see their ID. When they show it to you make a comment stating, "Geez how do I know that this isn't fake? You guys never gave us ANY training in properly examining TSA IDs, so how do I know you are not someone on the street impersonating a TSA agent?" That should take the wind out of their sails.*





*Use this at your own risk!
 
I think we need to do what the Israelis do. Instead of going after nail clippers and shampoo bottles, give everyone a two minute interview. This allows you to figure out if someone is behaving suspiciously or not. I have been through security in Tel Aviv, Israel a couple of times. Security is very tight, but you don't feel like you have been violated after going through the process.

The biggest difference I see between the two systems? In the US they go after nail clippers, in Israel they go after terrorists.


I'm not the best at math, but lets take a look at this...a 764 holds about 277 people. Multiply that times 2 and you get 554 minutes, divide that by 60 and you get 9.23 hrs. of interviews. For just one flight. Multiply that by however many flights operate out of an ATL or a JFK type airport and one can see that it is just not practical to use that as a method of screening.
 
I'm not the best at math, but lets take a look at this...a 764 holds about 277 people. Multiply that times 2 and you get 554 minutes, divide that by 60 and you get 9.23 hrs. of interviews. For just one flight. Multiply that by however many flights operate out of an ATL or a JFK type airport and one can see that it is just not practical to use that as a method of screening.

What's really not practical is employing however many thousands of people the TSA employs and then finding out in a test that 80% of guns and knives get through to the gate.
 
I think we need to do what the Israelis do. Instead of going after nail clippers and shampoo bottles, give everyone a two minute interview. This allows you to figure out if someone is behaving suspiciously or not. I have been through security in Tel Aviv, Israel a couple of times. Security is very tight, but you don't feel like you have been violated after going through the process.

The biggest difference I see between the two systems? In the US they go after nail clippers, in Israel they go after terrorists.

Would you really trust TSA screeners to tell if someone was behaving suspiciously or not? I see them many, many times a day and to tell the truth, a lot of them behave pretty suspiciously themselves.
 
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