The Republicans put this ludicrous, massive, and incompetent “TSA” into place, remember? Some recent events and facts, demonstrating TSA quality:
Someone brought a box of box cutters onto a plane; they found out when some fell out of his luggage when stowing his bags. Now, I think the ban on pointy and sharp objects is ludicrous, but this is what the TSA was set up to do!
Adam Savage, of Mythbusters fame, walked through the naked body scanners (I like your name for them, W) with TWO ten-inch razor blades on his person, and was not caught. (Adam forgot he had them, so he wasn’t even trying to scam the scanner.)
There is still insufficient scanning of packages delivered to the plane by overnight shipping firms
They screen pilots (why?) but don’t screen the people loading food onto the plane
The “liquid explosive” that led them to put everything into 3-ounce containers and plastic baggies does not exist. Based on speculation by a few idiots talking about terrorism, we have implemented a vast and controlling bureaucracy to remove liquids that could not possibly exist. (The nearest one would require one element to be brought on board packed in dry ice and would have to be mixed extremely carefully and precisely, or they would get no explosion. No one’s going to notice this?)
The first thing we should have done is put in better X-ray scanners that could detect plastic explosive. We did not do that for years (that’s a Bush problem), but were scanning shoes anyway. Tested accuracy rate of TSA scanners for plastic explosive in shoes: chance. In other words, they couldn’t do it at all. So why is everyone taking off their shoes? Oh, right - “security theater.”
I HATE this cr@p…
Richard Reid, the Shoe Bomber, and most incompetent loser in travelling history must also be one of the most successful terrorists if you consider the cost, wasted time, and inconvenience he has created. The Panty Bomber is a close second. Or is it the TSA that is incompetent?
the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself, as folks run out to buy their iodine, beg to be strip searched for “safety”, and would freak if we just sensibly stripped naked to fly in the first place. Right- fear of flying is almost as great in the U.S. as the fear of seeing a naked body, well, in some circles.
Well, considering the state of naked bodies in this country, can you blame them? If I were young and fit, I wouldn’t mind my body seen naked, but not now that I’m older and flabbier, not so much. Maybe it has more to do with the snickers of the onlookers. Do we have to endure this in other countries?
Got that right, Canbag. Like Magellan & Cook proved that you don’t have to survive the journey to be a world renowned explorer, those two showed that you don’t have to kill anyone or blow anything up to be a successful international terrorist.
Murphy: no, they don’t have the “porno scanners” outside the US – yet. Sadly, the Europeans are following our “lead” on airport security, if only for flights to the US.
Interesting perspective on the costs from statistician Nate Silvers at 538.com: http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/the-hidden-costs-of-extra-airport-security/
“Richard Reid, the Shoe Bomber, and most incompetent loser in travelling history must also be one of the most successful terrorists if you consider the cost, wasted time, and inconvenience he has created. The Panty Bomber is a close second. Or is it the TSA that is incompetent?”
I’d say they’re both pretty successful. I mean, now we get body searches and scans.
I went through Japan not too long ago and might I say, it was a pleasant felt-up experience. Actually I’m not too bothered by any of it, but it makes for good humor.
at amsterdam schiphol airport i went through a full body scanner two months ago.
even more effective, they used the israeli / el al security model as well. there were a team of security employees (not dressed like security employees) and every single person boarding the plane was interviewed for about 1 minute.
meetinthemiddle about 13 years ago
In fact, it was Republicans who presided over 90% of our current debt.
WarBush about 13 years ago
At least they don’t have to worry about the porno scanners.
Motivemagus about 13 years ago
The Republicans put this ludicrous, massive, and incompetent “TSA” into place, remember? Some recent events and facts, demonstrating TSA quality:
Someone brought a box of box cutters onto a plane; they found out when some fell out of his luggage when stowing his bags. Now, I think the ban on pointy and sharp objects is ludicrous, but this is what the TSA was set up to do! Adam Savage, of Mythbusters fame, walked through the naked body scanners (I like your name for them, W) with TWO ten-inch razor blades on his person, and was not caught. (Adam forgot he had them, so he wasn’t even trying to scam the scanner.) There is still insufficient scanning of packages delivered to the plane by overnight shipping firms They screen pilots (why?) but don’t screen the people loading food onto the plane The “liquid explosive” that led them to put everything into 3-ounce containers and plastic baggies does not exist. Based on speculation by a few idiots talking about terrorism, we have implemented a vast and controlling bureaucracy to remove liquids that could not possibly exist. (The nearest one would require one element to be brought on board packed in dry ice and would have to be mixed extremely carefully and precisely, or they would get no explosion. No one’s going to notice this?) The first thing we should have done is put in better X-ray scanners that could detect plastic explosive. We did not do that for years (that’s a Bush problem), but were scanning shoes anyway. Tested accuracy rate of TSA scanners for plastic explosive in shoes: chance. In other words, they couldn’t do it at all. So why is everyone taking off their shoes? Oh, right - “security theater.” I HATE this cr@p…Gypsy8 about 13 years ago
Richard Reid, the Shoe Bomber, and most incompetent loser in travelling history must also be one of the most successful terrorists if you consider the cost, wasted time, and inconvenience he has created. The Panty Bomber is a close second. Or is it the TSA that is incompetent?
Dtroutma about 13 years ago
the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself, as folks run out to buy their iodine, beg to be strip searched for “safety”, and would freak if we just sensibly stripped naked to fly in the first place. Right- fear of flying is almost as great in the U.S. as the fear of seeing a naked body, well, in some circles.
MurphyHerself about 13 years ago
Well, considering the state of naked bodies in this country, can you blame them? If I were young and fit, I wouldn’t mind my body seen naked, but not now that I’m older and flabbier, not so much. Maybe it has more to do with the snickers of the onlookers. Do we have to endure this in other countries?
ChukLitl Premium Member about 13 years ago
Got that right, Canbag. Like Magellan & Cook proved that you don’t have to survive the journey to be a world renowned explorer, those two showed that you don’t have to kill anyone or blow anything up to be a successful international terrorist.
Motivemagus about 13 years ago
Murphy: no, they don’t have the “porno scanners” outside the US – yet. Sadly, the Europeans are following our “lead” on airport security, if only for flights to the US. Interesting perspective on the costs from statistician Nate Silvers at 538.com: http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/the-hidden-costs-of-extra-airport-security/
Motivemagus about 13 years ago
^Agree!
jaxaction about 13 years ago
My view is they want us to travel BUTT-naked and dress in BURkA’s….i stopped flying in 2002…PAY to be harassed?
no thanks. I drive, or don’t go-period.
Jaedabee Premium Member about 13 years ago
“Richard Reid, the Shoe Bomber, and most incompetent loser in travelling history must also be one of the most successful terrorists if you consider the cost, wasted time, and inconvenience he has created. The Panty Bomber is a close second. Or is it the TSA that is incompetent?”
I’d say they’re both pretty successful. I mean, now we get body searches and scans.I went through Japan not too long ago and might I say, it was a pleasant felt-up experience. Actually I’m not too bothered by any of it, but it makes for good humor.
dannysixpack about 13 years ago
at amsterdam schiphol airport i went through a full body scanner two months ago.
even more effective, they used the israeli / el al security model as well. there were a team of security employees (not dressed like security employees) and every single person boarding the plane was interviewed for about 1 minute.
non-intrusive, worked great!
dan