Comments on The TSA Blog: Strengthening International Aviation Security

Hello Msjettexas -- Add my voice to George's ...

2010-10-31T11:04:39.671-04:00

Hello Msjettexas --

Add my voice to George's and Earl Pitts in saying that the TSA is not doing what it needs to do in order to establish credibility and earn respect.

In my line of work, I deal with issues of organizational behavior and process change. We have a saying that if you want to know about an organization's culture, listen to the stories people tell.

Msjettexas said... Be safe in all you do and whe...

2010-10-27T21:59:40.777-04:00

Msjettexas said...

Be safe in all you do and when you do run across that "nice TSO", I hope it is me.

Your kindness offends me. I demand to be treated more rudely if I ever run into you. Please take some notes from the barkers at JFK.

Msjettexas, You may be a very nice person and I d...

2010-10-27T19:31:04.839-04:00

Msjettexas,

You may be a very nice person and I don't have have a reason to doubt that. First off, don't take it personally as "you" was being used collectively.

And it's quite possible to harass someone in a friendly way. You may be polite and courteous (and believe me, I'll appreciate that as I often don't see that with TSA, especially at

Msjettexas, let me start by agreeing that respect ...

2010-10-27T17:24:13.870-04:00

Msjettexas, let me start by agreeing that respect is a two-way street. Even if we had a "perfect TSA" that consistently applied rationally comprehensible rules of proven effectiveness, didn't define "security" as a the continual accretion of reactive hassles, and held TSOs accountable to published standards of conduct, there would still be people who resent any

There was an interesting article in today's Ne...

2010-10-27T16:35:17.375-04:00

There was an interesting article in today's New York Times about the growing criticism of the TSA in Europe. It started with the chairman of British Airways remarking that Britain should not "kowtow to the Americans every time they wanted something done" with aviation security procedures. In particular, he called for an end to the shoe carnival and the laptop carnival, and

George, I really do wish that I could make all TS...

2010-10-26T23:36:03.776-04:00

George,

I really do wish that I could make all TSO's respectful and courteous to passengers, I can only speak for myself.

I can tell you that our Federal Security Director (FSD)has read your comments and these comments have been subject of discussion in our briefings.

I also hope that passengers understand that we have to deal with nastiness as well, just

@msjettexas "Since I am a TSA Officer, your c...

2010-10-26T15:03:19.735-04:00

@msjettexas "Since I am a TSA Officer, your criticism of us means that we are doing our job. I'd much rather you gripe about what we are doing than what we are not doing."

No, you're not. You're doing something, but it isn't providing security. You are harassing passengers and violating their rights. Your job is to provide security. You are not doing that.

Everything that is said on this blog is taken s...

2010-10-25T23:57:27.352-04:00
Everything that is said on this blog is taken seriously.

By whom? It seems more believable that the TSA makes a point of ignoring what commenters say on this blog, except when someone from the TSA feels the need to defend their agency.

It bothers me greatly when a passenger has a bad experience.

Many TSOs who comment here say that. They should be in

"Would you be willing to get in a room, full ...

2010-10-25T17:50:53.305-04:00
"Would you be willing to get in a room, full of the people who sat on the same flight as the shoe bomber Richard Reed, and say that to their face?"

Yes. Both the "shoe bomber" and his colleague the "Underwear Bomber" were foiled by the vigilance of those people (along with the bombers' own ineptitude). This is one of the only two genuine security

"Would you be willing to get in a room, full ...

2010-10-25T17:49:42.935-04:00
"Would you be willing to get in a room, full of the people who sat on the same flight as the shoe bomber Richard Reed, and say that to their face?"

Sure. I'd also note that no one, anywhere in the world, has tried to use shoes to sneak explosives onto an aircraft -- even in countries that don't have TSA's shoe carnival. And that the number of countries without a

Understand that you will NEVER see a scoreboard at...

2010-10-25T13:43:33.717-04:00
Understand that you will NEVER see a scoreboard at the back of a U.S checkpoing that says TSA 245 al Qaida 0 so to compare what European security forces have caught to what we have deterred is apples and oranges

"Does this mean the US will soon follow the l...

2010-10-25T00:47:40.208-04:00
"Does this mean the US will soon follow the lead of every other country in the world and end the absurd shoe carnival that makes TSA a laughingstock?"........

Would you be willing to get in a room, full of the people who sat on the same flight as the shoe bomber Richard Reed, and say that to their face?

@George...........I never intimated anything "Secret"

A person said.. For all of the "Nay Sayers&q...

2010-10-22T22:55:27.902-04:00
A person said..

For all of the "Nay Sayers" who call us the terrorists, would you get on a plane that did not have security procedures in place? If so, you are alot more brave than me.

>>>I would honestly pay double to get on a plane without dealing with any of you people....

Which is why in Feb I plan to take a train to Canada so I can take a

Hello A Person -- Maybe your goal isn't to ma...

2010-10-22T09:02:38.953-04:00
Hello A Person --

Maybe your goal isn't to make the pax miserable, but it seems an awful lot of your co-workers want to.

Go back to the thread on solid deodorants and read George's and my "last straw" stories, and then please explain how all the yelling, rudenes and threats improves aviation security.

So much of what the TSA enforces simply

The 1:00 pm post should read, "no one anywher...

2010-10-21T14:20:43.815-04:00
The 1:00 pm post should read, "no one anywhere in the world has tried to smuggle explosives onto a plane using shoes as a delivery method since 2001".

"My goal is not to make a pax miserable, it i...

2010-10-21T13:00:27.502-04:00
"My goal is not to make a pax miserable, it is my passion to make them feel safe. Why is that so wrong?"

Because the things you do make no one safer. Shoes are not bombs, and no one anywhere in the world has tried to smuggle explosives onto a plane since 2001. Liquids are not bombs, and TSA has never shown a single piece of evidence that liquids could bring down a plane.

@Anonymous, October 21, 2010 12:36 AM: i think ...

2010-10-21T12:37:11.313-04:00
@Anonymous, October 21, 2010 12:36 AM: i think it was London that spotted the original terrorist smuggling explosives in the baby bottles. I think its a great thing that the TSA and other international agencies are talking.

Whoever posted this apparent spam is wrong.

The London plot had nothing to do with the TSA (and did not involve baby bottles). Old-fashioned

@A [TSA] person: I know it is hard to believe, ...

2010-10-21T12:28:47.978-04:00
@A [TSA] person: I know it is hard to believe, and maybe some officer's are not polite, but they are the first gateway of assurance to a safe airplane.

No they aren't. The "first gateway" is the various intelligence and police agencies that are the only way to stop terrorists before they get anywhere near an airport. By the time terrorists get to the airport,

@A [TSA] person: Terorists are becoming more an...

2010-10-21T12:20:49.027-04:00
@A [TSA] person: Terorists are becoming more and more sophisticated and we must stay ahead of them or possibly another 3000 people could be killed.

Absolutely true. But how do the TSA's reactive hassles to past terrorist tactics, inconsistently and capriciously implemented at checkpoints, do anything to "stay ahead of" terrorists? And if you answer "

A Person might want to read this: http://cbs4.com...

2010-10-21T11:07:54.068-04:00
A Person might want to read this:

http://cbs4.com/iteam/TSA.failure.weapons.2.1964315.html

@ George....."Just curious, when all of you f...

2010-10-21T02:58:17.747-04:00
@ George....."Just curious, when all of you fly to various locations, do you go through the exact same TSA lanes and procedures as the rest of us?"

The answer is "yes". I work for TSA. Myself and my family are subjected to the same screening as the rest of the public.

Terorists are becoming more and more sophisticated and we must stay ahead of them or

If my memory andconcentration serve me right - i think it was London that spotted the original terrorist smuggling explosives in the baby bottles. I think its a great thing that the TSA and other international agencies are talking.

Anonymous said... We dont go as nuts in the coun...

2010-10-20T19:08:38.191-04:00
Anonymous said...

We dont go as nuts in the country as other countries do. Why because you are all in a hurry, if it delays me, then it needs to go. Get to the airport earlier and stop whining about things that are there to protect you and blaming your failure to get to the airport on time on other people.
---------------------------------

American passengers are

"God Bless the Federal Employees who keep us ...

2010-10-19T11:52:08.743-04:00
"God Bless the Federal Employees who keep us safe and protected. I gladly forfet my liberty for my safety. Bless you Mr. Pistole."
You forgot to add:
And continue to keep your little mitts off of GA, which is just as safe without the abusive treatment and wasted effort.

Anonymous said... I think there should be an airl...

2010-10-18T21:12:17.715-04:00
Anonymous said...
I think there should be an airline called "At Your Own Risk Airlines".
AYOR Air would have no security, so there is no delaying those passengers that arrive 5 mins before a flight is to have left the ground not board. You get on the plane, and there are no hassles, no groping, just a smooth walk on to the plane. Of course you will sign a waiver stating that

Comments on The TSA Blog: Strengthening International Aviation Security

Hello Msjettexas -- Add my voice to George's ...

Msjettexas said... Be safe in all you do and whe...

Msjettexas, You may be a very nice person and I d...

Msjettexas, let me start by agreeing that respect ...

There was an interesting article in today's Ne...

George, I really do wish that I could make all TS...

@msjettexas "Since I am a TSA Officer, your c...

Everything that is said on this blog is taken s...

"Would you be willing to get in a room, full ...

"Would you be willing to get in a room, full ...

Understand that you will NEVER see a scoreboard at...

"Does this mean the US will soon follow the l...

A person said.. For all of the "Nay Sayers&q...

Hello A Person -- Maybe your goal isn't to ma...

The 1:00 pm post should read, "no one anywher...

"My goal is not to make a pax miserable, it i...

@Anonymous, October 21, 2010 12:36 AM: i think ...

@A [TSA] person: I know it is hard to believe, ...

@A [TSA] person: Terorists are becoming more an...

A Person might want to read this: http://cbs4.com...

@ George....."Just curious, when all of you f...

If my memory andconcentration serve me right - i think it was London that spotted the original terrorist smuggling explosives in the baby bottles. I think its a great thing that the TSA and other international agencies are talking.

Anonymous said... We dont go as nuts in the coun...

"God Bless the Federal Employees who keep us ...

Anonymous said... I think there should be an airl...