TSA Epic Fails

[Embar Angylwrath]

Sticky this please... not for my post, but for all the posts to follow showing how FUCKING STUPID the TSA is. This is what you get when you mix minimum wage security guard rejects with a taste of power, and toss in a good dose of governmental shittery.

And we keep growing this department every year. AND they want to unionize.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_reg ... rkill.html

Seriously... a 4 year old in leg braces???? I mean really???

What should REALLY scare Americans is that the TSA is so locked up into procedure that a good terrorist can see the holes, because they can't use common fucking sense.

Your tax dollars at work...

[Select]

This is one reason why security guards and, often cops, worry me so much. You're giving a lot of power to someone with such little pay and, likely, on the lower end of the education tier - which can lead to power complexes to feel equal or better than other members of society.

[Ddrak]

epic-fail-airport-security-fail[1].jpg

[Ddrak]

Woman forced to remove nipple piercings with pliers: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,342329,00.html

TSA forces Marine Escort of KIA soldier to remove dress uniform: http://cayankee.blogs.com/cayankee/2006 ... ates_.html

TSA has no fucking clue how to respond to underwear bomber so randomly makes up rules: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/2 ... 05544.html

TSA finds it wasn't recording from its CCTV in NJ when man breaks through security: http://hotair.com/archives/2010/01/06/t ... for-hours/


That's only the beginning... They're a bunch of morons. At least cops tend to have pretty good checks and balances, but these idiots are effectively unmonitored and allowed to do whatever they please. It's a joke, and let's face it, any terrorist with an IQ above freezing could sail through their checks unmolested while they're focusing on that 4 year old...

Dd

[Embar Angylwrath]

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/0 ... ys-240000/

TSA, JetBlue Pay $240,000 to Settle Discrimination Suit
Guy wears tshirt with Arabic writing on it, gets harrassed. Because obvioulsy the TSA think terrorists advertise.

[Harlowe]

I'm surprised they even knew it was Arabic.

[Ddrak]

Oh, on the nipple ring thing: The TSA officially defends its screeners saying they "properly followed procedures". What sort of fuckwit thinks a woman is going to blow up a plane with her nipple ring, and how much more of a moron do you have to be to insist that it's correct procedure to remove it?

Dd

[Embar Angylwrath]

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/21400

$8 billion a year on an agency that does absoutley nothing to increase airline safety.

[Select]

I think most across the political board agree this is a stupid waste of time, money, and a power trip for people who shouldn't even be in those positions. Why isn't it gone or nerfed?

[Ddrak]

Why isn't it gone or nerfed?

Simple - the politics of fear. No politician is going to take any action against an organization or program that is "preventing an attack on Americans" because they'll be singled out the next inevitable time an attack occurs. Where's the political payback for axing or reworking the TSA? Where do you think the finger pointing would have been if Obama (or Bush) had decimated the TSA prior to Capt. Underpants' failed attempt?

Dd

[Select]

My question was more rhetorical.
There was finger pointing regardless. It is fear and I wish there was a way to rework or manipulate that fear into being aware of and hating something that does nothing. It would take a heck of campaign to redirect the fear machine, though.

As an aside, this is why I happily supported Cazic in EQ. Fear is a very powerful political manipulator.

[Embar Angylwrath]

More TSA crap to come...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGXPH6tV ... re=related

[Embar Angylwrath]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-Mi5WtSDC0&NR=1

[Embar Angylwrath]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/nyreg ... hlist.html

[Embar Angylwrath]

http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-secur ... e-students

The only thing I disagree with is with the ACLU's position that the TSA does "real and important work".

[Ddrak]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/ ... ine-pranks

NOVEMBER 2--The Transportation Security Administration worker who earlier this year was canned for falsely claiming to have discovered cocaine in the luggage of travelers was a bomb appraisal officer who was supposed to be evaluating new screening equipment at the time he was pranking his unsuspecting targets, records show.

[Embar Angylwrath]

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20 ... heckpoints

The obvious answer is biometrics. Frequent travellers submit biometric data (retina scan would suffice, no one is going to walk up with a fake eyeball) and pass through normal security with a bag check and metal scan. This pat-down shit is ridiculous. I wonder if I can put some tin foil on my ass that says "Fuck you Napolitano" and have it show up in the backscatter image....

[Embar Angylwrath]

Anyone have thoughts on 4th amendment issues here regarding the aggressive pat-downs? Doesn't there have to be probable cause for invasive searches?

[Fallakin Kuvari]

I'm going with they would say: "It depends on what your definition of invasive is."

[Ddrak]

There is no constitutional right to board an airplane so the 4th amendment doesn't apply. You have the right to refuse and just not board the plane.

Dd