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Write your elected officials about the TSA.

Discussion in 'General Topics' started by Bud01, Apr 26, 2012.

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  1. Bud01 Welcome to the Jungle.

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    Okay so this is prolly a long shot but they started this on the crackpipe (expressjet forums). May not do anything but you never know. Just copy and paste onto the form.

    In the past 3 days, the Transportation Security Administration has:
    - Made a 4-year old girl cry and accused her of being a "high level threat" in Wichita,
    - Sexually assaulted a Texas Congressman by grabbing his genitalia in San Antonio, and
    - allowed large shipments of narcotics to pass through security in exchange for cash at Los Angeles International Airport

    As a concerned airline pilot for a major U.S. carrier, my message is plain and simple:

    ABOLISH THE TSA!

    With kind regards,
    [Name], [Position]
    [Airline]
    Bud01, Apr 26, 2012
    #1

  2. Murdoughnut Well sized member

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    The also confiscate 4-guns a day.

    And you believe anything that comes out of the mouth of a Congressman?
    Murdoughnut, Apr 26, 2012
    #2

  3. Bernoulli Fan Controller

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    The narcotics incident was actually last year, although it was reported this week.
    Bernoulli Fan, Apr 26, 2012
    #3

  4. Derg Major Domo

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    Not that hard!



    I'm sure that was the case...



    Might as well abolish the MIA airport ground handlers entirely too as they had a smuggling operation. NO CHECKED BAGS IN MIAMI! :)
    Derg, Apr 26, 2012
    #4

  5. killbilly Vocals, Lyrics, Triangle, Washboard, Kittens

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    I think a little bit of activism is a good thing. However, if I was a congressperson, and I received this letter, my thought would be: "And replace it with...what?"

    What do airline pilots consider valid and viable methods for passenger security screening in an air transport system as large as the one we have now?
    killbilly, Apr 26, 2012
    #5
    Derg likes this.

  6. Derg Major Domo

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    I remember the 1990's when people were down on police officers on the west coast.

    Sure there are abuses and those need to be addressed.

    Sure there is police brutality and that needs to be investigated continuously and addressed.

    But to "abolish" the police department. Feels good to say emotionally after a well-publicised event, but what do you plan on replacing the police department with?

    Citizen's brigades? Hahahahhahahah! Yes. Oh lord. Bah!

    So if we abolish the TSA, what do you replace them with? Another similar, if not worse, institution with a different name.

    Maybe I'm seeing this too negatively, but if you leave it up to the airlines, you're not going to have much security. The probability of a terrorist strike on an airliner is infinitesimally small per million flight hours. So would a private company want to spend $10/passenger for a super-awesome every loves it security system or $1 per passenger for quick wink and a wave-thru because statistically-speaking, the chances that you're a terrorist are very slim?

    The IRS. Ooh, bad people. But how much worse if we turned over responsibility for collecting taxes to private collection agencies? Think about it.
    Derg, Apr 26, 2012
    #6
    Aviation Fan likes this.

  7. MQAAord Scheherazade

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    There needs to be a massive overhaul of airport security. Just as there needs to be a massive overhaul of our nation's immigration system.

    But to just say "ABOLISH THE TSA" or "ABOLISH THE INS" doesn't cut it. A rebuilding from the inside out of both of those government agencies based on facts, logic and specific goals is what's going to be necessary.

    Sadly, "facts, logic and specific goals" are concepts our government has trouble with sometimes...
    MQAAord, Apr 26, 2012
    #7

  8. Autothrust Blue Put your hat on.

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    And since our government is of, for, and by the people...well...you know the rest.
    Autothrust Blue, Apr 26, 2012
    #8

  9. MQAAord Scheherazade

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    [IMG]
    MQAAord, Apr 26, 2012
    #9
    Firebird2XC and Autothrust Blue like this.

  10. Autothrust Blue Put your hat on.

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    The Revolution has been cancelled due to lack of airtime.
    Autothrust Blue, Apr 26, 2012
    #10

  11. MQAAord Scheherazade

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    That movie was actually kind of scary...

    Kind of a "Haha, that was funny! Hey, wait a minute, that could actually happen" kind of way.

    As I watched that movie, I went from :bounce: to :eek2:....
    MQAAord, Apr 26, 2012
    #11

  12. will_fly_for_bandwith Well-Known Member

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    The TSA have an important role in aviation security, as do we all. The screeners are doing a thankless job, hated by most and seen as a step lower than mall cops (I think this opinion has been earned by some screeners). I would like to think that they are free to exercise independent thought when deciding to pat down a small child or elderly person but I doubt it.

    I disagree with the single check point model that we currently employ. We have all seen the long lines at major airports, hundreds of people crammed into snaking lines waiting to get searched. An attack here would cause more injury and death with zero opportunity to stop it.
    Anyone else witnessed an alternative solution to the choke points that we engineer over here?
    will_fly_for_bandwith, Apr 26, 2012
    #12

  13. wheelsup Well-Known Member

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    wheelsup, Apr 26, 2012
    #13

  14. Derg Major Domo

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    Traffic engineering and, sadly, re-training expectations of the traveling public.
    Derg, Apr 26, 2012
    #14

  15. MQAAord Scheherazade

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    We can't eliminate pax screening. I think the metal detectors and bag x-raying should stay. This helps keep firearms and knives off airplanes. Removing shoes, and the naked-body imaging needs to stop. If someone is wearing steel-toed boots, they'll beep from the metal, and can be individually investigated further.

    I know this isn't popular among the masses, but I believe in profiling. Not based exclusively on race by any means, but on a combination of factors like ticket purchase (cash, one-way, last minute purchase? DING DING DING), behavior, etc. I don't have all the answers, but I do know that making everyone walk barefoot/stockingfoot through security is nothing more than a hygiene risk.

    Sure, lines of people waiting to go through security does create a large gathering of people, thus a possible target. So does a traffic backup on 465 or a large public gathering like the Taste of Chicago.
    MQAAord, Apr 26, 2012
    #15
    mshunter likes this.

  16. rframe pǝʇɹǝʌuı

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    Maybe we should replace the TSA with the same agency we use to strip search people on every other form of transportation?

    Ohhhhh that's right, we dont do that on anything except for airlines even though numerous private vehicles are used as terrorist bombs every year and have been for decades, we still dont strip search people driving cars, riding in boats, or riding public buses.... hmmm.


    "Abolish" seems to be the appropriate goal for the TSA.
    rframe, Apr 26, 2012
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  17. moxiepilot Well-Known Member

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    Sure we can. In the 70's and 80's we were doing okay without screening and we were pissing off just as many countries then.
    moxiepilot, Apr 26, 2012
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  18. MQAAord Scheherazade

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    MQAAord, Apr 26, 2012
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  19. Derg Major Domo

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    We weren't screening in the 1970's and 1980's? One more time please? :)

    It was hijack-o-rama back then.
    Derg, Apr 26, 2012
    #19

  20. Cazadores Well-Known Member

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    I wasn't under the impression TSA was charged with customs/smuggling interdiction?

    I think the march to abolish the TSA more relates to its creep, and how silly and expensive it is. An agency that started as a simple attempt to professionalize airport screening now has screeners with badges called "officers", "VIPR" (sounds cool doesn't it?) teams who search people simply waiting in bus stations, questions flight crews, and comes up with arbitrary punitive physical searches for those who refuse to be bombarded by radiation in Chertoff's wallet gorging worthless multi million dollar porn scanners. Some believe the only way to get back to its intended purpose is to eliminate and reinvent the TSA. I agree, along with the DHS.
    Cazadores, Apr 26, 2012
    #20
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