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I appreciate and agree with the comments from both sides but what was the reason for wiping the towelette on my hands and why one hour and half after I passed the scanners. What are they looking for on someones' hands and wouldn't washing your hands prior to this process remove any residue ?. After I was patted down I was told to go back to my gate,Why can' t they just say that I was free to go and enjoy my flight?. After this point I passed there security measure so why do they still have to put up a front ?. Maybe we should be required to carry some Id card issued by a U.S. goverment agency showing that we have passed multiple background checks and we pose no threats. The only other suggestion after that is make the conveyor big enough for us to lay down on so we can go through with our carry on items this way we don't have to remove our shoes.
If you have the right to legally refuse a 2nd search as BN stated a few posts back, then I don't see what the big deal is. Just tell them no.
I really don't see the point in these second screenings unless it is because they are insecure of their primary screening process. Apparently it isn't working that well anyways because a few posters already stated they had banned items pass through (not purposely).
To put it simple: The TSA is a joke, a necessary joke unfortunatly.
No, I'd rather they die a horrible death when terrorists highjack the aircraft and fly it into a building!
Maybe you don't understand the mentality of these terrorists, but they are fanatical towards killing Americans. They've used the elderly in Afghanistan, knowing they arouse less suspicion than younger suicide bombers (same with children), so it's not unfeasible that they'd use the same tactic in trying to sneak a bomb aboard an aircraft.
And perhaps you forgot this article from a few months back...
So no one should be exempt from being searched. If this offense anyone, then maybe they should find alternative modes of transportation...unless, of course, you're OK with another day like this...
You live in fear. Posting those 9/11 pics is nothing more than bulls*it propaganda that the Government has conditioned you into thinking is going to happen again if we don't have the TSA 'on guard.' The fact remains that the TSA is useless, a waste of money and has foiled ZERO attacks since the NYC incident.
This has been going on much longer than just 9/11 folks: Anyone remember the '80s? How many planes were hijacked? What Regan yammered on and on about? ... Same thing. Terrorism has been alive and well long before these last attacks. The difference then and now is that we live in a media-controlled society that breeds us to have near-constant fear. We've ALWAYS been targets. We just happen to now have 24-hour news stations telling us that on a loop.
I'm not advocating for no security. I'm simply asking that we stop wasting money, employing folks who are better suited for fast-food jobs (not the first rung of national security) and attempt a compromise when it comes to what these TSA 'agents' can and cannot do. Standardization across the system is non-existent. One airport can function totally different from another. I see it everyday that I fly.
I don't fly afraid. I never have... Even a month after the attacks. That's what terrorism is all about: Keeping you scared. I don't buy into it. If fate picks my aircraft and I have to make a decision to sit down or fight back, I'm going to die trying to take down as many of the 'bad guys' as possible. Other than that, I will continue to stand up for my Amendment rights, my American freedoms (which dwindle down on a yearly basis it seems) and my overwhelming right to openly criticize what I see as abuses of money and power.
Warning for the thread: You're in the San Antonio forum. Keep the discussion local to keep the thread open.
This is not the place to offer a lengthy opinion piece about security in America's airports. San Antonio has one airport with TSA security. Discuss that in this forum. Politics and Other Controversies is the forum you can use for discussing the national topic.
You live in fear. Posting those 9/11 pics is nothing more than bulls*it propaganda that the Government has conditioned you into thinking is going to happen again if we don't have the TSA 'on guard.' The fact remains that the TSA is useless, a waste of money and has foiled ZERO attacks since the NYC incident.
This has been going on much longer than just 9/11 folks: Anyone remember the '80s? How many planes were hijacked? What Regan yammered on and on about? ... Same thing. Terrorism has been alive and well long before these last attacks. The difference then and now is that we live in a media-controlled society that breeds us to have near-constant fear. We've ALWAYS been targets. We just happen to now have 24-hour news stations telling us that on a loop.
I'm not advocating for no security. I'm simply asking that we stop wasting money, employing folks who are better suited for fast-food jobs (not the first rung of national security) and attempt a compromise when it comes to what these TSA 'agents' can and cannot do. Standardization across the system is non-existent. One airport can function totally different from another. I see it everyday that I fly.
I don't fly afraid. I never have... Even a month after the attacks. That's what terrorism is all about: Keeping you scared. I don't buy into it. If fate picks my aircraft and I have to make a decision to sit down or fight back, I'm going to die trying to take down as many of the 'bad guys' as possible. Other than that, I will continue to stand up for my Amendment rights, my American freedoms (which dwindle down on a yearly basis it seems) and my overwhelming right to openly criticize what I see as abuses of money and power.
BN
Very well said. Good post.
BN, I am curious how does SAT TSA compare to the rest of the domestic airports? I am sure you can answer this better than most people could based on your apparent flying history.
Ummmm, I don't know where you are getting your info about aircrews and such, but I can assure you they are not exempt from security screenings when they fly! They may not go through the same area as passengers, but the security at airports is strict for everyone who works there, not just the passengers.
Random questioning and checking for stress are no better deterrent than the current screening process. I do believe that good intelligence efforts increases the chances of catching the perpetrators of such acts; but as we learned with 9/11 their actions can easily fall below the radar of such efforts.
That is why it is important to have strict security controls at airports, and it is not unique to the US. Anyone who has traveled overseas knows it is just as strict if not greater at those locations as it is in the US. One can easily argue that it is these measures that has prevented a repeat of 9/11 over the past decade. It is easily to get complacent due to the lack of a similar type of attack, which is why it is so important that these measures continue to protect us all!
I did not imply flight crews were exempt from any screening; I was pointing out that they demanded to avoid going through the full-body scans and received an exemption.
As for the random questioning and other methods, they are not meant as a substitute for security as it has been practiced after 9/11, but before the installation of the new scanners.
My issue is with spending a hundred million dollars and more on machines that serve more as theater vs actually helping secure us, and particularly with the process by which they were procured.
What good is a particular method of security if not everyone goes through it? I also do not understand why we have to give up basic fundamental rights for this flawed process. It may make the casual traveler think they are safer and give them some comfort -- the regular traveler sees this for what it actually is.
As for the San Antonio airport... well I know people who work there and they will say (off the record of course) that if someone really wants to get stuff past security, they can. The random check of employees and contractors only needs to miss once -- pretty easy.
You live in fear. Posting those 9/11 pics is nothing more than bulls*it propaganda that the Government has conditioned you into thinking is going to happen again if we don't have the TSA 'on guard.' The fact remains that the TSA is useless, a waste of money and has foiled ZERO attacks since the NYC incident.
This has been going on much longer than just 9/11 folks: Anyone remember the '80s? How many planes were hijacked? What Regan yammered on and on about? ... Same thing. Terrorism has been alive and well long before these last attacks. The difference then and now is that we live in a media-controlled society that breeds us to have near-constant fear. We've ALWAYS been targets. We just happen to now have 24-hour news stations telling us that on a loop.
I'm not advocating for no security. I'm simply asking that we stop wasting money, employing folks who are better suited for fast-food jobs (not the first rung of national security) and attempt a compromise when it comes to what these TSA 'agents' can and cannot do. Standardization across the system is non-existent. One airport can function totally different from another. I see it everyday that I fly.
I don't fly afraid. I never have... Even a month after the attacks. That's what terrorism is all about: Keeping you scared. I don't buy into it. If fate picks my aircraft and I have to make a decision to sit down or fight back, I'm going to die trying to take down as many of the 'bad guys' as possible. Other than that, I will continue to stand up for my Amendment rights, my American freedoms (which dwindle down on a yearly basis it seems) and my overwhelming right to openly criticize what I see as abuses of money and power.
BN
Yeah, right, all my 25+ years of working in military intelligence has made me clueless to the threats that are out there.
I don't live in fear, I live in reality. There are many "bad guys" out there that would jump at the chance to repeat the attacks of 9/11. One of the reasons they haven't have been the increased security at airports. You can believe whatever you want, and think that your individual freedom trumps the security of everyone else; but the reality is that these measures will continue to exist and as technology increases their ability to detect threats.
Much like cop-bashing, these threads serve no useful purpose other than chair-sitters spewing their hatred towards authority. Take a "vacation" to Afghanistan or Iraq and then tell me how bad things are in San Antonio...
And since I now fly about 2-3 times a month, which includes regular international travel, I can tell you the security measures at SAT are no worse or better than any comparable airport of its size and operations.
This seems like a good discussion question to get the thread back on topic for the forum. Let's give it another try.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MattTx
I am curious how does SAT TSA compare to the rest of the domestic airports? I am sure you can answer this better than most people could based on your apparent flying history.
Yeah, right, all my 25+ years of working in military intelligence has made me clueless to the threats that are out there.
I don't live in fear, I live in reality. There are many "bad guys" out there that would jump at the chance to repeat the attacks of 9/11. One of the reasons they haven't have been the increased security at airports. You can believe whatever you want, and think that your individual freedom trumps the security of everyone else; but the reality is that these measures will continue to exist and as technology increases their ability to detect threats.
Much like cop-bashing, these threads serve no useful purpose other than chair-sitters spewing their hatred towards authority. Take a "vacation" to Afghanistan or Iraq and then tell me how bad things are in San Antonio...
And since I now fly about 2-3 times a month, which includes regular international travel, I can tell you the security measures at SAT are no worse or better than any comparable airport of its size and operations.
This seems like a good discussion question to get the thread back on topic for the forum. Let's give it another try.
Back on topic...
SAT's airport is actually pretty easy compared to the larger airports out there. They do use the backscatter machines quite a bit, which is something I'm not crazy about, but live with. Most are friendly and I've gotten more than a few smiles. Always a good thing. I've had some issue with them knowing national protocol in the past, but it seems that in the last 6 months they've really stepped up their game and are now moving quickly to process passengers through.
I just wish their staging area was bigger and that they had ALL lanes open at the busiest times of day. SAT at 5 am can be a real zoo.
BN
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