Don't like the TSA? Just don't fly. Oh... wait...

[Ronin13]

'It's building a "prototype screening facility" that it hopes will use factors such as ethnicity, gender, breathing, and heart rate to "detect cues indicative of mal-intent.'

Interesting. Ethnicity and gender have a bearing on whether you are about to commit a crime.

Does this sound like Minority Report to anyone? It sure does to me! "We're gonna punish you for a crime you have not committed... yet."

[Guylee]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[OneGuy67]

The ATF isn't part of the TSA. TSA is under the Department of Homeland Security and ATF is under the Department of Treasury. There were some movements with the U.S. Customs service merging with the U.S. Border Patrol. The Coast Guard was moved into the Department of Homeland Security.

I do worry about the TSA wanting to extend their reach into other parts of transportation. The Director of the TSA was in Pueblo awhile ago inspecting some railroad issues and was quoted as saying he would like the TSA to take over responsibility of the railroad security. I would not support that or any other movement to give TSA more responsibility or more power. TSA needs to be dismantled and the airport security turned back over to the airports and airlines.

[cstone]

TSA is part of DHS. It has a very limited law enforcement component; the Federal Air Marshal Service and an Internal Affairs unit.

BATF once was a part of Treasury, however, after the creation of DHS, BATF was relocated to the Dept of Justice:

http://www.atf.gov/about/

I will refrain from commenting on fictional movies, other than the fact that TSA is no where even close to the type of checkpoint seen in Total Recall.

As a suggestion to all interested travellers; don't bring firearms to a TSA checkpoint. If you forgot you have a gun in your bag, you are probably not being a very responsible gun owner. Don't pack flammable or explosive items in your checked luggage. It really doesn't make the flying experience any safer for the rest of us. If questioned by anyone from the government, use the good sense you were given and make the best decision you can come up with regarding answering the questions. If you don't want to answer, don't. TSA does not arrest people, I don't care how many news stories you have read. No blue uniformed TSA employee has the authority to arrest people. They call the local cops, who then use their training and experience to decide what should be done. Sometimes airline personnel are called and an individual airline will refuse to let someone fly based on the circumstances.

If anyone has proof that a TSA employee actually arrested someone, please share.

Oh, and by the way, I am actually not defending TSA as an agency. I just kind of get tired of the misinformation.

How would you (this is a general call to anyone who reads this) prevent another 9/11 tragedy? How would you make over 30,000 domestic airline flights each day in this country safe? I truly don't have an answer to either of those questions, but I know that for 10 years there have been plenty of so called experts who apparently know just how to fix the system. It is ironic that many people today want to return security to the same companies who were responsible on 9/11. Maybe the airlines have learned. Maybe they would do a better job than they did 10 years ago. After all, life is full of risks. Who do you trust?

Be safe citizens.

[mcantar18c]

How would you (this is a general call to anyone who reads this) prevent another 9/11 tragedy? How would you make over 30,000 domestic airline flights each day in this country safe?

Allow passengers to carry on planes. Require that flight attendants and other staff on board be trained and armed.

[cstone]

Allow passengers to carry on planes. Require that flight attendants and other staff on board be trained and armed.

I don't disagree, but guns don't stop bombs. What else besides allowing armed passengers and crew?

[mcantar18c]

I don't disagree, but guns don't stop bombs. What else besides allowing armed passengers and crew?

I think you're looking at this the wrong way. Flying on a commercial airline has its risks, just like any other form of public transportation. Rather than trying to make flying a completely safe and sterile thing, we need to look at how we can mitigate the risks. Allowing citizens to be armed while flying, and at the very least having an armed and trained crew, would do that.
Would it stop a bomb? Maybe not. But the presence of an armed authority (crew) and knowing that the person sitting next to you could be armed makes one think twice about doing something stupid. People generally don't commit crimes right in front of cops, right?

[rockhound]

buy ammo while you can

several rounds just arrived. best thing is my delivery guy brought it to me even though they had the wrong address on it. so the man thinks it went to my neighbor's house

[cstone]

I think you're looking at this the wrong way. Flying on a commercial airline has its risks, just like any other form of public transportation. Rather than trying to make flying a completely safe and sterile thing, we need to look at how we can mitigate the risks. Allowing citizens to be armed while flying, and at the very least having an armed and trained crew, would do that.
Would it stop a bomb? Absolutely not. But the presence of an armed authority (crew) and knowing that the person sitting next to you could be armed makes one think twice about doing something stupid. People generally don't commit crimes right in front of cops, right?

I am not looking at it at all. I am asking for opinions and as I mentioned, I don't disagree with armed passengers and crew. The logistics and training are somewhat problematic, but not insurmountable.

If all you are trying to do is stop someone from taking hostages or control of an aircraft, you are correct in asserting the need for authority with force on board the aircraft with a little bit of the unknown regarding who else may also be able to stop an attack.

The bigger issue being addressed today in aviation security is not the armed attacker(s), but anyone whose aim is to cripple western economies by destroying the freedom to travel or transport goods. You don't have to have access to classified briefings to know that bringing a commercial airliner down is pretty high on the target list.

How would anyone here stop that from happening? Who would you trust to be responsible for that mission? In fairness, I don't have an answer. If I did, and I was in a position to implement that answer, I would probably be much better paid

Anyone with an opinion can destroy or criticize. Industrious people build and create. I believe that as Americans we have a history of being industrious people. I fear the trend in our country to destroy everything we dislike and criticize without constructive recommendations to improve.

"To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years. To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day."
Winston Churchill

All comments may be welcome, but not all comments are helpful

[trlcavscout]

Allow passengers to carry on planes. Require that flight attendants and other staff on board be trained and armed.

I disagree! I do not want armed idiots on a plane with me. Now armed "trained" pilots or crew/air marshalls yes, but not just anyone. I dont fly unless I have to. I like to fly, just dont like the hassle/cost. And yes I know its safer then driving statistically.

I dont have any ideas/answers that people making way more money then me havent thought of I am sure. But I dont like the current system.