[NewTeaBag]

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Obviously they were angry rants - look at the title of the thread. I travel several times per week, so this is a huge pet peeve of mine and not a minor inconvenience. When I miss my plane because it takes 3 hours to go through security because everyone has to get 'puffed' and wanded and have their bag searched, that is not a minor problem for me. Please explain how the liquid restrictions and shoe x-rays help security, and how security has improved.

I am obviously pissed off by the current state, but I am also very genuinely interested in hearing what an informed person can share about this topic.

Thanks.

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OK. For a constant flyer the minor inconveniences add up to big inconvenience when totaled. I can understand that. If it were workable, I'd suggest separate screening (with equal intensity/routines) for frequent flyers/1st class/whatever. This would be a much smaller line thus would process faster. Unfortunately it's simply not workable from either a security or sellability standpoint.


How security has improved:
1) Taking the job out of private "low bidder" firms hands and putting it firmly in control of an agency with essentially police powers has made the process more professional, more standardized and more accountable.
2) People, including the TSA workers themselves, take it more seriously now.
3) Passengers take it more seriously now.
4) Lots of standard/routines/protocols have changed to increase the overall screening quality.


Shoes and liquids.

Before I address each of them specificlly, try and understand this. TSA workers at these checkpoints are fighting a very difficult battle, comparable to the immigration officials. They both only get very short looks at large volumes of travellers and are expected to ALWAYS get it right. They don't always get it right but they have to try. The major advantage the immo official has is that he/she is NOT pressed for time as they see people on the backend of a flight whereas TSA sees them preflight thus have all sorts of timing pressures.

Now, understanding that perspective, TSA needs to security screen the passengers as thouroughly AND efficiently (IOW fast so you don't miss your flight).

Now lets go to a singular level. Let's say I want to specifically screen YOU. I have never met you before and I have already seen 1000's of other passengers today and I pretty much only get a 1-5 min shot at you, whilst I'm also checking at least 5-10 others simultaneously. What's the best and fastest way for me to screen you? Though it might seem annoying, the best way is to take you out of your comfort zone and force you to do things you either aren't expecting or don't usually do. Thus, take off your shoes, take off your jacket, empty your pockets, stand with arms out while being scanned, etc. All of these things taken individually, have a small impression, but taken as a whole, they give multiple opportunities for you to "make a mistake" if you are threat as well as giving you less ways to carry contraband onto the plane.

X raying shoes allows for a thorough examination on the internals of them that is simply NOT possible with the walk thru "beepy" metal detector machine. For example, several available types of composite explosives are far easier to detect using the X ray machine than the walk thru detector. This in and of itself, makes it well worth the inconvenience of forcing passenger to do it IMO. But also, the less measurable but still highly important benefit is that it forces you to bend down to remove and replace your shoes. This allows more of that "observation out of comfrt zone." It also puts you at disadantage WRT the TSA personell in that you, should you decide to do a runner, be far easier to contain/capture "shoeless." Seems silly and simple, but tis quite effective.

WRT Liquids.
Yes there have been significant advances in explosive developments such that restricting liquids can be a significant help to flight security. Also, it gives TSA a simple and explainable reason to do a more thorough search through your carry on luggage. Once again, seems silly to need an excuse, BUT every extra chance they have to get a deeper look at you and what you are carrying is an incremental increase in security.

Another advantage to these "annoying inconveniences" is that it tangibly raises ALL passenger's awareness to odd things. As you leave the security checkpoint bitching about the delays you are far more likely to notice "abnormal" things about your fellow passengers than if you had sailed through security.


In general, despite what I said above about the expectation to ALWAYS et it right, TSAs airport security is meant more to present a "hard target" to the would be terrorists vice catch them all. It is impractical to catch every single possile bit of potential contraband from both TSA manning and passenger conenience standpoints. But every new secuirty measure or twist or inconvenience also makes it a LOT tougher on would be terrorists who are forced to plan, then replan, then replan, then replan in order to adapt and try to overcme the measures. What on the surface may seem like barely useful measures to you, the non terrorist frequent traveller, are major obstacles to the terrorist.

All of that said, a well suported, well informed, well financed, and well planned group still has a >0% of breaching security. Tis a simple fact of life that Americans' basic expectation of certain amounts of freedoms/ nonrestrictions will always make this true.

I could make reccomendations that got that % infinitely close to 0% but I sincerely doubt you would like what you would have to go through AND it would likely cut air travel at least in half.

In closing, try and remember the big picture and the little picture as you get pissed off ye again at the delays. Not everything is exactly for it's stated purpose and you don't and shouldn't have to know the exact reasoning behind the security procedures as long as you understand the the overall goal/purpose. If I tell you exactly what I'm going to ask you on a test, and you are reasonably intelligent, you will study, and you will pass the test. If I tell you the basic subject and change the questions a bit now and again, and then force you to do annoying things, you may or may not pass the test BUT you're far more likely to fail if you have hidden intentions and don't know ll the answrs beforehand.