You know people, I find the whole TSA experience a large PITA. I think the lack of consistency and transparency is maddening. The waste of resources screening flight crews ludicrous.

But stop your sniveling.

Another word for Screeners is people. TSA agents have the same strengths and weaknesses, foibles and faults as we all, collectively, do.

Do they need a new uniform? Probably not. The blue does look more like law enforcement then the white/maroon did. It probably won't hurt their ability to do their job.

Are they Federal Employees? They damn well better be. I don't want any private firm operating airport security ever again. Sure they come in saying "We can do a better job. We're more responsive. We're more efficient." Bottom line is they're looking at the bottom line. That means more money or less service. Which do you think is easier for a private contractor to accomplish?

They are our first line of defense. And all they are is a trip wire. Are any of you old enough to remember Rome and Vienna? Probably not. Rome and Vienna airport attacks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The TSA can't defend against that kind of attack, except by being the target themselves. A shiny badge is just an aiming point for a certain kind of person. And y'all have the stones to spite them for it?

When the TSA does their job, in the manner in which they have been directed and trained to do, it makes our lives more difficult. I don't like it, I don't think it is efficient, nor find it necessary; and I don't expect you to either. However I do respect the individuals who are doing that job, no matter how personally annoying I find the process to be.

As fellow human beings, they deserve your respect too.

Damn gal, you are fly! :D

I fail to see the connection with our TSA vs private security and Rome/Vienna......the Rome/Vienna incidents happened OUTSIDE OF SECURITY CHECKPOINTS AT THE CHECK IN COUNTER. How would ANYTHING the TSA currently does (or any security measure we have in place now) prevent that kind of incident???? That's like blaming private airport security for the robbery at the Kmart down the street.

[quote=robthree;447368]You know people, I find the whole TSA experience a large PITA. I think the lack of consistency and transparency is maddening. The waste of resources screening flight crews ludicrous.

But stop your sniveling.

Another word for Screeners is people. TSA agents have the same strengths and weaknesses, foibles and faults as we all, collectively, do.

Do they need a new uniform? Probably not. The blue does look more like law enforcement then the white/maroon did. It probably won't hurt their ability to do their job.

Are they Federal Employees? They damn well better be. I don't want any private firm operating airport security ever again. Sure they come in saying "We can do a better job. We're more responsive. We're more efficient." Bottom line is they're looking at the bottom line. That means more money or less service. Which do you think is easier for a private contractor to accomplish?

They are our first line of defense. And all they are is a trip wire. Are any of you old enough to remember Rome and Vienna? Probably not. Rome and Vienna airport attacks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The TSA can't defend against that kind of attack, except by being the target themselves. A shiny badge is just an aiming point for a certain kind of person. And y'all have the stones to spite them for it?

When the TSA does their job, in the manner in which they have been directed and trained to do, it makes our lives more difficult. I don't like it, I don't think it is efficient, nor find it necessary; and I don't expect you to either. However I do respect the individuals who are doing that job, no matter how personally annoying I find the process to be.

As fellow human beings, they deserve your respect too.[/quote]

I will give them respect if they give me respect but most of them don't know how to do that.

Besides the typical hassle of going through security i rarely have much problem with the TSA.

The truths are simple though, most airline pilots have a more well rounded education than what is required for the TSA. However, just about all of the regional airlines i know of also don't require anything more than a high school diploma either.

The thought of looking for liquids and gels getting through security is annoying, but that decision came from higher up the ranks (most likely like the uniform change did also). But i see a similarity of "got a badge think you're hot stuff" argument here that i see with some of the FFDO's i've run across...i think everyone knows the ones i'm talking about, you typically come across them in the crew room, they reach into their pocket, pull the badge out and go "BAM!!!! LOOK AT THIS SH*T" . Then get their jollies off about being a federally deputized, gun wielding, death dealer on two legs. Now i'm not saying that all FFDO's are like that, but some are, just like i'm sure some of the TSA guys/gals couldn't get into the police academy, and now you'll "RESPECT MY AUTHORITAI" every time you go to the airport.

That's the problem, or one of them at least.

They do not DO the job they are trained to do. A very very large sum of TSA "agents" go "above and beyond" what they're supposed to do, because of a massively over inflated sense of authority (as proved by AE in ORD).

I do not mean to be condescending, but if you're a C402 driver, do you deal with these people every single day?

If you just have that in there, and you're an airline employee who does deal with TSA daily, i rescind that, as you would know how atrocious they can be (above the annoyance of just "dealing with them") and the insanity they can put you through.

The TSA is a farce, a ridiculous assembly of people, most just looking for a government pension. Most of them do not care about the successful completion of their jobs, as they sit at the x-ray machines, and talk about that "smokin hottie" they were with last night, sleep in the corner, gather in inordinate amounts (Thousands Standing Around is definitely true) and frisk and search the most innocuous elderly women, nuns, pregnant women and not to mention FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS that they can get their wands on.

While it's unfortunate that the stigma is out there, as I have personally spoken to many TSA agents who are great people, just like pilots they are the face of their organization. We take the blame for a late departure, or a 3 hour taxi, or a horribly run airline..they take it for their peers repeated violations of every single security measure they're supposed to be preventing..just to "catch you" on something.

I know i'm not the only one that thinks there needs to be a massive overhaul...and not of the uniforms.

I respect everyone as a human with that being said just because they have a badge is not going to give them respect as authority figures. I took a test spent 4 weeks in house and 12 weeks at the academy and then 1 year of probation to EARN my badge that my town gave me. I am sworn to protect the citizens of the community that I work for. (It kind of the same thing when were flying). If I fail to do my firefighting job I just don't get fired charges can be brought. I love both jobs and would not stop do what I am doing however when I am at work I show the public that I work with respect and I get it back. The TSA for the most part does not do that. They think that they have a badge and don't have show anybody else respect.

The real DHS aviation badge...
 

http://206.241.31.141/ImageCache/cgo...ge_5fhires.jpg



Enough said.

woops, wrong TSA thread

I dont know if I even want to know what that means ;)