COLUMN: Federalized airport security just doesn't make sense
TSA: Terminally Stupid Administration, Those Stupid A-holes and, my personal favorite, Thou Shalt Abolish.
It should not be any surprise the Transportation “Security” Administration is on my list of federal agencies that should be abolished.
While full body scans and groping had brought the more recent claims that the TSA should be reformed and made “Don’t touch my junk” the new “Don’t taze me, bro,” there are all sorts of other issues that show why the government should not be involved in airline security.
A 2007 report that was originally covered in USA Today showed private screeners were significantly more effective at detecting bombs and materials than federal screeners. This is even the case in busy airports — San Fransisco, which handles about 37 million passengers per year, is the busiest of the 16 airports that currently utilize private screeners.
The problem is privatization of screening would only go so far. Private screeners are still required to follow the regulations doled out by the TSA.
There is also the fact that the TSA regulates more than just screening requirements: they regulate things such as the Federal Flight Deck Officer program, which allows select commercial pilots to carry firearms.
Also, passengers are not the only ones that suffer from the government’s incompetence when it comes to airline security. Airline ground crews and air crews are considerably affected as well.
For example, when I worked for Air Wisconsin (we handled United Express), I could badge through side-doors to the ramp to work a flight. No checks. The airline does their own background check of employees beforehand.
However, if I wanted to get to the gate area by going through the checkpoint area, or was flying myself, I had to get screened.
Same thing with the actual flight crews. Even though they are in control of the aircraft (just push down on the yoke to crash the plane), they still have to get screened. Unless they are an FFDO of course.
So you have one group of people that are trusted with unrestricted access to the aircraft and another group that are entrusted to fly it. Yet they still have to go through security? Brilliant!
I cannot address every single shortcoming with government involvement in airline security, but I think the examples I gave above are a good indicator that security measures both created and enforced by the airlines would be much preferable, and effective.
