rerun: A scanner, darkly...

From September 23, 2910:

Thursday, September 23, 2010
A scanner, darkly...
Sunday's Seattle Times Travel section had a sidebar item on How to report problems with airport body scanners.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center has set up an online form for travelers to report problems they may encounter where the Transportation Security Administration is using full-body scanners at airport security checkpoints

To file a report, go to http://epic.org/bodyscanner/incident_report/

There has to be an answer to aviation security somewhere between the Israeli model (which includes unabashed racial and ethnic profiling, possibly understandable under Israel's circumstances) and no security at all.

In comments:
2 comments:

Carteach0 said...

May I alter your words a might bit?

"There has to be an answer to aviation security somewhere between the Israeli model (which includes unabashed racial and ethnic profiling, possibly understandable under Israel's circumstances) and no security at all (What we practice now in the US)."

The TSA has no relationship to real security measures. It hardly even qualifies as good theater.
September 23, 2010 2:05 PM
D.W. Drang said...

Not sure I agree that the TSA has "no relationship to real security measures", although I will agree that the relationship is not as robust as it could be.
I mean, there have been no bombs in checked baggage, or, for that matter, on flights that were screened and boarded in the USA. (Richard Reid and the Underoo bomber both boarded their flights in Europe.) You can argue that the TSA had nothing to do with that, but the TSA would probably argue that they did; both are trying to prove a negative.
I think we may have to come to a definition of what "real security measures" are, first. We will never have Israeli-level security in the United States, the very idea is political suicide.
Authorizing passengers to be armed, as some suggest, would still do nothing to keep bombs off of planes, either in baggage or as carry-ons.
Some have suggested that fortifying cockpit doors was sufficient; again, does nothing to keep bombs off of planes.
I'm not sure what the answer is, but getting the flying public pissed of at you has to be counter-productive.

I'm sure Carteach0 stands by his statement, and I stand by mine:  It is hard, if not impossible, to prove a negative--i.e., "The reason that all attempts on aviation have originated outside the USA or been discovered before they got anywhere because of security measures put in place under the Aviation Transportation Security Act of 2002, including the the TSA and DHS", of, for that matter, "The fact that the TSA has not actually stopped any terrorist attacks proves that we don't need aviation security."

TSA may not have all the solution, and I certainly agree that some of it's decisions and actions are questionable, to say the least, but you'll find it hard, if not impossible, to convince me that we would be as well off with no security measure at all.

Edited to add:  Never fear, Ralph Nadir is on the case!