The TSA on 60 minutes this evening?

[mirrodie]

Wondering if anyone saw the small TSA segment on 60 Minutes this evening. Its not a show I ever watch, but it was on at the home we were visiting.

some points

-Some $10 million to be spent on new uniforms to improve their image
-I forget the figure on the millions spent in Anger Management courses
-A security scanner that can see down to the pax underwear.....(I question that. How does the scanner delineate clothes from undergarments?)


Anyone catch it? Thoughts?

One question that arose in the household, which was also mentioned in the segment, is that Israel does thigns different with respect to security and have gotten the job done with les angst on both ends.

[Art at ISP]

I saw the segment, and was shaking my head in disbelief. The gist of what Kip Hawley had to say was to say that we're at war, with people who want to kill us. I think he evaded the questions around the effectiveness of current screening procedures.

The reference to Israel I believe had to do with the fact that they do not require shoes to be removed, but I might have missed something else.

Overall, perception is reality to many people though--so if we APPEAR to be safer, are we????
The concept of TSA theater in my opinion is quite valid.

Happy Holidays Mario--and everyone ..

[emshighway]

The uniforms were changed to keep with the other Uniformed services within DHS and yes to change to perception of the officers. Officer get a uniform allowance they order through the vendor so the monies used are not as drastic as they were made to appear. The uniform is made better an won't need as much replacing as the old. The white shirts are hard to keep clean.

The training shown is actually called "Engage" which is NOT anger management training for the officers but a concept of calming down the checkpoint, conveying the calm onto passengers who are quite frankly out of control sometimes and giving the officers the freedoms of using their instincts on certain matters. Lead Officers and up (all the way to Kip, including myself) went through additional "coach" training.

TSA Officers are the best trained of any federal service. Before you jump on this, as Mr. Hawley stated the screening test failures are from component misses such as a battery, a trigger or something else. These are designed to fail so we can see how to better train the officers.

The scanner mentioned is known as a Whole Body Imager. There are two different types; Backscatter which using X-Rays, and Millimeter wave. The image has been pulled back from what it can really do due to ACLU concerns. The machine is set to go down only a certain layer, it could go to skeleton. The scanner is the best right now for viewing items someone may want to smuggle on their person whether metal or not. Walkthrough Metal Detectors, well only detect metal so there has to be something to detect other items.

Israeli screening is actually harder than the US, but people there understand why it is being done and they don't have as many ACLU concerns.

Are there parts of the screening which we call "smoke and mirrors"? Yes, such as VIPR (Visual Intermodal Protection and Response) but that is for the benefit of the traveling public, to calm them down. There are many aspects which people don't see at all.

There have been many "stops" at checkpoints which could have been testing on the part of persons looking to do harm. If you know how many of the terrorist organizations operate in cells, stopping one person and getting information on others is very difficult since they compartmentalize themselves to deter being tracked down. Using children and elderly to carry items is one of their methods and we have found items of interest which causes us to continue screening across the board.

My job is to make the checkpoints cleaner, safer and easier to use for both the officers and passengers. Let's be real, airports were not built with checkpoints in mind. Many of our checkpoints are in archways, small hallways which just don't make them easy to get through. Old buildings leaking water on machines and people, air conditioning that don't work, screening machines in the middle of lobbies all attribute to the louse atmosphere. We are working toward fixing things but it is a very slow process.

Don't you think we would rather let people wiz right through? I love when someone gets in my face saying "do I look like a terrorist to you"? What does a terrorist look like? Do I know you? Do I know what your intentions are?

Have we been lucky or has some of our methods worked? That's something we may never know.

I wish you a happy holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year.

[T-Bird76]

I didn't see this program but I have to compliment the job the TSA, Port, and AA did at LGA on the D pier. They really opened it up tremendously. I don't know how it was done as fast as it was. It seemed like one day it was the cramped space it was known for and then overnight it was done. The priority access lanes are fantastic, you have space to put yourself back together, and the atmosphere is just more inviting with the bright lights and Eagle marking the entrance.

Overall I will say I've seen marked improvement in the customer service skills of the TSA in my travels throughout 08. There's a more professional attitude, friendly agents, and a more consistent way of going about their job. The last thing you want to deal with when you travel as much as I do is a different way of doing things from airport to airport. So I have to give credit where credit is due, whatever programs the agents are going through are working.

[emshighway]

I didn't see this program but I have to compliment the job the TSA, Port, and AA did at LGA on the D pier. They really opened it up tremendously. I don't know how it was done as fast as it was. It seemed like one day it was the cramped space it was known for and then overnight it was done. The priority access lanes are fantastic, you have space to put yourself back together, and the atmosphere is just more inviting with the bright lights and Eagle marking the entrance.

Overall I will say I've seen marked improvement in the customer service skills of the TSA in my travels throughout 08. There's a more professional attitude, friendly agents, and a more consistent way of going about their job. The last thing you want to deal with when you travel as much as I do is a different way of doing things from airport to airport. So I have to give credit where credit is due, whatever programs the agents are going through are working.

Thanks, Concourse D was one of my big projects. As you know the old area was a mess, I called it the rat maze because of the glass dividers from floor to ceiling. What was done in that area was to close gate D1 and infill an area to open it up. Also some offices were relocated to under the checkpoint into the infill. The infill and old D1 area was done including the terrazzo floor, we then relocated four screening lanes over to the new area overnight then closed the west side so it could be demoed and redone floor to ceiling. We then actually did set up the checkpoint you see today over night. It was designed to accommodate the new X-Ray equipment TSA will be deploying (can't wait to get rid of the old beat up machines). When we opened the new checkpoint I wanted to get everyone sunglasses because it is so bright!!

We initiated the "Diamond Self Select" lanes a few weeks ago at American and United, it has been running at Delta for several months. The theory behind it is to allow those expert travelers to get through quicker while allowing families and passengers who want to take their time to do just that. Recently we have added X-Ray roller extensions to replace the tables at the rear of the X-Rays. This brings the bags to the end and helps move people along. I didn't take the tables away just relocated to the back so you can compose yourself out of the way. Benches are more chairs were added so you don't have to do the hop to put your shoes back on.

There is a funny story about the Eagle on the floor. The day after the contractor laid it out and the terrazzo was drying a mentally challenged child saw the blue and thought it was a small pool, he side stepped the private security and the mesh barrier watching the area and tried to dive in causing a mess. Fortunately the kid was OK, his guardians cleaned him up and off they went. It caused AA a good amount to have it fixed. There was a fight between AA and PANYNJ about that Eagle but it was the AA Project Managers signature on the job so she had to have it. We get a few comments from the AA pilots who see it.

There is also a cut out near the supervisor's podium which was originally suppose to be for the shoe shine guy but he finds the location he is at now a better place and so do we.

[mirrodie]

Officer get a uniform allowance they order through the vendor so the monies used are not as drastic as they were made to appear

which is NOT anger management training for the officers

Unless I was misquoting, these were Hawley's words, so perhaps he should have a stand in for PR purposes.

The machine is set to go down only a certain layer, it could go to skeleton.

What sort of energy along the electromagnetic spectrum are we talking about? Sounds like Xray if the ability is to go to skeleton. How safe is that? Tom I know you have a bit of experience with that question, right?

Are there parts of the screening which we call "smoke and mirrors"? Yes

Ah yes. You've used that term once before, EMS. Its a bit unsettling. Keep doing what you are doing, as long as its not PR

There is a funny story about the Eagle on the floor.

Wherebouts is this? Was it removed?

In my 2008 travels, I have to admit things seemed better as well. We used the family lines a few times. And we used the First class lines a few times too, with child. Only concern I had, as noted in a recent trip report, is that I was able to negotiate an illegal item back into my carry on bag. Just a bit unsettling. Perhaps Palin might quip that this TSA agent was paling around with a possbile terrorist?

[emshighway]

Ah, I was waiting for your response. Taking snippets out of context, do you work for the media?

As stated in the posts the eagle is at the American checkpoint.

Sorry I don't follow your trip reports, I don't know what you are talking about.

[moose135]

Overall I will say I've seen marked improvement in the customer service skills of the TSA in my travels throughout 08. There's a more professional attitude, friendly agents, and a more consistent way of going about their job.

Must be those new uniforms

Seriously, though, you do hear fewer and fewer "horror stories". I'm glad we have dedicated folks like EMS working to make the process better. Like any large organization, you are going to have good and bad employees, and with so much of TSA on the "front lines" dealing with travelers, the bad ones end up front and center. With proper supervision, training and leadership, the bad apples can get weeded out, hopefully making the process safer, consistent, and more efficient.

[mirrodie]

Ah, I was waiting for your response. Taking snippets out of context, do you work for the media?

As stated in the posts the eagle is at the American checkpoint.

EMShighway, perhaps you misunderstood?

Your post was in response to what I said I saw on TV, right? In other words, your posts are in the context of what I posted. And my follow up post clarifies further what I saw. So how am I taking it out of context??????

I don't work for the media as some here might think :mrgreen: I hate the media.

The only dig I took at you, and its completely legit, is the "smoke and mirrors" quote. Lets face it, if you are here defending your company, which is admirable, I would perhaps have chosen better phrases than that. (I didn;t hear Hawley saw that phrase, did he?)

As for the AA checkpoint, was looking to clarify if we were still talking about LGA or perhaps JFK and if said eagle was still there.

Lastly, did I not say the TSA was better this year? I did. So why must you constantly harp on the negative in light of praise given?

As Moose stated, in every industry and organization, there are good and bad employees and experiences. Overall, yours seems to be improving.

[emshighway]

When you stand up a agency so quickly there will be many hiccups. Eventhough it has been 6 years, in government time this is mere seconds.

[mirrodie]

When you stand up a agency so quickly there will be many hiccups. Eventhough it has been 6 years, in government time this is mere seconds.

Oh I know, considering my experience with new records measures at the government hispital where I consult. It's a well known fact that no one has brought up nor questioned.

Overall, there's improvement so we're all happy. Aside from my one somewhat negative remark, its improving.

[T-Bird76]

What sort of energy along the electromagnetic spectrum are we talking about? Sounds like Xray if the ability is to go to skeleton. How safe is that? Tom I know you have a bit of experience with that question, right?

Its perfectly safe, you get more radiation from the flight across country then the X-ray itself.

[Lezam]

Israeli screening is actually harder than the US, but people there understand why it is being done and they don't have as many ACLU concerns.

See, here's the difference. In America, the TSA is all in your face. In Israel, almost everything is done behind the scenes in a polite and quiet way. Its just so much smarter the way they do things. Unfortunately, they have had much more time to perfect their practices. One advantage they have over us, is that they are allowed to do racial profiling which makes things run much quicker. They don't have to let being "politically correct" affect the quality of their work.

Back on topic, I saw the TSA bit on tv and thought it added to some common fallacies about the TSA. First off its the media we're talking about, they made the employees seem like total idiots. But that was to be expected, people don't like being frisked in airports. I think the TSA exec was spot on about the threats we face, people tend to forget that thousands of people were murdered just 7 short years ago. The TSA definitely does combat some of the terrorists threats we may have, but it isn't 100% effective yet. The TSA is definitely necessary, but it has some ways to go before we can call it perfect.

[T-Bird76]

Israeli screening is actually harder than the US, but people there understand why it is being done and they don't have as many ACLU concerns.

See, here's the difference. In America, the TSA is all in your face. In Israel, almost everything is done behind the scenes in a polite and quiet way. Its just so much smarter the way they do things. Unfortunately, they have had much more time to perfect their practices. One advantage they have over us, is that they are allowed to do racial profiling which makes things run much quicker. They don't have to let being "politically correct" affect the quality of their work.

I'm not sure that is a TSA thing but rather a cultural American thing. Our culture tends to be a bit more in your face rather then laid back like the rest of the world.

[Matt Molnar]

The Israeli way has certainly proven to be effective, but the entire Israeli civil airliner fleet consists of a little over 50 aircraft, they have only four or five civilian airports, and the country's total passenger count is around the same as the 30th busiest airport in the US. To do what they do on the US's scale would be prohibitively expensive.

The airlines also get a say in what goes on, and they have always been resistant to anything that slows boarding or customs processing. In the late 90s, then VP Al Gore and the FAA came up with a number of improvements to airport security which might have even prevented 9/11. The airline lobby resisted and the plans were shelved.