Darrell Issa: Privatize Airport Security

[Jimmy Higgins]

There is the constant push from the airlines to make things as efficient as possible for their customers.

There is no incentive to slow anything down. It will not lessen the workload.

Because they actually have to listen to customers unlike the TSA which guys customers the middle finger. A lot of money is spent on a problem that very rarely happens.

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Where's Willy Wonka when you need him to say reverse that?

You may want a system where there is incentive to give as little as possible when it comes to airport safety but you can't sell that to anybody.

So you label something a bureaucracy and then argue to replace it with a less accountable bureaucracy.

Your position is lunacy.

If United becomes in charge of their security and United plane blows up there is accountability. There is no accountability for the TSA.

Yup, just like 9/11, where the Taxpayers paid each family over one million dollars a piece... the private companies were all held accountable.

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Sure.

Well, that is spin for you.

What incentive does the TSA have for getting you through the line efficiently?

Other than it is their job? I don't fly a lot, but when I have, I've never been in a line that I felt the TSA agents were slacking.

 

[coloradoatheist]

Because they actually have to listen to customers unlike the TSA which guys customers the middle finger. A lot of money is spent on a problem that very rarely happens.

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Where's Willy Wonka when you need him to say reverse that?

You may want a system where there is incentive to give as little as possible when it comes to airport safety but you can't sell that to anybody.

So you label something a bureaucracy and then argue to replace it with a less accountable bureaucracy.

Your position is lunacy.

If United becomes in charge of their security and United plane blows up there is accountability. There is no accountability for the TSA.

Yup, just like 9/11, where the Taxpayers paid each family over one million dollars a piece... the private companies were all held accountable.

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Sure.

Well, that is spin for you.

What incentive does the TSA have for getting you through the line efficiently?

Other than it is their job? I don't fly a lot, but when I have, I've never been in a line that I felt the TSA agents were slacking.

You have a personal opinion that is not shared by many. Has there been a Gallup poll recently on their view of the TSA?

 

[coloradoatheist]

Has the TSA actually caught a terrorist?

 

[Nice Squirrel]

The TSA because they are a buerararcy has no incentive to actually get you through the line quicker. Their incentive is actually to make the line go slower and then complain about being understaffed.

This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. These people constantly put up with the general public day in and day out. This would not change with privatization.

Seriously, private companies are just a different bureaucracy and they have no incentive to speed up the lines. It could be said that their incentive is actually to make the line go slower and then request more money to hire more workers giving them bigger profits.

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Has the TSA actually caught a terrorist?

Yes.

 

[coloradoatheist]

This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. These people constantly put up with the general public day in and day out. This would not change with privatization.

Seriously, private companies are just a different bureaucracy and they have no incentive to speed up the lines. It could be said that their incentive is actually to make the line go slower and then request more money to hire more workers giving them bigger profits.

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Has the TSA actually caught a terrorist?

Yes.

Who did they catch?

The incentive would be to do it quicker and less intrusively. Govt bureaucracy of we just need jobs is the incentive.

 

[untermensche]

Always the same fallacy. The rare exception somehow makes the rule.

If United becomes in charge of their security and United plane blows up there is accountability. There is no accountability for the TSA.

How is TSA not held accountable for planes blowing up?

What are you talking about?

What drugs are you on?

So right now. If people thought the TSA was taking too much time to screen passengers, what oculd people do to change that behavior?

First thing they do is some research to see if the claim can be demonstrated.

Too much time compared to what golden standard?

 

[dismal]

It's amazing how placing our faith in government always leads to the perfect balance between cost, convenience, and safety.

I guess we have Bush and the geniuses in congress to thank for getting this issue handled perfectly.

Sure, it seemed at the time when they spent billions on those scanners that slowed lines down and don't seem to work very well in security audits that money that may have been a bad idea, but a few "hail government's" later my faith is restored and I believe it was exactly the right thing to do.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

First thing they do is some research to see if the claim can be demonstrated.

Too much time compared to what golden standard?

Well, last time I was screened it took 8 seconds. They could always adopt the privatization solution of whips and cattle prods to get people to run through the lines quicker. Also, they need to forbid laced shoes on planes.

 

[untermensche]

It's amazing how placing our faith in government always leads to the perfect balance between cost, convenience, and safety.

I guess we have Bush and the geniuses in congress to thank for getting this issue handled perfectly.

Sure, it seemed at the time when they spent billions on those scanners that slowed lines down and don't seem to work very well in security audits that money that may have been a bad idea, but a few "hail government's" later my faith is restored and I believe it was exactly the right thing to do.

The government is us. It is what we allow it to be.

Private tyrannies called corporations do what they want.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

It's amazing how placing our faith in government always leads to the perfect balance between cost, convenience, and safety.

It is amazing how you repeat this strawman every time you can.

I guess we have Bush and the geniuses in congress to thank for getting this issue handled perfectly.

Sure, it seemed at the time when they spent billions on those scanners that slowed lines down and don't seem to work very well in security audits that money that may have been a bad idea, but a few "hail government's" later my faith is restored and I believe it was exactly the right thing to do.

So boring.

 

[dismal]

It's amazing how placing our faith in government always leads to the perfect balance between cost, convenience, and safety.

I guess we have Bush and the geniuses in congress to thank for getting this issue handled perfectly.

Sure, it seemed at the time when they spent billions on those scanners that slowed lines down and don't seem to work very well in security audits that money that may have been a bad idea, but a few "hail government's" later my faith is restored and I believe it was exactly the right thing to do.

The government is us. It is what we allow it to be.

Private tyrannies called corporations do what they want.

Your faith in government is strong. Particularly for an anarchist.

 

[dismal]

It is amazing how you repeat this strawman every time you can.

I guess we have Bush and the geniuses in congress to thank for getting this issue handled perfectly.

Sure, it seemed at the time when they spent billions on those scanners that slowed lines down and don't seem to work very well in security audits that money that may have been a bad idea, but a few "hail government's" later my faith is restored and I believe it was exactly the right thing to do.

So boring.

Strawman? Can you point me to the posts that would lead me to believe you and the other faithful don't believe the TSA has achieved the perfect balance between cost, convenience and safety?

What have you been arguing they should be doing better? I must have missed it.

 

[coloradoatheist]

First thing they do is some research to see if the claim can be demonstrated.

Too much time compared to what golden standard?

Well, last time I was screened it took 8 seconds. They could always adopt the privatization solution of whips and cattle prods to get people to run through the lines quicker. Also, they need to forbid laced shoes on planes.

Was that in the last month? The lines have grown much longer at the airports in the last month or so. Some estimates were no to be three hours ahead of your flight.

It's interesting. I took a flight a year ago and all the asked for security was to say that you weren't bringing bad stuff on the plane. They didn't even check

 

[ksen]

The TSA because they are a buerararcy has no incentive to actually get you through the line quicker. Their incentive is actually to make the line go slower and then complain about being understaffed.

Sure, because we all know private corporations wouldn't game the system like that.

 

[untermensche]

The government is us. It is what we allow it to be.

Private tyrannies called corporations do what they want.

Your faith in government is strong. Particularly for an anarchist.

My faith in government is weak.

But it is less in private tyrannies.

 

[Playball40]

There job isn't to make lines go quicker or convenience travelers. Their job is to screen passengers for potentially dangerous items/people. We cannot have it both ways.

The TSA because they are a buerararcy has no incentive to actually get you through the line quicker. Their incentive is actually to make the line go slower and then complain about being understaffed.
It's actually a good thing we don't have many terrorists because the lines they create would actually be a better target than the planes they are getting on.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

Well, last time I was screened it took 8 seconds. They could always adopt the privatization solution of whips and cattle prods to get people to run through the lines quicker. Also, they need to forbid laced shoes on planes.

Was that in the last month? The lines have grown much longer at the airports in the last month or so. Some estimates were no to be three hours ahead of your flight.

No but the lines are not the screening. Are they taking longer to screen individuals or did they cut staff?

The pressure on TSA has been building in recent weeks amid reports of unprecedented airport security lines across the nation. Passenger numbers approached record totals while the numbers of screening personnel were trimmed. Those issues were supposed to be offset by travelers signing up for the expedited PreCheck screening program, but the number of fliers registering has fallen short of expectations.

-USAToday​

It's interesting. I took a flight a year ago and all the asked for security was to say that you weren't bringing bad stuff on the plane. They didn't even check

Oh goody, just take the terrorist's word for it.

 

[Playball40]

Always the same fallacy. The rare exception somehow makes the rule.

If United becomes in charge of their security and United plane blows up there is accountability. There is no accountability for the TSA.

How is TSA not held accountable for planes blowing up?

What are you talking about?

What drugs are you on?

So right now. If people thought the TSA was taking too much time to screen passengers, what oculd people do to change that behavior?

I have a friend who is an airport TSA screener. You know what "people" could do? Check their bags, stop bringing liquids, take off their shoes ahead of time, put your keys, laptops in the proper place, stop bitching at the screener who is only doing their job. What could the airline do? Incentivize passengers to CHECK their bags in lieu of carrying them on.

 

[Playball40]

Because they actually have to listen to customers unlike the TSA which guys customers the middle finger.

Not really. If this airline is the only one with a route to a certain location at a certain time, they pretty much have captive clients. When it comes right down to it, price of the ticket and convenience of flight time is going to be the major deciding factor.

 

[Playball40]

Well, last time I was screened it took 8 seconds. They could always adopt the privatization solution of whips and cattle prods to get people to run through the lines quicker. Also, they need to forbid laced shoes on planes.

Was that in the last month? The lines have grown much longer at the airports in the last month or so. Some estimates were no to be three hours ahead of your flight.

It's interesting. I took a flight a year ago and all the asked for security was to say that you weren't bringing bad stuff on the plane. They didn't even check

Don't exaggerate. It is certain airports at peak times. We have a holiday/summer travel coming up and gas prices are low (airfare is affordable) so we have an uptick. This is NOT an everyday, every airport situation contrary to what the media would have you believe.