TAMUallen said:

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Unfortunately, TSA isn't going anywhere.

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Not so fast.


AI:

• The TSA's workforce makes up a significant portion (about 2.8%) of the overall U.S. federal workforce.
• Approximately 65,000
• TSA's cost to taxpayers is complex, with recent annual spending around $6.7 billion (FY2024), but a large portion of its funding comes from specific passenger fees ($4.5 billion in 2024) that are often diverted from aviation security to the general fund, leaving taxpayers to cover the gap, especially for non-aviation security functions, making it a mix of direct fees and broader tax contributions, notes this USAFacts article and this View from the Wing article.

Cut…cut…cut

So you chose an article complaining about biometrics to push for everyone using Global Entry which is leading the way in using biometrics?


No thank you!

5Amp said:

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TAMUallen said:

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Unfortunately, TSA isn't going anywhere.

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Not so fast.


AI:

• The TSA's workforce makes up a significant portion (about 2.8%) of the overall U.S. federal workforce.
• Approximately 65,000
• TSA's cost to taxpayers is complex, with recent annual spending around $6.7 billion (FY2024), but a large portion of its funding comes from specific passenger fees ($4.5 billion in 2024) that are often diverted from aviation security to the general fund, leaving taxpayers to cover the gap, especially for non-aviation security functions, making it a mix of direct fees and broader tax contributions, notes this USAFacts article and this View from the Wing article.

Cut…cut…cut

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I agree that it should be.

Just stating the fact that they arent. With any luck, they get changed for the better in the next few years. It is political suicide to stop TSA because if anything goes wrong in the future it is all you and your party's fault

Quote:

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The DHS Inspector General's findings have been that 90% 95% of dangerous items get through screening checkpoints in testing

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LOL

Your choice, global entry; pre check; or forced addon costs to your ticket for "TSA screening"

It'll be like a facility charge, each airport will be able to charge differently just like the taxes and recovery fees on hotels and rental cars.

Im Gipper said:

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So you chose an article complaining about biometrics to push for everyone using Global Entry which is leading the way in using biometrics?


No thank you!

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We heading toward a digital ID, no stopping it and AI can dig deep into the mountains of data on the internet and clear the good citizens and make the questionable ones go thru a process without delaying or infringing on the everyday American.

of course those whose papers are not in order will be against progress…

They have had special operations guys do training missions for them and the TSA on getting into an airport with illegal stuff or without a ticket. Think the first few years every single one of them made it through.

Had a friend accidentally carry a loaded pistol magazine in his bag for over a dozen trips before the TSA realize it was there (he didn't listen to the rule of never having firearms or anything related in his travel bag). Sure if he had a 4oz thing of lotion they would confiscate that though.

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We heading toward a digital ID, no stopping it

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Maybe you are, I'm not!

TSA has never stopped a terrorist before

Glad Shatner had a gun on that Twilight Zone flight.

5Amp said:

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/transportation-secretary-sean-duffy-pregnant-daughter-rips-unconstitutional-tsa-invasive-pat-down


"Perhaps things would have gone more smoothly if I'd handed over my biometric data to a random private company (CLEAR). Then I could enjoy the special privilege of waiting in a shorter line to be treated like a terrorist in my own country. Is this freedom? Travel, brought to you by George Orwell and the privilege of convenience based solely on your willingness to surrender biometric data and submit to radiation exposure? The 'golden age of transportation' cannot begin until the TSA is gone," she added.



Imagine what is was like before Bush and his TSA, imagine walking to the gate with your love ones to send them off. Imagine no TSA, it's easy if you try.

Let us take Global entry to the next level and send TSA agents packing.

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Dude, pretty sure all of us remember 9/11...

CLEAR (which I have) was a charlie foxtrot at AUS early Friday morning (0500). Of course, so was regular security AND precheck. I have never seen an airport that bad in all my years of traveling.

For the first time, I flew JetBlue and had gotten a status match with my AA platinum. Apparently, this came with "priority security". Thank god. I was through that in just a couple min - compared to at least an hour in everything else.

The stupid Xray still showed the yellow and red boxes around my junk though. For some reason it's done that the last 3 years. I tell them to just skip the talk and just give me the rub down now...

I need to go back and read about the early days. Did the airports, airlines, and travel industry groups support/oppose TSA introduction? What were the competing policy interests then, how have they fared over time, versus abolishing it now that we've seen almost a quarter-century of data?

Sure they haven't stopped any terrorists, but they've certainly hardened the target. And honestly it's the machines that do most of the heavy lifting, not the morons running them. If AI can replace radiologists reading oncology X-rays, I'm pretty sure they can replace big Shirley at the gate reading luggage scans.

Is the market prepared for a huge wave of Walmart checkers if TSA closes? Or would they all be rehired by the airports who'd be responsible for their own security post-TSA?

torrid said:

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5Amp said:

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Imagine what is was like before Bush and his TSA, imagine walking to the gate with your love ones to send them off. Imagine no TSA, it's easy if you try.

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Actually, I'm entirely for having only ticketed passengers in the terminal. There are already entirely too many people at the airport.

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Agree. As annoying as it is when you forget a water bottle or too big of a tube of something in your bag, my experiences have always been pretty easy. 10 years ago was a cluster. These days I'm through security in 10-20 minutes max at almost any airport I fly through. Denver with their terminal/security construction being the most obvious exception that sticks out to me.

And I too like the fact that after tsa it's ticketed only.

Remember when hunters flying would put their valuable rifle up in overhead and nobody got shot or hijacked?
I remember

I want to post a derivative of "an armed society is a polite society" but then think about the various Spirit airlines/people of Walmart videos we've all seen and it makes me think twice about it.

The idea of a gun fight breaking out in a terminal, or at 30k ft, is frightening. I'm fine with people continuing to check their hunting rifles.

Yea I get it. As a traveling hunter I'd prefer to not trust baggage handlers with my firearms or more importantly the optics, but mostly I'm reflecting back on our more polite society.

Colonel Kurtz said:

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TSA has never stopped a terrorist before

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What jets have been hijacked in the past 23 years?

As long as we secure air travel, whatever.

I am just hesitant on these big brush recommendations and statements from people who might not remember how crippling an attack on airliners can be for the globe and the US economy in particular.

Absolutely crippling.

Central Committee said:

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The Republicans caved to the dem demand that the TSA be government employees instead of being staffed by private companies.

That was the fatal flaw.

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Congress was controlled by republicans and the senate was split 50/50 with Cheney being the tie breaker.

The law passed the senate 100-0 and the house 410-9 so I'm not sure republicans caved.

There was serious concern on consistency between different private companies which was a large reason people wanted the Fed to have oversight.

I offered to a TSA agent that a terrorist would do more damage with a bomb in e TDA waiting line than taking down a 757. She turned white as a sheep and replied "My god, I've never thought about that. The Israelis do 90% of their security before a person gets onto the airport property.

The government's primary motive in TSA operational execution is not security.

100% of senators never read that for which they are voting. For too many of them, they are motivated by the dirt the deep state has on them. "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" is a documentary or historical fiction. It's the nature of government, especially highly centralized government.

Guessing you haven't been through Denver recently? My wait times are usually less than 3 minutes and I'm flying out of there just about every week.

FrankK said:

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I offered to a TSA agent that a terrorist would do more damage with a bomb in e TDA waiting line than taking down a 757. She turned white as a sheep and replied "My god, I've never thought about that. The Israelis do 90% of their security before a person gets onto the airport property.

The government's primary motive in TSA operational execution is not security.

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The goal is biometric data collection and reminding us that we are cattle.

Athanasius said:

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As long as we secure air travel, whatever.

I am just hesitant on these big brush recommendations and statements from people who might not remember how crippling an attack on airliners can be for the globe and the US economy in particular.

Absolutely crippling.

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We should be fine if we dont have John Brennan types in the gooberment fast tracking approvals on visa's for people who would later "hijack" airplanes and crash them into buildings.

Jason C. said:

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I need to go back and read about the early days. Did the airports, airlines, and travel industry groups support/oppose TSA introduction? What were the competing policy interests then, how have they fared over time, versus abolishing it now that we've seen almost a quarter-century of data?

Sure they haven't stopped any terrorists, but they've certainly hardened the target. And honestly it's the machines that do most of the heavy lifting, not the morons running them. If AI can replace radiologists reading oncology X-rays, I'm pretty sure they can replace big Shirley at the gate reading luggage scans.

Is the market prepared for a huge wave of Walmart checkers if TSA closes? Or would they all be rehired by the airports who'd be responsible for their own security post-TSA?

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TSA already IS Walmart checkers.

But their worthless asses can't be fired because they're federalized.

Central Committee said:

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The Republicans caved to the dem demand that the TSA be government employees instead of being staffed by private companies.

That was the fatal flaw.

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This is true.

The Kraken said:

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Colonel Kurtz said:

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TSA has never stopped a terrorist before

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What jets have been hijacked in the past 23 years?

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I'm just thankful for the millions of water bottles and shampoo confiscated since inception.

A friend of mine was lobbying Congress on the issue. And that is part of the reason is passed with wide margins. The dems got a big new government entity with unionized government employees. This was the big concession made to get the Senate dems on board.

TSA is one of the miniscule government functions that actually give me a return (security).

Why are we *****ing about TSA when the government spent more money on useless Boeing contracts in 2025?