The Transportation Safety Administration (AKA the Full Employment For Illiterate Half-Wits Department) is now wetting its pants over possible “terrorist dry runs” at US airports. I suppose this is one of Chertoff’s “gut feelings” with little to no basis in reality.
I travel frequently, mostly around Texas for work, but to other parts of the country on occasion as well, and it’s plainly obvious that the TSA has done little, if anything, to make airports any safer than they were before 9/11 changed everything (while leaving a shocking amount just as it was). Most of that has to do with margins: US air travel was already among the safest forms of long-distance travel on the planet, so it’s not like there were major gains in safety to be had anyway. Furthermore, when you’re more likely to be killed crossing the street than in a terrorist attack, there’s honestly nothing to worry about.
We’ve moved away from logical, high return precautions – like screening bags for weapons before people get on a plane – to the ridiculously farcical puppet show of forcing passengers to take off their shoes and place all of their toiletries into a plastic bag. What’s worse, these measures have forced those of us who like to travel light to either check a bag and risk having it lost by whatever troglodytes work behind the scenes at airports, as happened on my last trip, or purchase unnecessary bathroom items upon arrival. And it’s not like the folks at the X-ray machine have any clue what they’re doing. It’s a low status job, and it doesn’t pay all that well, so people with valuable skills do something else. We have an airport security system run by glorified mall cops with guns, think about that for a second.
Mall Cops. With Guns. I feel safer already, now excuse me while I go wet myself.
