Most fake bombs missed by screeners

Source: USA Today

Security screeners at two of the nation's busiest airports failed to find fake bombs hidden on undercover agents posing as passengers in more than 60% of tests last year, according to a classified report obtained by USA TODAY.

Screeners at Los Angeles International Airport missed about 75% of simulated explosives and bomb parts that Transportation Security Administration testers hid under their clothes or in carry-on bags at checkpoints, the TSA report shows.

At Chicago O'Hare International Airport, screeners missed about 60% of hidden bomb materials that were packed in everyday carry-ons — including toiletry kits, briefcases and CD players. San Francisco International Airport screeners, who work for a private firm instead of the TSA, missed about 20% of the bombs, the report shows. The TSA ran about 70 tests at Los Angeles, 75 at Chicago and 145 at San Francisco.

The report looks only at those three airports, using them as case studies to understand how well the rest of the U.S. screening system is working to stop terrorists from carrying bombs through checkpoints.



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-17-airport-security_N.htm

She was unfortunate to be be in that 40%.....

While they mention "detonators, timers, batteries and blocks that resemble plastic explosives" in the article, this could very well be a TSA agent realizing that something isn't "a bomb" and just letting the suitcase through.

But there's an election coming up, so all the levers of fear have to be manipulated on behalf of the GOP. The TSA is like all federal agencies today -- headed by political "loyal bushies" who have no qualifications related to their job -- only a background in getting more money and power for bush and his criminal cabal. Their role isn't to operate the agency for its stated purpose. Instead, their job is to manipulate every operation of their agency in a way that politically benefits the GOP (like Gonzo, for example.)

As it is, I almost never fly anymore. My company has already resigned all of our contracts that require air travel. This meaningless theater we must all submit ourselves to just to get on a concourse is nothing more than conditioning to our new police state. The cute 7-year-old girl I saw gleefully jumping up on a table and holding her arms out for "wanding," like it was a game, six years ago is 13 years old now. To her, this kind of dehumanizing treatment is "normal." It's what she's grown up with. So when the outrage of the "next step" is introduced, whatever that is, will be considered "just a little more intrusive" to her.

The real question that should come out of this is why are we bothering with this pummeling of citizen's self-respect? Since, according to the TSA, the system is so flawed, why not scuttle most of it? It certainly wouldn't have stopped a determined "evil doer." Yet, here we are, six years into an admittedly worthless "security screen," and the planes haven't been falling from the sky. Why? It's almost as if an agreement has been made for it not to happen.

And I'm not giving away any secrets here. The employees aren't really screened and neither is the cargo. Apparently, neither are most of the passengers.

Employees not screened:

http://cbs2chicago.com/specialreports/2.investigators.fly.2.335132.html
http://tothecenter.com/news.php?readmore=3370

Cargo not screened:

http://www.govtech.com/gt/156724?topic=117688

I think there's a high degree of discernment and practicality at work here that the screeners are just not getting credit for. They see a fake bomb and think, well, that's a fake. It's not going to hurt anybody. Why would I waste everyone's time and create a lot of stress and panic over an obviously phony baloney bomb?

:P

their hiring people who couldn't hold down a job at Burger King!

They may have trouble finding bombs, but they were sure pretty effective at finding the charger for my cell phone, a digital camera memory card, a pair of brand new iPod headphones and a Bestbuy giftcard that have all vanished from deep inside my carry-on while going through security at T3 or T5 at LAX.

The world is safe again... :eyes:

luggage and it was supposed to be in its own case! It could have been a pipe bomb.

:spray: :rofl:

But maximum inconvenience for travelers.

I was carrying on to make sure it wasn't a "gun." I wouldn't let them hold it: These cretins are murder on musical instruments!