900,000 "special credentials" issued to airport workers across the country

including 16,000 at Dulles.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...70TbBg?docId=cba1cd33cc3e40b38b8d01f12f1720f7

Also:

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/...y-breaches-since-2001-raise-alarms/49326312/1

 

It would be incredibly easy for the bad guys to plant sleepers. Consider what just happened to Karzai's brother in Afghanistan. A suicidal sleeper who is not subjected to any further checks or surveillance is a real risk.

 

perhaps your airlines may consider them awards to be given to some of their most frequent fliers?

 

I believe at one point that was done at MSP when non-flyers repeatedly scheduled "business" meetings at the WorldClub.

Dultah, alas, does not even grant us gate passes any longer.

 

As an airline employee I had free reign to anywhere I wanted to go, even walking across the tarmac in street clothes EVERY DAY! Rarely was I ever stopped or questioned or even asked about a badge, which was supposed to be displayed above the waste (LAX & SFO). I could have easily been a sleeper and placed explosives in numerous places without prying eyes. This after the TSA allegedly wanted to screeen ALL employees. I hear it was mandatory, but I found doors I had access to and did not go through security. I guess if it was mandatory, then they would have secured those doors or had a x-ray machine in front of them.

Out of LAX, I retained my LAX badge for another 12 months after I left the airport! I blame the airline and not LAWA so much, but still easy enough to go out the jetway, walk down the steps when I arrived and I was on the tarmac. Again, much like SFO no questions asked by anyone. Security is still not good at the airports, no reason not to believe there aren't sleeper type individuals who are working across the nation, waiting...

I have written about my personal exploits many times on my web site...