TSA to open PreCheck to all for a fee

Standard for any Federal employee. When my travel information was run, my job offer disappeared. Go figure.

 

Has anyone seen e PreCheck application form? I looked on-line and it wasn't anywhere. I'm just curious what information you have to disclose. If anyone has had an experience with an interview, I would be interested in the details.

 

Yeah, I went looking for one as well. The only way I could find to look at it was to actually apply! And I wasn't going to do that.

 

So where did you travel to that upended the offer? Spend a lot of time in the Middle East?

 

I've probably been a terrist threat for as long as I've complained out loud about the goobers at the airport or elsewhere. I've traveled basically nowhere. Address, bank, email, phone info supplied for travel reimbursements. Then a sudden change of plans.

At a short contract position recently I was asked, (apropos of nothing), by the hiring lead if I "do a lot of traveling?"

 

Pretty much everyone here is likely on the list.

 

Correct. I assume that even if I were inclined to shell out $85 for "Pre-check" I'd be declined.

 

You are probably correct, basic description is he places metal objects (sometimes called "blanks") in a machine that he has programmed to cut said blank into a specific shape, sometimes to within fractions of a millimeter tolerance.

As far as screwing other peoples work up, I am responsible for the great woodworking incident of 2005 with my brother. After I screwed up 4 pieces of design work on the moulding he was making from scratch (I mean, really, it was only about 2 mm off, and I was working from HIS measurements), I was summarily dismissed to a corner to be in control of the tv (with specific directions on how to operate that as well).

 

I just saw on the news that Congress has taken action to address the screening of wounded service members. Remember the wounded Marine in full dress uniform that TSA harassed? While this is a positive step I don't think it addresses the core issue, it's time for TSA to just go away. TSA severs no useful purpose that can't be done better, faster, and cheaper by non-government employees.

http://www.armytimes.com/article/20...-expedited-airport-screening-wounded-warriors

 

Isn't it interesting that all of the recent changes made by the TSA have been forced by the hand of Congress? That says to me that all of our complaints are having an impact.

 

We must keep up the complaints, comments, and other means of addressing TSA. Even comments here, on FT, PV, and on articles of various news organizations have an impact.

I think we are making a difference but the war is not over by a long shot.

 

I am interested to see what sort of screening protocols they produce. I anticipate that changes may come, but the core clearance procedures may wind up staying the same - if an individual alarms the WTMD, the current procedures require that the alarm be resolved. Even with changes in format, what changes could come from that? Perhaps the reintroduction of the HHMD will come into play, but that is about all I see based on the current trends from HQ. In a case like the Marine that was in the news recently, his jacket alarmed the WTMD, and they had to clear the alarm (at least, that is what I have read and gleaned from the statements posted in the various articles). The only changes based on the current technology would be the HHMD to clear specific areas, or simply let the person continue on with an ETD test (and no further screening) after an alarm. There may be some other changes that come out, but those are the two major processes available at this point. I am truly interested in seeing what comes out in this instance.

 

The Marine had a physical inability to raise his arms over his head and the TSA idiot clerks kept demanding that he do so. All this screening crap could be handled by just using a bit of common sense which I understand leaves TSA screeners out of the loop.

If a member of the military presents in full dress uniform with medals as did the Marine, a WTMD or HHMD is going to be of little use. If they have a physical limitation then demanding that they do something which is impossible for them is just stupid.

Pretty simple procedure, guy has a chest load of medal, either use the Porno Scanner and recognize that no under arm views are going to be available or use the defective ETD and see if any hand lotion or such is present.

Lets face it, a Marine on the way to a ceremony is not very likely to be a threat. If nothing else one of TSA's BDO's could have spoken with the guy and supposedly known if he was a risk. Of course no one believes that TSA's BDO program has any real value and is just a waste of taxpayers money.

TSA needs to realize that no one flying today, yesterday, or tomorrow is likely to be a terrorist.

It is time for TSA to stop the nonsense of treating everyone like a terrorist until proven otherwise and to start treating travelers as travelers until cause is shown to do something different.

TSA has squandered billions of dollars on ineffective programs, equipment, and unneeded personal while the whole organization is rotten from the top down to the person hired yesterday.

TSA is a wasteful disaster all unto itself.

 

Everyone, not just special populations.

But it's NOT okay: Not an IRS audit. Not to decline to hire you. Not to feel around your underpants.

Show me a warrant/cause or leave me the (expletive deleted) alone!

 

The United States Post Office in downtown Houston is in the Federal Courthouse building. There is a security checkpoint at the entrance to the building: ID check, X-ray for purses/briefcases, and a WTMD. Last week I went to mail a letter, and a female guard told me that the x-ray picked up some metal that they couldn't identify and she actually asked if she could look in my purse. I thought they may have picked up the stun gun that I carry at all times (I refered to it as my "flashlight" because it does have a little LED flashlight built into it). Nooooooo, it turned out to be the fingernail/toenail clippers that I keep in a little zippered pouch.

Note to self: TSA (Team Sexual Assault) is not the only example of "security theater"; however, TSA is the worst with their invasive procedures.

I have set off the WTMD before at this building because of bulky metal jewelry. They did the HHMD wanding to confirm what set off the alarm on the WTMD. If this procedure is good enough to protect a Federal courthouse, it should be good enough to protect a commercial airplane.

 

I can't argue with much of what you say here, asking someone to do something they physically can't do (especially once they advise you of the fact) is not just stupid, it is insensitive and rude. The point that a Marine with a chest full of medals is an unlikely threat is correct, the vast majority of military members are not more a threat than the vast majority of infants. Within the current security regulations, the alarm has to be cleared (you can point out the problems with the process as something that needs to change - and some of the time I would agree with you, but the fact at this point is the alarm needs to be cleared). If they add in the HHMD, it would give them an option in a case like this to pinpoint what is causing the alarm, thus allocating your focus to what could be a threat (you can also make a case that this should be the case for all travelers, and I would not disagree with you). I was merely indicating that I am interested in seeing what comes of this, and if that will translate into more positive change for all passengers on the back end.

Pistole has been making some changes to move away from the one size fits all approach (even if they seem minor). The problem with making changes is myriad, as evidenced by the proposed changes on tiny knives (that was a Charlie Foxtrot of epic proportions due to outside pressures). I am certain there is a large number of TSA folks (both on the fonrt line and at HQ) that would love to roll many of the procedures back to previous levels. I am also certain that any suggestion to do so would be met with resistance that would make the fiasco over the knives deal look like a hiccup. Change is something that will continue to be slow in coming at TSA, in addition to the normal pace at which a large agency moves, there is the additional external pressures, political pressures and special groups (airline insiders, unions, special interest groups) pressures that seem to feed on each other and multiply. I would love to see some serious changes come down the pipe, but I do not see them coming quickly or, to be perfectly honest, at all on many things.

 

I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but point out that there is more than one "problem" in moving away from a "cookie cutter" approach to airport security. You know it, I know it, everybody with half a brain knows it. While I agree that the most prominent problem may be "outside pressures," there is another problem that runs a close second (and may even be tied). It is difficult enough to train the screeners (not officers, not agents) to follow the "cookie cutter" methods, adding customized screening procedures would only add to the problems we have now at airport checkpoints.

The only solution is to scale back the invasiveness and simplify the entire process, period. That means do away with the nekid body scanners as primary. I would have no objection to each checkpoint having one of them in operation (MMW with ATR) in case a passenger has metal implants and chooses that method of screening as opposed to the WTMD to avoid the grope. Eliminating the occurrence of "false alarms" (TSA calls them "anomolies") produced by the body scanners, defective ETD machines, should be the #1 priority that Pissy should address.

 

Just focusing on the Marine. Blouse with metal buttons, metal insignia, medals, shirt stays, and no telling what else. A HHMD would have numerous hits on the chest, waistline, lower margin of the shirt, and top of the socks.

How would you resolve those alarms?

Edit to add:

You say according to current security regulations alarms have to be resolved. I think that statement is false, perhaps policy states that but not regulation.

 

TSA can't effectively train its work force that video/pictures are not prohibited.

That doesn't even require a worker to take an action so why would anyone expect more complex training to be successful?

 

...which explains why no employee of the TSA knows it.