The TSA Pulls A Sneaky
The TSA has gone back on allowing private screening companies at airports, blogs travel writer Chris Elliott:

It's not hard to image how much louder the public outcry would have been during the pat-down controversy last year if the Transportation Security Administration had also shut down it Screening Partnership Program, which allowed airports to privatize their security.

After all, private screeners were seen as a loophole to avoid increasingly aggressive federal transportation security officers. Several airports were reportedly considering "firing" their TSA screeners after the new body-scanners began appearing, accompanied by more intrusive physical searches.

In short, the program was an escape valve through which the traveling public let out a steam of rage. Had it not been there, who knows what would have happened?

But here's more evidence that the federal agency charged with protecting our transportation systems understands the importance of timing. It waited until yesterday -- two months after the enhanced-screening media circus -- to freeze the program. I wonder how long they've been meaning to do that.

So what does that mean to us?

At some point, the TSA will probably require the privatized airports -- including San Francisco International Airport and Kansas City International Airport -- to revert back to federal screeners, even though many frequent travelers to Screening Partnership Program airports say they've experienced significantly better service and less intrusive and abusive searches.

From CNN:

Washington (CNN) -- A program that allows airports to replace government screeners with private screeners is being brought to a standstill, just a month after the Transportation Security Administration said it was "neutral" on the program.

TSA chief John Pistole said Friday he has decided not to expand the program beyond the current 16 airports, saying he does not see any advantage to it.

Oh...keeping the airlines in business?

More from CNN:

"The nation is secure in the sense that the safety of our skies will not be left in the hands of the lowest-bidder contractor, as it was before 9/11," said John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees. "We applaud Administrator Pistole for recognizing the value in a cohesive federalized screening system and work force."

Who'd otherwise be working their way up from floor sweeper to the French-fry vat at Mickey D's.

Government scores again! A union scores again!