Confiscating Contraband: The TSA's Big Accomplishment
Travel writer Christopher Elliott blogs at Elliot.org about how dumb the TSA was to crow about their 2011 accomplishments:
TSA came out with a lighthearted list of the Top 10 Good Catches of 2011 (sample: "Snakes, turtles, and birds were found at Miami (MIA) and Los Angeles (LAX). I'm just happy there weren't any lions, tigers, and bears...") The release looked like the perfect Huffington Post slideshow, which, alas, it eventually became.What's the problem with that?
Well, with no other official statement from the agency about its 2011 achievements, we're left to conclude that these "top 10 good catches" represent the agency's biggest accomplishments of the year.
That's right. Confiscating illegal pets, inert explosives, martial arts weapons, flare guns and various firearms -- that's what this $8.1 billion agency did for you in 2011.
I'm sure they'll throw in the corny jokes for free.
Commenters from the TSA link above talked sense. Here:
But Bob, seriously, what do ANY of these things have to do with terrorism? Did TSA manage to disrupt a single terrorist plot last year? Sure, you found some criminals, and some criminally dumb people, but nothing on your list says you had any sort of success in preventing terrorism. And that, good sir, is your purpose, no?
And another commenter here:
Simply amazing. THIS is the best they can report as their top Ten? These are all THINGS, not criminals or terrorists or others intending to do harm. I assume if they had stopped even ONE person subsequently arrested, charged, or convicted, that that would deserve a mention. But no, not one!!! It's all theatre (of the absurd); the French would love it. I can only assume that there were just as many guns, etc. going on board before TSA, as after it. And yet can anyone remember any UNINTENDED gunfire incidents onboard commercial aircraft? Stopping things rather than people is worse than pointless. Clearly the purpose of the TSA is to hassle and disrupt air travel, not protect it.
The comment I posted there that may or may not be approved -- we'll see:
The TSA has accomplished something -- getting us to politely and docilely hand over our civil liberties. I wrote about this, and how Americans need to stand up for our civil liberties, in an op-ed that Pravda ended up publishing when all the large mainstream American outlets I sent it to rejected it (the erosion of civil liberties in America seems of little interest to many):http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/21-12-2011/120035-civil_liberties-0/
I'm cross-posting this comment on my blog, along with the notion that it may not be approved here. Free speech is not something the TSA condones. In fact, as I mention in the piece, the TSA puts a chill on free speech with, for example, a sign, in Denver International Airport, offers the vague warning that "verbal abuse" of agents will "not be tolerated." Not surprisingly, few seem willing to speak out and risk arrest.
Seeing as how 'confiscating illegal pets' is not within the scope of the TSA, why would they list that as an accomplishment?
Finding drugs, interrogating people about how much money they're carrying; not within their scope.
Seeing as how they have no real accomplishments, I guess you have to brag about something.
DrCos at January 9, 2012 4:02 AM
The cost benefit ratio here is pretty high. The TSA needs a better publicity agency. They should be claiming 43 hijackings prevented, 12314 lives saved.
If you are going to waste a lot of money, make up something to show for it. I think Obama could give them some pointers, like his jobs created or saved scam.
MarkD at January 9, 2012 6:28 AM
test
Gregg at January 9, 2012 9:27 AM
WhatEVER you do, do NOT allow claims like this to go unchallenged!
Because ALL of these items have flown an aircraft for more then SIXTY YEARS without incident.
Insanity: pointing at objects to claim you have prevented actions.
Radwaste at January 9, 2012 2:29 PM
I posted this over on the TSA blog:
I wonder if it will ever see the light of day.
Jim P. at January 9, 2012 7:54 PM
It's so high-school, isn't it? I wonder what the TSA's policy is on spitballs.
Cousin Dave at January 10, 2012 6:37 PM
Amy,
I went back and checked both of our comments were posted, but we are voices in the crowd and there are just so many "I approve" I had to stop reading before losing both my lunch and dinner.
Jim P. at January 10, 2012 8:00 PM
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