If you were in charge, what kind of airport security would you implement?

Infohawk

Lifer
Jan 12, 2002
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So it seems like there's a TSA is peverted meme spreading around. I understand people's frustrations but I'm not sure what they think the alternative is. So, what specifically would you have the TSA do before letting people board aircraft?

Sometimes I hear people suggest there's nothing we can do to stop terrorists so we might as well not bother innocent people and take the risks letting people on board. That's silly. Muslim terrorists have a hard-on for airplanes and it makes sense to have strong security at airports.

Personally, I don't get bent out of shape when asked to remove my shoes. I don't feel like the government is being ridiculous or like I'm living in the Soviet Union. The only thing that bothers me is the time wasted and the idiots in front of me, but that's an issue with streamlining the process and not about the search itself.

If I were to change anything I would make it more clear that there is profiling going on. There's no reason to pretend like a five year old girl from Tulsa is just as dangerous as a young man from Pakistan. People that are against profiling are against it whether or not you search the little girl or not, so we might as well cut it out and let them be mad when people dressed in Muslim garb are searched more than others.
 

BoberFett

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
37,562
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Xray checked and carry-on luggage. Beyond that, terrorists would be killed by the other passengers with their bare hands if they attempted anything at this point. What else needs to be done?
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
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Locking cockpit doors, extra security on pilots and flight crew.

No security on passengers, or luggage.

It's fine to say the passengers will fight, but even if they die, it's a risk that when compared to the inconvenience and violation, and cost, of the TSA, I feel it's a risk that most people would readily take on.

-John
 
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Infohawk

Lifer
Jan 12, 2002
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Xray checked and carry-on luggage. Beyond that, terrorists would be killed by the other passengers with their bare hands if they attempted anything at this point. What else needs to be done?

You don't think there's any risk from non-metallic devices? And not every passenger is of fighting age.
 

Schadenfroh

Elite Member
Mar 8, 2003
38,416
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Every passenger must ride naked after a full body cavity search, no baggage allowed (ship it via FedEx). All passengers must be restrained for the duration of the flight.

It is the only way to be sure...


In all seriousness, x-ray luggage and have the passengers walk through a metal detector. Lock the cockpit tight, should be sufficient.
 

Nintendesert

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2010
7,761
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More bomb sniffing dogs and devices that can detect explosive compounds. No need to grab someone's junk. It'll be a passive sniff and all luggage on a plain and people get sniffed!
 

JS80

Lifer
Oct 24, 2005
26,271
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Xray checked and carry-on luggage. Beyond that, terrorists would be killed by the other passengers with their bare hands if they attempted anything at this point. What else needs to be done?

I was thinking the same. These days most flights are booked...I would play subliminal and loudly projected messages - stay vigilant and if you see a terrorist on the plane, feel free to woop his ass.
 

LegendKiller

Lifer
Mar 5, 2001
18,256
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I'd fire most of the TSA and re-hire back 50% of the staff count. Send the best/brightest to Israel for an education on how to properly screen passengers and compensate them properly. Implement Israeli security standards and adopt best practices.

On airplanes I would ban all electronic device usage in cabins, block all radio and cell signals with jamming. We lived without them before, we can do it going forward. I would give extensive self-defense training to all cabin members, including martial arts or something similar (have them learn Krav Maga while they're over there).

Other than that, I wouldn't do much other than the usual magnetometers and explosive detection.
 
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Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
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All I know is that so far every attempt to blow up a plane since 9/11 has been thwarted not by the security measures we have implemented at the airports rather they have been thwarted by the incompetence of the would be terrorist.
 

LegendKiller

Lifer
Mar 5, 2001
18,256
68
86
All I know is that so far every attempt to blow up a plane since 9/11 has been thwarted not by the security measures we have implemented at the airports rather they have been thwarted by the incompetence of the would be terrorist.

It's a numbers game and the terrorists have the initiative at every point. That's why active preventative measures won't be too effective. A silly toner cartridge from Yemen almost brought down planes over the US. Before it was underwear, shoes, boxknives.

It's always going to be something we haven't thought of because they have the ability to look for the weaknesses before they hit. The only way you have no weakness is to have a police state and even then, you'll fail.
 

Attic

Diamond Member
Jan 9, 2010
4,282
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In the feel good bullshit world you would educate everyone in the world to a degree where the nonsense of terrorism goes away.

For now, and forever more, you Racially Profile like crazy in any anti terrorism endeavor.

In the USA you do it the Politically correct (Read: Absurd) way.
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
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You don't think there's any risk from non-metallic devices? And not every passenger is of fighting age.

everything involves risk, it is simply a matter of how much risk is acceptable. Considering the alternatives, the risk of non-metallic devices on an airplane ranks up there with a bomb stuck up someones ass. Sure its a risk but it is one that I am willing to accept long before I accept the necessary actions to make me completely safe from them. Just like I am willing to accept the risks of driving more than I am willing to accept a TSA inspection every time I get into my truck.

4K people in 10 years have died in or over US soil due to terrorism. I challenge you to find safer activities, you obviously can (hopscotch maybe?) but they will be rather amusing when compared to travel.
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
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I'd fire most of the TSA and re-hire back 50% of the staff count. Send the best/brightest to Israel for an education on how to properly screen passengers and compensate them properly. Implement Israeli security standards and adopt best practices.

On airplanes I would ban all electronic device usage in cabins, block all radio and cell signals with jamming. We lived without them before, we can do it going forward. I would give extensive self-defense training to all cabin members, including martial arts or something similar (have them learn Krav Maga while they're over there).

Other than that, I wouldn't do much other than the usual magnetometers and explosive detection.

Americans wouldn't tolerate Israeli security measures. First, the Israeli Army assists in security. Upon leaving Ben Gurion, you have to go thru multiple interrogations. If the interrogators find inconsistencies, you may have to go thru a body search, same as in the US. Lastly, they profile travelers, something illegal here.
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
In the feel good bullshit world you would educate everyone in the world to a degree where the nonsense of terrorism goes away.

For now, and forever more, you Racially Profile like crazy in any anti terrorism endeavor.

In the USA you do it the Politically correct (Read: Absurd) way.

In the feel good bullshit world, people would be free from Religion, and other forms of Government.

-John
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,330
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I was thinking the same. These days most flights are booked...I would play subliminal and loudly projected messages - stay vigilant and if you see a terrorist on the plane, feel free to woop his ass.

I still say that we put an 8" blade in every seatback on the plane and continue with the reinforced locked cockpit policy.

Terrorists wouldn't stand a chance and I bet a months pay the bullshit like making passengers wait 8 hours on the ground... with no water, no toilets, etc... would no longer be an issue. No act of Congress or "passengers bill of rights" required.
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
76
everything involves risk, it is simply a matter of how much risk is acceptable. Considering the alternatives, the risk of non-metallic devices on an airplane ranks up there with a bomb stuck up someones ass. Sure its a risk but it is one that I am willing to accept long before I accept the necessary actions to make me completely safe from them. Just like I am willing to accept the risks of driving more than I am willing to accept a TSA inspection every time I get into my truck.

4K people in 10 years have died in or over US soil due to terrorism. I challenge you to find safer activities, you obviously can (hopscotch maybe?) but they will be rather amusing when compared to travel.
How soon are we to forget that air travel is the safest form of travel?

Inherently, there is nothing safer or less safe about air travel, than getting on a bus.

The horrendous thing was the attack on 9/11.

The attack on 9/11 can be safely discharged by locking the cockpit door, and from there on, with no security, no TSA, no pat-downs, no full body-scans, we are as safe as someone boarding a city bus.

Or safer.

-John
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
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People inherently have a fear of flying, and the Government is taking advantage of it.

-John
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,330
126
Americans wouldn't tolerate Israeli security measures. First, the Israeli Army assists in security. Upon leaving Ben Gurion, you have to go thru multiple interrogations. If the interrogators find inconsistencies, you may have to go thru a body search, same as in the US. Lastly, they profile travelers, something illegal here.

So wait, IF you fail a questionare you might be subjected to what all of us are already subjected to? Why the hell would we get pissed off about that? And not profiling is just plain retarded, I mean seriously, at least take the fucking 86 year old wheelchair bound grandpa and his 6 year old grandson off the list of "extra screening required" for fucks sake. You either want efficiency or you don't and damn near everyone I have seen picked out for extended screening has been an obvious waste of time. If wheelchair bound elderly Americans start blowing shit up I will be happy to retract my statement, until then it is fucking stupid.
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
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In Israel, (from my limited knowledge), you leave a city, and you pass through their Army, their equivalent of a TSA.

There is no way I would want or stand for Israeli type "security."

But they are bothered by mere bus-bombs.

-John
 
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Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,330
126
How soon are we to forget that air travel is the safest form of travel?

Inherently, there is nothing safer or less safe about air travel, than getting on a bus.

The horrendous thing was the attack on 9/11.

The attack on 9/11 can be safely discharged by locking the cockpit door, and from there on, with no security, no TSA, no pat-downs, no full body-scans, we are as safe as someone boarding a city bus.

Or safer.

-John

but but but the ebul terrorists are after us, you are obviously just paranoid if you think traveling by commercial airlines is the safest way to travel. Any rational person knows that it obviously isn't safe enough and more invasive measures are required to make it safer.
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
126
So wait, IF you fail a questionare you might be subjected to what all of us are already subjected to? Why the hell would we get pissed off about that? And not profiling is just plain retarded, I mean seriously, at least take the fucking 86 year old wheelchair bound grandpa and his 6 year old grandson off the list of "extra screening required" for fucks sake. You either want efficiency or you don't and damn near everyone I have seen picked out for extended screening has been an obvious waste of time. If wheelchair bound elderly Americans start blowing shit up I will be happy to retract my statement, until then it is fucking stupid.

Correct. They don't use body scanners but instead profile and use interrogation. Imagine to get beyond the lobby of the airport, you need to talk to 2-3 Israeli soldiers. They ask you just about every detail of your trip(where, who, when, etc). While, they are doing this, someone else is going thru your luggage. Afterwards, they meet alone to go over your answers, if they find an inconsistency, you may be then body searched and further interrogated. All of this happens even before going thru customs into the real terminal.

Planes are boarded/unboarded away from the terminal and you may be stopped once again before boarding or coming off the plane. Being American and a minority, I would always be detained just coming off the plane before I could board a bus to the terminal. To make life easier, when departing, the Israeli company I worked at would provide me a letter with who I was and what I was doing here.

Obviously, a frequent Israeli/Jewish passenger wouldn't have to deal with all of the obstacles that I dealt with.

Would Americans be willing to go thru this? No.
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
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It's little less than "papers, please."

Any American that would advocate an Israeli type security system is bonkers.

-John
 

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
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I say we have secure flights to major hubs that cost extra with added security and beefed up random searches...

then we allow southwest or someone like them to have a bare bones low cost flight model that allows smoking, heavy drinking, and only carry on luggage that passes through enhanced scanners..

if you are afraid of everything you go secure..if no fucks are given today then go partaaay airlines!!