Orlando Sanford airport opts out of TSA screening services

[Near Philly]

Much discussion in threads on a site where frequent flyers talk about travel safety and security.

[SG I Yam]

I think they're taking the wrong approach. If they hire, say, Jessica Rabbit, I might get in line several times until I'm groped. :D:

(Disclaimer: I quit flying 25 years ago.)

[Lasolimu]

I have a huge problem with pretty much all of the policies. It's security theater, and hardly any of it actually helps.

I certainly won't be flying anywhere until this nonsense with the strip scanners and the groping dies down. Fortunately, I have the option to not fly - not everyone is so lucky.

I was okay with pretty much everything up to the scanners and pat downs.

Only certain sizes of liquids- It's inconvenient but alright.
Can't take certain things on- Most of it was common sense and those that weren't were eventually allowed.
Taking off shoes- My shoes would set off the metal detector anyway.

You're right in that most of it doesn't do anything though. After 9/11 everyone was so paranoid about their plane being hijacked that they were willing to give up more items they could carry on, yet now, it doesn't matter what they take, no is going to hijack a plane, the other passengers will never allow it. "Oh, you've got a knife and want to get into the cockpit, I don't think so. I don't care if I get hurt, it's better than you hijacking the plane." This goes back to my compass incident which shows just how crazy they were right after 9/11.

My family went to WDW while the Olympics were in Utah (February 2002), just after those events. I was still in school and had a geometry class at the time and took the stuff I needed to do my homework(including a compass). It was when we were flying back, I sent my back through the machine and they see something that they think warrants a manual search. They find my compass and the TSA agent holds it up like it was this deadly weapon and tells me they will have to confiscate it. Obviously I was a terrorist and was going to hijack the plane with it right?

There is also the retainer case incident. I had recently had my braces removed and was going through airport security when again they want the manually inspect my bag(I put everything in my pockets in my bag before getting there to make it easier) and they found the case for my retainer. Once again they held it up like it was dangerous and in a very angry tone asked, "What is this?" To which I replied, "uh...my retainer case..." and the agent seemed disappointed.

tl;dr:
I had few problems up to the scanners and pat downs, and most of the security measures do nothing.

[DisneyMom]

I've never flown,but the pat-downs are similar to what we had to go thru to go to Ozzfest recently......
Hmmmmmm,LOTS of Contraband in that concert!!!!

[hobie16]

I've never flown,but the pat-downs are similar to what we had to go thru to go to Ozzfest recently......
Hmmmmmm,LOTS of Contraband in that concert!!!!

Was there a fog bank before security?

[hobie16]

Some thoughts on security:

It's certainly possible that one day an Islamic terrorist is going to kill a lot of people in America again. But it's almost certain they will do it somewhere other than a passenger airplane. If it's in a shopping center, will they then make us all go through scanners at the mall if we want to buy a pair of shoes? If they blow up an office building will every worker in America be subject to frisking?

That's why this is security theater. We are chasing phantoms by pretending that if we stop people from carrying a bottle of shampoo on an airplane that we are safe. If you are so scared of terrorism that you're willing to throw logic out the window and subject yourself to ever more irrational safety procedures for no good reason, you'd better think twice about ever leaving your house. That, of course, is exactly the point of terrorism. And authoritarian police states.

[PatchOBlack]

I think there is something that gets overlooked in a lot of these discussions about enhanced security in airports. It wasn't simply that the terrorist destroyed the air-crafts they took over, they used them as weapons to attack buildings. So, not only is it an issue of trying to prevent a case where someone from blowing up a plane, it is also avoiding having planes used as big flying bombs.

[Amphigorey]

I think there is something that gets overlooked in a lot of these discussions about enhanced security in airports. It wasn't simply that the terrorist destroyed the air-crafts they took over, they used them as weapons to attack buildings. So, not only is it an issue of trying to prevent a case where someone from blowing up a plane, it is also avoiding having planes used as big flying bombs.

Sure, but strip scanners and gropings don't help prevent that.

The main security measures that actually work are locked cockpit doors (which we have now) and, as Mayonnaise pointed out, passengers who are now willing to thwart a takeover attempt. Having an air marshal aboard the plane also helps - I'm unclear why we stopped doing that, because it's certainly cheaper than a strip scanner, not to mention more effective.

The only reason we have these very expensive strip scanners in the airports is to make money for the companies who make them. That's it - that's the whole reason. They do nothing to actually increase security. If someone were truly determined to bring a bomb on a plane, they'd put it in a body cavity, which the scanners cannot detect.

I'm also very concerned about the levels of radiation that the TSA workers are forced to be exposed to during their jobs. Dentists and doctors wear protection and leave the room when they use x-ray machines, but the TSA workers have no such protection. I am betting that if the strip scanners continue to be in use, we will see a statistically significant increase in cancer rates for TSA workers.

[hobie16]

The only reason we have these very expensive strip scanners in the airports is to make money for the companies who make them. That's it - that's the whole reason. They do nothing to actually increase security. If someone were truly determined to bring a bomb on a plane, they'd put it in a body cavity, which the scanners cannot detect.

Economics again. If some companies are going to profit from an opportunity then why not go along for the ride and invest in them. Remember, there are no problems, just opportunities.

I'm also very concerned about the levels of radiation that the TSA workers are forced to be exposed to during their jobs. Dentists and doctors wear protection and leave the room when they use x-ray machines, but the TSA workers have no such protection. I am betting that if the strip scanners continue to be in use, we will see a statistically significant increase in cancer rates for TSA workers.

Anyone working around devices that produce radiation should be concerned. Example: Many traffic cops in cars would place their radar guns between their legs while doing paperwork. Result? Testicular cancer.

If I was a TSA worker I'd be more concerned about the radiation from the conveyor belt x-ray machines. They have to be a lot stronger to view the inside of bags going through the system.

[hobie16]