Friday Afternoon Cartoons
It’s funny, I’ve been with TSA for three years now and each and every previous major travel season, whether it’s Summer, Thanksgiving or whatever, the news media has forecasted a pending meltdown of the security system. As Mark Twain said, “Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.”
This is the first year since we started in 2002 that the major focus of a holiday travel season isn’t on the good old T-S-A. Maybe that’s a sign of a maturing organization that has gotten it right for the past several years, maybe is a sign of higher gas prices and a pending presidential election, who knows.
Today, just like each of the past six Memorial Day weekends, we’re staffed up, ready to roll and screen anyone and everyone that arrives at a security checkpoint. Wait times so far are short, maybe because the Air Transport Association forecasts a 1 percent reduction in passengers from last year, but in large part because of the dedicated service of a great majority of our 46,000 officers--- most of which will be on the line (40,000 plus), screening passengers and baggage this holiday weekend.
So instead of some thought-provoking, controversial subject this weekend, we thought we’d try to entertain you with a couple of cartoons that caught our eye. And while our Sensitive Security Information (SSI) office is concerned that the New Yorker may have unveiled standard operating procedures (just kidding), and this guy certainly isn’t Simpliflying, we’ll take the risk to share their most recent cover with you.
Our compliments to the New Yorker and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution respectively.
Labels: Gripes and Grins
posted by Christopher at
4:08 PM
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60 Comments:
You have no idea how many of us are sufficiently fed up with your agency that we have considered going through a checkpoint in the configuration of the guy in the top cartoon. I have already gone through an X-ray shirtless when a screener demanded that I remove a hooded sweatshirt I was wearing in the late winter.
PS: How's Alan Crabtree doing these days?
May 23, 2008 4:54 PM
Dave, let's get a grip here buddy, it's a Friday afternoon before a three day weekend and we're trying to have just a little fun (if even at our own expense).
Hope you had something on under that hooded sweatshirt, it's pretty cool in most airports and you did say it was late Winter...
If not, you could have just let the officer know that you forgot your t-shirt underneath and he/she would have let you keep the sweatshirt on.
Hope the cartoons at least caused you to crack a smile before you wrote your comment.
Christopher
EOS Blog Team
May 23, 2008 5:08 PM
Those cartoons would be funny if they weren't so close to reality.
About the sweatshirts: Dave did not forget his T-shirt underneath. He did not know sweatshirts are on the TSA no-no list. That information is not posted anywhere. I found out on this blog. Please post this on the general TSA website:
"Persons wearing sweatshirts or clothing that does not show the contour of their body may be asked to remove the sweatshirt or be submitted to a pat-down."
I have worn sweats for years on airplanes for comfort, and am always sent for secondary screening. I never knew why! Now I am always going to travel in real tight, revealing outfits, just to avoid the hassle (I hope) and make a few girls out there jealous...
May 23, 2008 5:24 PM
Yeah Dave,
Get a grip. You never seem to have anything nice to say... stop being so rude and read the post for what it is....
May 23, 2008 9:59 PM
Christopher, I think you'll have to excuse the general public for not being in a very humorous mood when it comes to the TSA and it's mission to protect us against the scourge of exploding water bottles and Maxwell Smart style shoes (although a phone beats explosives any day for a shoe device).
I won't hold it againt you personally for the job you hold however you essentially keep you're job by perpetuating the fear mongering of you're employer. Yes there are threats out there but of course backtracking and saying that we aren't in imminent danger means budget cuts which means propagandists like you lose your jobs.
Back on topic, the second cartoon seems to be a lot more topical to today's traveling than the first, the first would have made more sense a couple of months ago when the whole imaging debate was active since it has now somewhat fizzled.
May 23, 2008 10:20 PM
This is a good idea for a happy thread for the holiday weekend. I think we should fill this thread with cartoons related to the TSA.
Cartoon 1
Cartoon 2
Cartoon 3
Cartoon 4
Cartoon 5
Cartoon 6
I hope you enjoyed them.
May 24, 2008 1:49 AM
Christopher said:
"If not, you could have just let the officer know that you forgot your t-shirt underneath and he/she would have let you keep the sweatshirt on."
That just goes to show, Christopher, how very little you know about how your rank and file operate.
You might have posted the cartoons in jest, but what you miss is the point of those cartoons: the country is fed up with DHS and the TSA.
May 24, 2008 8:19 AM
If not, you could have just let the officer know that you forgot your t-shirt underneath and he/she would have let you keep the sweatshirt on.
Hope the cartoons at least caused you to crack a smile before you wrote your comment.
Christopher
EOS Blog Team
Sorry Chris, but you're wrong about them letting him wear a sweatshirt. You're own policy treats EVERYONE like they are terrorist suspects and the sweatshirt has to come off. TSA has even made women unbutton their blouse because of metal trim on the buttons. Suggest you get some better information before commenting on issues you know little to nothing about.
May 24, 2008 9:49 AM
ROTFL! I can't believe you posted that cartoon! You guys wish!
May 24, 2008 3:59 PM
If not, you could have just let the officer know that you forgot your t-shirt underneath and he/she would have let you keep the sweatshirt on.
Considering that TSA officers required a woman to remove a nipple ring with a pliers. I seriously doubt they would have let him keep his sweatshirt on if he told them he had nothing on underneath it. I think your the one that needs to "get a grip".
May 24, 2008 4:32 PM
Sandra said...
Christopher said:
"If not, you could have just let the officer know that you forgot your t-shirt underneath and he/she would have let you keep the sweatshirt on."
That just goes to show, Christopher, how very little you know about how your rank and file operate.
You might have posted the cartoons in jest, but what you miss is the point of those cartoons: the country is fed up with DHS and the TSA.
nope. 90% of the people who come through the checkpoints are nice to us, or at least not rude, and dont complain or give us a hard time.
the other 10% are jerks no matter where they go.
which is why 99.9% of people who go through our checkpoints dont bother to post on our blog. if you notice only a select few post on here. with the millions that travel daily, id's say were respected more then you think.
May 24, 2008 10:32 PM
You guys literally cracked me up ;) Good to see the TSA has a sense of humor at times :D
May 25, 2008 4:33 AM
TSA quote of the week;
"Whether the monkey came through security overtly or covertly, the monkey was screened," said Transportation and Security Administration spokesperson Sari Koshetz.
,>)
T. Saint
May 25, 2008 6:55 AM
I am in Billings, MT and they are allowing airport employees to walk around the airport security through the "do not enter" area.
These folks are avoid all security checks. When I brought this to their attention they said, "those people have special badges."
Either everyone gets screened or no one gets screened. Sure hope terrorists don't get the special "we're too connected to get screened" badges. Dumb move, TSA, real dumb move.
Oh, and after pointing this out I suddenly had to get extra-extra special screenings. Shocking. Sorta like reporting a police incident and then getting pulled over every time you leave your driveway.
Dumb move, TSA. Real dumb move.
May 25, 2008 8:35 AM
Over the last few years, every novel I have read, most being mysteries, has had at least one dig in it about the TSA and the circus that is called "security." Tony Hillerman, James Patterson, Jonathan Kellerman, the list of authors goes on and on. Yesterday I was reading Kellerman's most recent mystery "Compulsion." Alex Delaware takes a red-eye and he's hungry when he gets off the plane. He makes a comment, I'm paraphrasing: "I would have brought my Jell-o and oatmeal on the plane but the TSA thought it might go boom."
Last night, I had a re-run of Law and Order on and one of the cops in the episode said in reference to some happening: "Yeah, I read the Patriot Act under it's original title: '1984'."
The cartoons you reference are not meant to be funny. They are a political statement about the uselessness of your agency.
May 25, 2008 8:44 AM
I am a TSO and I wanted to say thanks for the laugh from trollkiller's cartoons. I also wanted to say to the few that think everyone hates the TSA, we are here because the majority of people want us to be. There is a greater majority of people that want us than the group that doesn't like us.
May 25, 2008 9:25 AM
As long as we are picking on the poor TSA, let's get us passengers too. This is written by Dave Barry. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20040703/ai_n14581403
WE'RE entering the busy summer air-travel season, which means the airports will be swarming with millions of vacation travelers, all of them ahead of you in the security line, many of them with the intelligence of an avocado.
No, that's unfair to avocados. I say this because of the passenger behavior I often observe at my local airport, the Miami International Permanent Construction Zone and Narcotics Bazaar. Every security checkpoint there is festooned with signs informing you, in several languages, that you must produce two things: (1) Your boarding pass; and (2) A photo ID.
Related Results
Flying? Do you have a boarding pass and ID?
Also there are people announcing in loud voices, "Please have your boarding pass and photo ID ready!" Also, as you near the checkpoint, you can see that all the passengers in front of you are being required to produce a boarding pass and a photo ID.
If there were an avocado in the line -- even a non-gifted avocado - - at some point it would grasp that it needed to produce a boarding pass and ID (which would say "Avocado"). But many human air travelers cannot manage this feat. Dozens of times, I have stood behind people who are taken totally by surprise. A boarding pass! AND an ID! Of all the things to need, here at the airport! And so they start rooting through their belongings, while those of us in the line roll our eyes, and the avocado rolls its pit.
To help prevent unnecessary airport delays and stranglings this summer, I've prepared the following BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO TRAVELING BY AIR:
When to arrive at theairport
You should be at the airport already.
How much luggage you can carry on
You can carry on one small bag and one medium bag, for a total of two bags. You may not carry on three bags by insisting to airline personnel -- as I have seen many travelers do -- that one of your bags is not really a bag, as if it is some kind of magical invisible fairy bag that the airline personnel cannot see. You also may not carry on a suitcase the size of a sleeper sofa apparently containing the entire wardrobe of the Broadway production of "The Producers." The fact that your suitcase has wheels does NOT automatically mean that you may carry it onto the airplane. A piano also has wheels, but you wouldn't try to take a piano onto a plane, would you? No, wait, some of you would.
Prohibited objects
You may not take knives, guns, spears, spear guns, flame- throwers, catapults, missiles, armored personnel carriers, GI Joe dolls, sharp objects or cheeses, scary animals such as squid, pointy Madonna-style brassieres, or anything else that could be used to inflict harm, such as a DVD of the movie "Gigli." If you know karate or kung fu, you may take your hands on board, but you must keep them clasped tightly under your armpits throughout the flight. You may carry nail clippers, provided that you padlock them shut and give the key to the pilot upon boarding.
How to go through the security checkpoint
Have your boarding pass and photo ID ready. Remove all your possessions from your pockets and put them in a plastic tray. Have your boarding pass and photo ID ready. Remove your belt, shoes, pacemakers and any large dental fillings and put them in another plastic tray. Have your boarding pass and photo ID ready. Remove your laptop computer and put this in another plastic tray. FOR GOD'S SAKE HAVE YOUR BOARDING PASS AND PHOTO ID READY. Put everything -- trays, bags, children younger than 2-- on the moving belt, then stand in a non-terroristic manner until the security person signals to you, at which time, while holding your boarding pass and photo ID up non- threateningly, you should shuffle meekly forward until your pants fall to the floor.
Joking around with the security personnel
Airport security personnel are a wacky and fun-loving group who are bored to death from spending eight hours a day reminding morons to have their boarding passes and photo IDs ready. There is nothing they enjoy more than a good joke or prank, such as the one where you give the victim a can that says "peanut brittle," and when he opens it, giant spring-loaded worms come shooting out. Ha ha! That always sets off a round of hearty knee-slapping at the checkpoint.
Yes, if you just use your common sense this vacation season, instead of wasting your summer waiting in long hectic lines at the airport, you can spend your time relaxing in the quiet privacy of your federal detention cell. Which is just as well, because your flight was canceled.
May 25, 2008 12:33 PM
You people are not for real why is it the same people with the same complaints. It seems that with this blog so few people resond to it. It is the same people over and over again. I guess there was no fear mongering in the previous administration, oh that right theye admited they lied, because they got caught. You liberals will never be happy untill you have your wealth distribution so people that fly alot won't get that special line.Can we ever remember those soilders who died for to be free and all you want to do is complain. I don't agree with TSA but this is the weekend to let go.Unless you are in Canada dodging your service because your to afarid to fight for freedom and you are not doing that here. If you have major complaints take them to court and prove that TSA is breaking the 4th ADM.Hasn't been done since before 2001 when it was private screening which was simular to today.Dave and Sandra you have no idea how the country feels.
May 25, 2008 12:59 PM
"we are here because the majority of people want us to be. There is a greater majority of people that want us than the group that doesn't like us."
Actually, surveys have shown that TSA is one of the most disliked government agencies -- down there with the IRS. No one likes TSA because no one likes a bully.
May 25, 2008 4:59 PM
If Dave and Sandra have "no idea how the country feels", why did the TSA rank with the IRS at the bottom of a survey of agencies of the U. S. Government?
I'm waiting for your response?
Oh, you can't respond?
I didn't think so.
May 25, 2008 5:48 PM
You people are not for real why is it the same people with the same complaints. It seems that with this blog so few people resond to it. It is the same people over and over again.
Yep, many of us who complain the loudest have either had very bad experiences with TSA or have personally witnessed those bad experiences happening to others and have a very dull, chipped axe to grind with TSA over issues that should never, ever happen to anyone at the hands of government employees.
I guess there was no fear mongering in the previous administration, oh that right theye admited they lied, because they got caught.
Huh? Who was president when 9/11 happened? Clue, it wasn't mister zipper. Please get your facts right.
You liberals will never be happy untill you have your wealth distribution so people that fly alot won't get that special line.
Huh? Me a liberal? Not unless a strict Consitutionalist is now considered to be a liberal.
Can we ever remember those soilders who died for to be free and all you want to do is complain.
Huh? How can you couple soldiers (miltary) to people complaining about TSA excesses? FYI, my father, my brother, my son, and myself have either served or currently serve in the military.
I don't agree with TSA but this is the weekend to let go.
Huh? Eternal vigilence is the price of freedom.
Unless you are in Canada dodging your service because your to afarid to fight for freedom and you are not doing that here.
Really? Dodging service? Do you mean either AWOL or desertion since there is no draft?
If you have major complaints take them to court and prove that TSA is breaking the 4th ADM.
The 4th Ammendment is only the tip of the iceberg. Suggest you look a little bit more before complaining.
Hasn't been done since before 2001 when it was private screening which was simular to today.Dave and Sandra you have no idea how the country feels.
Sorry, I started flying in March of 2000 and it is considerably different now than then. I've seen outrages on the part of TSA that would curdle your hair and will continue to complain until TSA has improved. No feedback means that everything is okay. Negative feedback (complaining) means a correction is in order.
May 25, 2008 6:21 PM
"nope. 90% of the people who come through the checkpoints are nice to us, or at least not rude, and don't complain or give us a hard time.
the other 10% are jerks no matter where they go.
which is why 99.9% of people who go through our checkpoints dont bother to post on our blog. if you notice only a select few post on here. with the millions that travel daily, id's say were respected more then you think."
I've never given a TSO a difficult moment, yet I post here. I doubt most people know this blog exists, and, of course, the numerous and most vocal people are going to be the ones who have, let us say, issues with the TSA. Your logic is sadly, quite false.
The TSA blog would choke if even a tiny percentage of the 2,000,000 daily travelers attempted to post their viewpoints here. This blog, after all, is only a few months old. Give it a few years, and it will need a full time staff and a different format to handle the posts.
If you want to see some really interesting interactive discussions between travelers and TSO's, go the the security section of Flyer Talk.
Flyer Talk has been around for a few years. The posts are immediate, the comments often entertaining, and the viewpoints varied. There are mixed feelings about the transparency and effectiveness of this blog, as well...
May 25, 2008 10:09 PM
re: Every security checkpoint there is festooned with signs informing you, in several languages, that you must produce two things: (1) Your boarding pass; and (2) A photo ID.
..................................
While one must have a boarding pass their is no need to have ID.
TSA is not truthful if they have posted signs stating that ID is required.
Why should we trust TSA about anything if they start out with a lie?
Perhaps if they looked for dangerous items instead of paying so much time to identity then we might have a greater degree of security.
Perhaps if the inspected people, vehicles and cargo that enter the airports we might have a greater degree of security.
If someone or some agency lies about any one thing then they can not be trusted to be truthful about anything!
TSA lies and cannot be trusted!
May 25, 2008 11:00 PM
"You people are not for real why is it the same people with the same complaints."
A small percentage of us could have multiple personalities.
"It seems that with this blog so few people resond to it."
But most of us can use a spell checker...
"It is the same people over and over again. I guess there was no fear mongering in the previous administration, oh that right theye admited they lied, because they got caught."
Ha Ha Ha, got you again, didn't they?
"You liberals will never be happy untill you have your wealth distribution so people that fly alot won't get that special line."
Hmm, Ill have to switch over to another personality to understand this comment...
"Can we ever remember those soilders who died for to be free and all you want to do is complain."
No, I did take some time to think about our soldiers who gave their lives for our country.
"I don't agree with TSA but this is the weekend to let go.Unless you are in Canada dodging your service because your to afarid to fight for freedom and you are not doing that here."
The draft ended several decades ago, the military is far better, professional, and more effective for being all volunteer.
"If you have major complaints take them to court and prove that TSA is breaking the 4th ADM.Hasn't been done since before 2001 when it was private screening which was simular to today."
Like old times, really, before the current administration, which seems to think smart bombs are weapons that can find terrorists with no fixed address.
"Dave and Sandra you have no idea how the country feels."
And, you of course, do? Actually, of course, you mean that Sandra and Dave don't know how you and some like minded people feel. They might not even have thought about your opinion. I don't speak for them, however.
Personally, I don't feel terrified by the current world situation, it is pretty much as it has been for the last several thousand years. The wars, plagues, eruptions, invasions, storms, and earthquakes are part of every human life experience, and always have been. Now, instead of hearing about a war or event months after it happens, we get to watch it live, then over and over in color. That started with the Vietnam war, and was probably why there is no longer a draft.
May 25, 2008 11:13 PM
I noticed a comment containing a certain quote was deleted from the MMW post. In the spirit of "we haven't forgotten," I'm reposting it here:
From an email interview between Kip and Bruce Schneier, available here.
"KH: We're still evaluating backscatter and are in the process of running millimeter wave portals right alongside backscatter to compare their effectiveness and the privacy issues. We do not now store images for the test phase (function disabled), and although we haven't officially resolved the issue, I fully understand the privacy argument and don't assume that we will store them if and when they're widely deployed."
Non-weasel worded translation: go back to every single assurance any blogger has given us and add "...for the test phase" to the end of it.
May 26, 2008 2:02 AM
How interesting ! Hope get a grip here!
May 26, 2008 2:30 AM
"You people are not for real why is it the same people with the same complaints. It seems that with this blog so few people resond to it. It is the same people over and over again."
I hope all of you reading this post will take a moment to reflect upon our country and the people who have given their lives in service.
To our anonymous poster, I will suggest that the complainers are among the true patriots of this country. We all have a duty to speak up when we see something that is not just, to vote, to choose leadership that we respect, and to set right the issues that confront us.
May 26, 2008 8:18 AM
Christopher said:
Dave, let's get a grip here buddy, it's a Friday afternoon before a three day weekend and we're trying to have just a little fun (if even at our own expense).
Christopher,
Subjecting ourselves to intrusive warrantless searches, de facto criminal background checks when buying a ticket, being subjects of BDO mind games, and the threat of detention, fines and arrest by our own government simply for daring to fly on a commercial airliner is hardly my definition of "fun."
It's a threat to our civil liberties and of our way of life -- period. I regret you and your agency fail to see it this way.
May 26, 2008 10:39 AM
We are easily disliked because we are so out there in the public eye. You do not get a recording. You get to voice a complaint or express dislike to our face. You get to throw stuff at us, you get to spit at us, you get to threaten and sometimes take a swing at us. I sure would like to do that to the IRS,or utility companies that can put you on hold. Of course people are unhappy, it doesn't matter how or what is done you will always see your side and consider how you are offended. I liked the cartoons from Chris and from trollkiller. TSA is not the only thing wrong in the world today. Consider yourself lucky if airport security is all you eat and breath. I am a TSO and agree that everyone including us should be screened. When I travel I am Jane Traveler just like anybody else.I cannot bring liquids,I must remove my shoes,laptop and jacket or any other bulky clothing. (Bulky is the keyword not Hoody) I wear socks because I do not want to walk barefoot. Let me when the IRS, Local Utilities, Local Government or any other agency I have a gripe with lets me voice my opinion. Get over it, stop whining and be constructive.
May 26, 2008 11:31 AM
I guess I have a question for the blogosphere on this one...
Why would TSA intentionally lie to people?
It's a government agency--it's not going anywhere. Trust me, everyone who works there is quite secure in their jobs. They don't need to be fear mongers. People don't like the IRS, but they aren't going to abolish it anytime soon.
TSA doesn't have a political agenda--it has a job to do. And, unlike other parts of the government, it DOESN'T follow the 1% doctrine.
May 26, 2008 6:46 PM
ATTENTION BLOG MASTERS
Gripes and Grins is broke.
One cannot go to the last few posts but are stuck with the May 15th post while several remain.
Thank you
May 26, 2008 8:52 PM
The New Yorker - Greatest magizine in the world is what I believe they say? Regardless I did laugh.
Man, you seem to have a few people who are commenting on every subject posted and are simply never happy. Waaaaaaayyyyy too much time on their hands. But does the fact that there are always people who look at life as the glass is half full really surprise anyone:)
May 27, 2008 9:08 AM
Responding to - Anonymous said...
I am in Billings, MT and they are allowing airport employees to walk around the airport security through the "do not enter" area.
These folks are avoid all security checks. When I brought this to their attention they said, "those people have special badges."
Either everyone gets screened or no one gets screened. Sure hope terrorists don't get the special "we're too connected to get screened" badges. Dumb move, TSA, real dumb move.
Oh, and after pointing this out I suddenly had to get extra-extra special screenings. Shocking. Sorta like reporting a police incident and then getting pulled over every time you leave your driveway.
Dumb move, TSA. Real dumb move.
___________________________________
It sounds like they are allowing the badged airport employees to bypass screening by accessing the sterile area via the exit lane? However, depending on what type of access area / door you are speaking of the employees may be going through an access with a card reader or something, hard to say with out seeing it, but if they are simply walking into the sterile area by going down an exit lane then that should not be. With that said it is a regulatory issue and not something which the uniformed staff has authority over.
I believe Billing is a CAT III airport, so fairly small. If this one upsets you wait until you see how much money the federal tax payer is spending per person screened from the 7 new airports the MT deligation found a way to get federalized. Over 14K each is the rumor once all is factored.
May 27, 2008 9:18 AM
If you want to read the newest posts on Gripes and Grins, click on post a comment. Scroll down to the bottom of that page of comments, and click on newest. You should be able to see the rest of the comments now.
May 27, 2008 1:26 PM
Gripes and Grins is not working. Two messages I sent disappeared. Interestingly, the last and first message that appeared are pro-TSA...
May 27, 2008 4:57 PM
Marshall said...
If Dave and Sandra have "no idea how the country feels", why did the TSA rank with the IRS at the bottom of a survey of agencies of the U. S. Government?
I'm waiting for your response?
Oh, you can't respond?
I didn't think so.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I can respond. In the same poll, the TSA out ranked CONGRESS. Check out the details for yourself:
http://surveys.ap.org/data/Ipsos/national/2007-12-20%20AP%20TSA%20Topline.pdf
And, while the TSA's rating is not at the top of the list, if you look at the data it indicates that more than 50% of the respondents gave the TSA a FAVORABLE rating. They may have given other agencies a more favorable rating, but they aren't trashing the TSA.
May 27, 2008 7:11 PM
Anonymous said...
I can respond. In the same poll, the TSA out ranked CONGRESS. Check out the details for yourself:
Survey PDF warning
And, while the TSA's rating is not at the top of the list, if you look at the data it indicates that more than 50% of the respondents gave the TSA a FAVORABLE rating. They may have given other agencies a more favorable rating, but they aren't trashing the TSA.
I created a link to the survey because the url was being truncated. I want to make sure everyone can find it, BTW thank you for finding it.
Anonymous is right, 56% of the people that responded viewed the TSA as "somewhat to very favorable".
BUT, if you go to the 3rd question you will find that 49% of the respondents have not flown in the last 12 months. (date of survey)
Only 53% of the people that have flown in the last 12 months think the TSA does a "somewhat to very good" job.
For the poll to be fair the same options should have been given to the 51% that have flown as was given to the group as a whole when rating all the Govt. agencies. Specifically the "neither good nor poor" option should have been struck. (In other words the respondents were not allowed to give a neutral answer when rating all the agencies.)
The 51% that have flown were asked to rate the screeners as;
Very good 22%
Somewhat good 31%
Neither good nor poor 30%
Somewhat poor 9%
Very poor 7%
DK/NS 1%
30% rated the TSA screeners as neither good or poor, that tells me that 30% of the people saw you as just one more stumbling block to their destination. They did not see the TSA as being effective, needed or wanted, they saw the TSA as something to be tolerated.
16% saw the TSA as performing poorly. Polls are supposed to give us an accurate view of feelings of the whole.
If this is the case 320,000 (three hundred, twenty thousand) people a day feel the TSA preforms poorly.
320,000 people a day think that the TSA sucks, that is nothing to be proud of. That is a shameful number.
On a good note a 53% customer satisfaction rating is right up there with Comcast.
May 28, 2008 4:50 AM
Marshall said:
And, while the TSA's rating is not at the top of the list, if you look at the data it indicates that more than 50% of the respondents gave the TSA a FAVORABLE rating. They may have given other agencies a more favorable rating, but they aren't trashing the TSA.
Marshall, please tell us how many of the 50% who responded favorably to the TSA have ever flown or have had any other encounter with the TSA?
May 28, 2008 6:36 AM
Sorry, Marshall -- I should have asked "anonymous" the question which I presume is posted above.
-- Senior moment --
May 28, 2008 6:37 AM
Dunstan said
To our anonymous poster, I will suggest that the complainers are among the true patriots of this country. We all have a duty to speak up when we see something that is not just, to vote, to choose leadership that we respect, and to set right the issues that confront us.
Well The rest of the country didn't vote like you if you even voted. And what branch of service where you in? Save your retoric for others.
May 28, 2008 11:06 AM
Dave Nelson said...
Marshall said:
And, while the TSA's rating is not at the top of the list, if you look at the data it indicates that more than 50% of the respondents gave the TSA a FAVORABLE rating. They may have given other agencies a more favorable rating, but they aren't trashing the TSA.
Marshall, please tell us how many of the 50% who responded favorably to the TSA have ever flown or have had any other encounter with the TSA?
May 28, 2008 6:36 AM
Dave Nelson said...
Sorry, Marshall -- I should have asked "anonymous" the question which I presume is posted above.
-- Senior moment --
Dave, I understand the Senior Moment thing - I often enjoy Blonde Moments myself.
You seem like a smart guy so I'm sure you perused the poll results. You already know that the question you ask is not addressed.
I do find it interesting, however, that the poll bluntly asks everyone "what they dislike about traveling by air" - Question #6
Only one person specifically states that they don't like the TSA. Granted, many mention that they're not crazy about all the security checks, but they also say that they generally feel safe when flying.
I'm of the opinion that if the TSA and airport security checks were eliminated, people would not feel (or be) as safe.
I guess that I didn't get my point across in my original posting. I was going for the irony of Congress scoring lowest of all. Near as I can tell (blonde) Congress is the only elected group included in the survey. So as a whole the polled group ranked the only "agency" that they elect least favorably.
One other irony, it's Congress that mandates many of the initiatives that the other agencies are obligated to implement.
Trollkiller said. . .
320,000 people a day think that the TSA sucks, that is nothing to be proud of. That is a shameful number.
Trollkiller, Thanks for putting in that linky thing. . . .way beyond me.
Sucks is such a strong word - my opinion is that 320,000 travelers a day wish that we didn’t live in a world where it is necessary to be security screened before boarding an airplane. I wish the same thing. However, I doubt if 320,000 travelers would say that they think the TSA sucks. (nasty word, too)
And I don't get the Comcast reference. Is it just because they scored 53% in an ACSI poll, or something deeper?
Blondie
May 28, 2008 4:24 PM
Dave, Dave, Dave.....all is forgiven as I can understand those "senior moments."
Apparently, as far as I can determine, the questions were asked of travelers, not the general public. However, something like 40% of those who flew five to ten times a year had an unfavorable view of the TSA and 31% of those who had traveled at least once during the year.
May 28, 2008 6:35 PM
Sucks is such a strong word - my opinion is that 320,000 travelers a day wish that we didn’t live in a world where it is necessary to be security screened before boarding an airplane. I wish the same thing. However, I doubt if 320,000 travelers would say that they think the TSA sucks. (nasty word, too).
Hmmm, security doesn't need to be opressive to be effective. Foreign security (first hand knowledge of Helsinki, Schiphol, and Montreal) treats people much, much better than does the TSA. Notice the numbers of people dissatisfied with TSA are the frequent fliers who get a much higher exposure to the excesses of TSA than do the fly once or twice a year people. TSA does suck (not as strong a word as I would like to use) at security. They do provide for a grand view of security theater though and perhaps many of those giving a positive comment did so just on the theater.
May 29, 2008 1:34 PM
I just want to note a positive experience with a TSA screener yesterday. I had flown from Bucharest to DFW with a long layover in London, where I bought a bottle of perfume for my wife in the airport post-screening. I packed this in my carry-on and promptly forgot it. Naturally, I was flagged in DFW when I had to go through security again after the customs checkpoint. The TSA screener helped me out of the screening line and showed me where to go to check the bag through. She didn't have to do this, and I really appreciate her consideration in the matter.
May 29, 2008 3:53 PM
And I don't get the Comcast reference.
Either you've never purchased services from Comcast or your an employee.
Customer Service is not one of their strong points.
May 30, 2008 1:55 PM
nope. 90% of the people who come through the checkpoints are nice to us, or at least not rude, and dont complain or give us a hard time.
90% know that if they tell you what they think, the'll be held for extra screening until the plane takes off ... but the TSA didn't actually deny them their right to fly.
I am a TSO and I wanted to say thanks for the laugh from trollkiller's cartoons. I also wanted to say to the few that think everyone hates the TSA, we are here because the majority of people want us to be. There is a greater majority of people that want us than the group that doesn't like us.
Are you sure that a majority of people want you there, or a majority of elected officials are afraid to vote against you being there? I can think of many government programs where Rasmussen and Zogby say a majority oppose but will never go away in spite of that.
You liberals will never be happy untill you have your wealth distribution so people that fly alot won't get that special line.
Libertarians also want liberty, and want it more than liberals do even.
Can we ever remember those soilders who died for to be free and all you want to do is complain.
Yes, I remember my time in the military, fighting for freedom, only to see my sacrifice wasted by people who support repressive domestic agencies like the TSA.
June 6, 2008 3:47 PM
Ummm...do you guys have IRB or FDA approval to do ANY of this? Were the people who went through the device given informed consent? Were they were told what the device does and the possible side effects? Were they offered alternatives to going through the device besides going to jail or not flying? Also, if you take a picture of some under age kid, is it considered pedophilia since you are essentially taking pictures of kids without their clothes? What is the prevelance of actually capturing someone trying to perform a terrorist act?
This half baked plan looks like it's in serious violation of human rights across the board. Even researchers have to get approval before performing experiments on animals on animals, so where do you people get the rights to do this to humans?
I think I'd prefer the terrorists. They would just try to kill me. You people are slowly stripping away my freedom and dignity in a way that limits mine and everyone's ability to fight back.
June 7, 2008 4:17 PM
Miliwave doesn't need FDA approval. OSHA perhaps, but not FDA. It's not the same as X-ray. See my comments in the next blog post on this subject.
June 8, 2008 5:03 PM
I thought that it was funny the last time we went through security we were asked to step aside for further security checks with my wife and 3 small children. We all had to have the "pat down" even my 3 year old. They all thought that it was fun and we all had a laugh about it.
Thank you TSA for keeping us safe.
June 18, 2008 3:30 PM
I would like to know why the Bloggers routinely violate thier own terms:
"This is a moderated blog. That means all comments will be reviewed before posting. In addition, we expect that participants will treat each other, as well as our agency and our employees, with respect. We will not post comments that contain vulgar or abusive language; personal attacks of any kind; "
So why is it that you allow posts that say things like "TSOs are morons" or "The TSA is incompetant and should be replaced"??
These comments are clearly direspectful to a group of people (TSOs in case you couldn't figure that out since you were so busy posting cartoons), serve no constructive purpose and do nothing but undermine the already low moral that exists in the workforce. I'd be ashamed of myself as a TSA employee which I assume you still are to be allowing these posts.
Oh, that's right, I forget that we have the organizational survey to raise our moral!
Either stick tou the terms of the Blog or find yourself another position.
TSA Screening Manager
July 12, 2008 10:29 AM
Haha. Very funny.
July 14, 2008 4:51 PM
To whomever said that "90% of the people who come through the checkpoints are nice to us, or at least not rude, and dont complain or give us a hard time." ...
I am reasonably polity and "nice" when I go through the checkpoints and don't give the people a hard time.
Please do not mistake this for thinking that I even remotely approve of the TSA's policies or tactics.
As for the cartoons, they'd be funny if they weren't so close to the truth. For some reason, I'm not laughing.
July 14, 2008 11:45 PM
Hi,
Sorry for my english, I am french ;-)
Now, use a plane travel, it's very difficult. I can understand, because we live in a unsecure word.
But,someone can explain me, why we need to quit a shoe ? For a laptop, ok, some people can do a bommb system with this, but what do you want to do with my shoe ?
August 16, 2008 10:59 PM
Hilariously funny and so near truth it's mind boggling.
August 29, 2008 12:39 PM
Given the recent war on Dockers pants, this might be the way to travel.
September 10, 2008 10:37 AM
Tiger balm said...
Hi,
Sorry for my english, I am french ;-)
Now, use a plane travel, it's very difficult. I can understand, because we live in a unsecure word.
But,someone can explain me, why we need to quit a shoe ? For a laptop, ok, some people can do a bommb system with this, but what do you want to do with my shoe ?
August 16, 2008 10:59 PM
Simple, Kip Hawley has a shoe fetish!
September 30, 2008 11:12 AM
For all those that say they are sick and tired of the security procedures of TSA and DHS...please, do us all the favor and stop flying. Go hop on a greyhound and sit next to the guy that forgot to shower for the last month. If you dont like what has to be done, dont do it..but you wont go on your plane.
Taking off shoes, 30 seconds of your life
taking out your laptop, another 45 seconds (if you are slow)
walking through a metal detector, 12 seconds...
PLEASE inform me what is so difficult that all you people can do is complain?!?
Being part of TSA myself go through screening on a daily basis and even though its my job. Dont think you are so special that you should bypass that. Flying is a privilage.
Stop wasting our, and your, time with your unreasonable complains and just comply or dont fly. Its simple.
You people just want something to gripe about. get over it already.
September 30, 2008 11:17 PM
For all those that say they are sick and tired of the security procedures of TSA and DHS...please, do us all the favor and stop flying. Go hop on a greyhound and sit next to the guy that forgot to shower for the last month.
Uh, but TSA is getting involved in both bus and train travel.
If you dont like what has to be done, dont do it..but you wont go on your plane.
Taking off shoes, 30 seconds of your life
taking out your laptop, another 45 seconds (if you are slow)
walking through a metal detector, 12 seconds...
Plus an hour or so when your line slows to a snail's pace and ten minutes or so to get reassembled after going through a checkpoint.
PLEASE inform me what is so difficult that all you people can do is complain?!?
Being part of TSA myself go through screening on a daily basis and even though its my job. Dont think you are so special that you should bypass that. Flying is a privilage.
You go through screening as part of your job. If your airport hasn't stopped screening TSA/TSO types then don't complain.
Stop wasting our, and your, time with your unreasonable complains and just comply or dont fly. Its simple.
What I do with my time should be of no concern to you. As to the complaints being unreasonable who are you to judge what is reasonable and what is unreasonable? Do something about the distress that TSA causes to both the elderly and disabled. Score better on your red team tests.
October 1, 2008 5:16 PM
Nice toons, but I really wonder if this is the state of immigration check points.
Who is responsible for the same? We really are fed up with people frisking us all the time, but have we ever thought of consequences in the absence of one?
February 6, 2009 2:04 AM
These cartoons are hilarious and make me laugh hard.
March 24, 2009 3:24 PM
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