Friday, September 5, 2008

TSA is a joke

As I prepare to fly the friendly skies once again today, I had a thought. TSA screens all checked bags (most times, you have to literally carry your bag over to the x-ray machine and "handlers" at check-in).
Why is it, then, that things still get stolen out of bags that are checked? Only two options come to mind:
1) TSA employees are stealing crap out of people's bags, which is a sad statement about the level of security and the type of people that are hired to "protect us" from evil-doers on planes.
2) The chain of security is broken after TSA inspects the bag (some random people are getting into bags after TSA inspects and before the baggage owner gets the bag), which is, on the whole, a lot scarier than the first option. Scary because it means that anyone can do anything to baggage getting on planes once it's been "checked" by security, and "things" can be added to baggage just as easily as they are taken out.
In a parallel thought to the above, how are bags lost in the new age of air travel? If bags are lost, it means that they are unaccounted for, which seems to be another indication that there's a break in the chain of security. You would think, for security's sake, that those who care about security wouldn't want random bags getting on planes they aren't supposed to be on, wouldn't you?
I get the feeling that the TSA's procedures are there to provide an annoyance to travelers, with the idea that annoyance and suffering is equated to a sense of security in placid passenger's minds. It doesn't work that way for me, but then I've never been accused of seeing the world the same way as everyone else.
I guess I should be prepared for strip search, this time around. I'll make sure to wear some clean underwear.

No comments: