TSA Airport Checks: A Case Study

Throughout the American History there’s been several people and events that have influenced the economy of the United States both positive and negatively. The Gilded Age, for instance, was a period where the growth of industries quickly took place leaving many great fortunes and wealth. The Robber Barons were businessmen responsible for taking control of major industries; and with so, they took most of the credit due to the fact that they shaped the economic landscape we experience in today’s daily living. Yet many people believe that the Robber Barons where greedy capitalists pigs even with the many opportunities they built such as large industries, technological changes, countless jobs for the Americans, and many other factors that benefited

In certain parts of the world, a retinal scanner was added at the security area. A passenger could go through a different security line and allow the scanner to read their eyes and be sent through without being searched, taking off shoes and coats or even removing their computers from their bags. In order to be able to receive this luxurious security check, a person would have to send in extensive forms to the government. These forms would tell the government everything about the person in order to do the extensive background check. And this takes time as well. You cannot expect for this to happen overnight. Not only does this take time and extensive checks, but it also costs money. It will cost someone about a hundred dollars to be even considered for this security check. The retinal scanner is not used in all airports. Most of them are actually located outside the

One of the biggest problems with the TSA is the concept of “security theater”. This concepts means that just since police officers and other people in uniform are around, the public is safe. Another part of this problem is that if a terrorist were to try and the attack the United States again, they would be able to study and plan around the TSA’s procedures and searches. Brazenly, the Agency operates in plain view of everyone. When studying the TSA’s thoroughness, the experts found that they missed up to 95% of prohibited items at times, and have never thwarted a terrorist plot through random security checks. The TSA regularly posts on Instagram, mostly pictures of contraband and weapons. Looting has been an issue at times as well, with agents confiscating items they either weren’t supposed to, or that they wanted for themselves. Recapping, the TSA only provides a feeling of safety, has never stopped a documented terrorist, and occasionally loots passengers. These are only a few of the issues that plague the

After the devastating terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11th, TSA (Transportation Security Administration) was created and have since then beefed up their security. Because of all the new security devices and rules taking place now, the wait time at in the security line is longer, but for a good reason. On an average day, TSA screens 1.1 million bags. Of those 1.1 million bags, around 50,000 of them have to be checked thoroughly due to suspicious items inside the bags. The wait time at airport security lines has increased because of new threats. Because of an increase in the wait time at the security line, some people find it very frustrating and think that all the precautions are unnecessary. Those people are wrong though. In the past years since TSA was created, multiple bomber attacks have been attempted but have yet to succeed due to TSA keeping up with its safety requirements. In 2010, TSA started to use full body scanners. Some people are uncomfortable with the idea that when going through the body scanners, they are almost viewed completely naked and worry that those photos will be leaked. In Emily Holbrook’s article, Airport Security: privacy vs. safety, she makes an interesting pint when it comes to body scanners by quoting Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who said, ‘” you don’t need to look at my wife and 8-year-old daughter naked in order to secure that airplane”’ (quoted in QTD. Holbrook 14). This is an issue that has been brought to many people when going

"Savannah Barry, a 16-year-old Type 1 diabetic, uses an insulin pump that can malfunction when exposed to technology used in airport screenings. When she passed through the Salt Lake City airport for a flight home to Denver in May, she asked for a pat-down, but Transportation Security Administration workers directed her to pass through a scanner. Her parents weren't there -- she was on a school trip -- but she trusted TSA agents to guide her. But the pump makers could no longer guarantee that Savannah was receiving the correct amount of insulin after it passed through the scanner, and it had to be replaced" (Gumbrecht). The severe preventive procedures taken at airports ended not with Savannah Barry gaining a sense of stability but instead concern with her physical health. Furthermore, these extreme measures are not always accurate, as displayed by the 25,000 airport security breaches since 2001. "In one recent example, a JetBlue cleaning crew discovered a stun gun which had somehow been smuggled onto a flight from Boston to Newark on Friday, an apparent glaring breach of security" (Ferran). House subcommittee on National Security chairman

Now they want to upgrade their technology because “Before 9/11, most checked luggage, particularly on domestic flights, went straight onto the plane without being scrutinized for explosives” (Peterson). This means that it was a higher risk for people bombing the airports or other places. By upgrading their technology now airport securities are going to be safer for people traveling.

As with any government organization the TSA has taken much criticism on its security practices.

If you have ever traveled on an airplane before, you would be familiar with the Transportation Security Administration, or more commonly known as the TSA. Founded in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks initially under the Department of Transportation and later placed under the Department of Homeland Security all in the name of making air travel safer for Americans. They are most commonly known for making you take off your shoes, separate your liquids, and walk through body scanners. Keep in mind that those are only the least invasive things that you may be subjected to while passing under their watchful (or perhaps not-so watchful) gaze. Many Americans will gladly accept these invasions of privacy as a necessity on the path to safer travel for themselves and their fellow travelers through thwarting potential terrorists. But the harsh reality of it is that the TSA does not

Many civil rights groups are skeptical of the TSA’s guaranteeing that screening technology in airports is not capable of and does not use the images it shows for any reason other than safety. Still, people question the overall effectiveness of the scanners used. Many argue that because the scanners cannot penetrate into scanning body cavities, there is still a large room for error. Also protested and hated by the public are the thorough pat-downs that can embarrass travelers. The process “involve[s] the use of the fingers and palm to search for concealed items and more detailed tactile inspection of areas high on the thigh, in the groin area,and under a women's breasts… routinely involving touching of breasts, buttocks, and genitals” (Bart Elias 7).

The current screening method is the body scanner which has been reported on multiple times by the news as it is consider invasive in nature. The screener is able to see the passenger’s nude image, but software updates have eliminated this providing only detection of metallic and nonmetallic threats. The prior method of a metal detector which did not alarm staff if nonmetallic threats existed allowed C-4 explosive (a clay type of explosive) to board the plan. The body scanners are quicker than the former methods of a “pat down”, which every passenger had to endure and were less invasive. This system will be used by the TSA until a better method is discovered, which will provide faster screening, more privacy to passengers and better detection of threats. The cost of this has rising over the years but it was the initial setup of the TSA in 2002 which cost the most since there was not an agency within this realm that completed these duties.

The TSA maintains a screening Performance Management Information System (PMIS) where recorded complaints are logged. Operations research analysis teams and federal security directors review complaints logged in the database to track trends and identify areas of concern and take appropriate actions, including possible disciplinary actions, to resolve specific issues. Complaints involving allegations of discrimination based on color, race, gender, religion, or national or ethnic origin are forwarded to the TSA’s Office of Civil Rights for further investigation. Despite considerable concern raised by some regarding inappropriate behavior during pat-down screening procedures, the DHS found no problems with the technique.

As a response to the 9/11 attacks, one would expect that the TSA would improve airport security. In reality, it's just security theater. Originally, the use of metal detectors and luggage x-rays in airport security checkpoints was enough. However, on December 25, 2009, an inbound international

While security measures are important and sometimes necessary, the harsh and rigorous pat down procedures can be found extremely threatening. The many people (most of which are innocent) who have been unfortunate enough to have been carrying something questionable that the scanner has picked up, can

Finally, the TSA is “hopelessly bureaucratic” according to Kip Hawle, a former TSA chief (Edwards, 2013). That bureaucracy often leads to extended retention of inefficient, ineffectual employees largely because the hiring and firing process is arduous. One study on TSA staff members suggests that employees may not take action because not adhering to the rules and regulations set forth comes with great penalties. Therefore, the employees are typically not free-thinking problem solvers, but people who want to complete their tasks without getting any attention. Unfortunately, this may lead to oversight if a terrorist threat does occur (De Gramatica, Massacci, Shim, Turhan, & Williams, 2017).

Transportation is one of the largest industries in the world. It is the most costly and time consuming of the supply chain. Transportation refers to the movement of products and raw materials from one destination to another. This process begins from the supply chain to the shipping of the finished product to the consumer. For we know that products are rarely produced in the same location. We as people depend on transportation because it moves goods and people from one place to another.