TSA Experiences

[Andrea]

Autistic workers may make more reliable TSA baggage handlers, study says

http://globegazette.com/features/autistic-workers-may-make-more-reliable-tsa-baggage-handlers-study/article_964e32ac-a0cf-5d77-9cc2-35d450bc3a04.html

"A study published this year by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Minnesota found that high-functioning autistic men were just as accurate and almost as fast as non-autistic people in finding weapons in X-ray images of baggage.

More important, their performance improved as time went on, particularly in correctly identifying bags that had no weapons."

[Andrea]

Air marshal accused of taking photos up women's dresses at BNA

http://www.wsmv.com/story/23722109/air-marshal-accused-of-taking-photos-up-womens-dresses-at-bna

"A federal air marshal is accused of using his cell phone to take pictures underneath women's dresses as they boarded a flight at Nashville International Airport."

[Andrea]

TSA: Terrorist Threat to Air Safety is Minimal

http://www.frequentbusinesstraveler.com/2013/10/tsa-terrorist-threat-to-air-safety-is-minimal/

"While air travelers continue to be told that they must remove their shoes and go through a body scanner to combat the threat of terrorism in the skies, it turns out that the Transportation Safety Administration has gone on record stating that the threat and risk of terrorist attacks on aviation is very small."

[Andrea]

Security Check Now Starts Long Before You Fly

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/business/security-check-now-starts-long-before-you-fly.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hpw&

"The Transportation Security Administration is expanding its screening of passengers before they arrive at the airport by searching a wide array of government and private databases that can include records like car registrations and employment information."

"...For instance, an update about the T.S.A.’s Transportation Security Enforcement Record System, which contains information about travelers accused of “violations or potential violations” of security regulations, warns that the records may be shared with “a debt collection agency for the purpose of debt collection.”... "

"...A recent privacy notice about PreCheck notes that fingerprints submitted by people who apply for the program will be used by the F.B.I. to check its unsolved crimes database... "

(Bolding mine)

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Andrea

TSA: Terrorist Threat to Air Safety is Minimal

http://www.frequentbusinesstraveler.com/2013/10/tsa-terrorist-threat-to-air-safety-is-minimal/

"While air travelers continue to be told that they must remove their shoes and go through a body scanner to combat the threat of terrorism in the skies, it turns out that the Transportation Safety Administration has gone on record stating that the threat and risk of terrorist attacks on aviation is very small."

Right, there has been no incidents, but how do we know that part of the reason for this is because those these strategies were put in place? Perhaps we would have seen more incidents if the changes didn't occur (people would have tried to bring things through). There is no way to know.

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Right, there has been no incidents, but how do we know that part of the reason for this is because those these strategies were put in place? Perhaps we would have seen more incidents if the changes didn't occur (people would have tried to bring things through). There is no way to know.

Can we agree to disagree about this?

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Andrea

Can we agree to disagree about this?

Absolutely, Andrea!

As an aside, I do enjoy this thread very much and appreciate your postings.

[Cin]

Once the decision is made to buy into the idea of trading freedom for the illusion of safety it becomes impossible to convince someone it does not work. If nothing happens clearly the restrictions are working and the trade off is worth it and the person is safe. If something goes wrong then clearly what is needed is to restrict freedom further. It’s a slippery slope. It would be so much better to remove the reasons for terrorism in the first place, but that would require a restructuring of, well, of everything. Clearly it is easier and more comfortable to evoke righteous indignation and continue to take freedom away. And it does have a kind of sense about it. i mean if a country is going to continue pissing people off around the globe, people who generally have limited ways to bring attention to the abuses perpetrated against them, it only seems fair and logical that this country make an attempt to keep its citizens safe. Especially since not pissing people off around the world by perpetrating or supporting abuses against them is apparently not an option.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Andrea

Autistic workers may make more reliable TSA baggage handlers, study says

http://globegazette.com/features/autistic-workers-may-make-more-reliable-tsa-baggage-handlers-study/article_964e32ac-a0cf-5d77-9cc2-35d450bc3a04.html

"A study published this year by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Minnesota found that high-functioning autistic men were just as accurate and almost as fast as non-autistic people in finding weapons in X-ray images of baggage.

More important, their performance improved as time went on, particularly in correctly identifying bags that had no weapons."

This is not shocking at all to me.

I love the last sentence of the article, as it is so accurate, and unfortunately unknown by the greater populace:

"... (autistic) individuals have unique abilities that can give them an advantage over others at performing some tasks."

My hope is that overtime autistic individuals will be seen for the incredible skill set many of them have and will be sought out by employers, rather than their skils either not being "seen" or them being discriminated against from the first interview due to their "poor" (per our society), social skills.

My mind goes to higher end, tech government jobs that people who are not neurotypical would do better at than others. I know someone whose father fits this category, has very high up security clearance. She says that many of the people at his workplace seem to be non-neurotypical (in her layman's perspective). This does not surprise me.