(no subject)

[adrianem]

On the subject of "enhanced" security measures by the TSA, I haven't read anything addressing this particular point: What does the willingness to do the invasive patdowns say about the character of the people holding these jobs? Does anyone know what screening methods are used when hiring the TSA agents? For instance, do they screen out criminals with records of sexual assault?

Comments

[dracowayfarer.livejournal.com]

Could be they just want to keep their job. I've done things I wasn't happy about because some idiot thought it was good for business. Nothing on this level, of course, but still.

So says Robert Jamison

[ldyanna.livejournal.com]

link here: http://www.tsa.gov/press/speeches/asset_summary_multi_image_with_table_0393.shtm


"TSA Transportation Security Officers, who conduct passenger, baggage, and cargo screening at airports, undergo a two-part background investigation process. TSO applicants are first subject to a pre-employment background investigation. This investigation features the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Special Agreement Check which is a fingerprint based criminal history check that is processed through the FBI. If the pre-employment investigation is favorable and the applicant accepts a position with TSA, the individual then is subject to further background checks through OPM’s Access National Agency Check with Inquiries (ANACI). The TSO is permitted to begin employment while the ANACI is underway. If derogatory information is developed, the individual is afforded an opportunity to address the information obtained during the investigation. If the information is not favorably resolved, the individual is removed from Federal service."

Re: So says Robert Jamison

[ldyanna.livejournal.com]

Of course a background check probably doesn't include any sort of psychological check to see if they are predisposed toward cruelty etc.

Re: So says Robert Jamison

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Also, the background checks aren't as thorough (http://www.airsafenews.com/2010/11/is-tsa-allowing-convicted-rapists-to.html) as they could be.

confused about one thing

[(Anonymous)]

TSA doesn't have a don't ask don't tell policy like the military (their website says that: "all employees and the public are treated in a fair and lawful manner without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, parental status or genetic information"), so it is perhaps safe to presume that they employ gay, lesbian and bisexual people as screeners. Now if it is OK for a gay screener to pat down a male passenger, and for a lesbian screener to pat down a female passenger - why not have male screeners patting down female passengers and female screeners patting down male ones? If they want to keep some sense of proprietary, then could they just let gay male screeners pat down female passengers and lesbian screeners pat down males?

Bonus question: Do they carefully check the gender on your ID before assigning you a screener? Or do they periodically mess up with androgynous passengers?

Re: confused about one thing

[shutt3rg33k.livejournal.com]

Given that this comment has been posted anonymously, I am tempted to screen it. The wording seems inflammatory to me but that may be my own filters. So I'll leave it for now but I'd be interested in others' impressions.

Re: confused about one thing

[mamapduck.livejournal.com]

I read it much like the arguements for DADT. "But I don't want Teh Gayz to see my peepee in the shower!"

Re: confused about one thing

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I hadn't even thought about that last. Just one more way for trans passengers to get shafted.

Re: confused about one thing

[shutt3rg33k.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that thought had occurred to me when a trans friend posted about not flying til this is resolved.

[ermine-rat.livejournal.com]

I just figure that if someone was sneaking a bomb onto a plane to detonate in flight, if they were caught in the screening process, they would just detonate it there, among the hundreds of people carefully gathered at the TSA pojnt for screening.

It doesn't make sense to me.

That screaming 6 year old that was fondled by TSA last week jumps to mind.

[dakini-bones.livejournal.com]

Gov't sanctioned sexual assault is just not justifiable in any way.

[hrj.livejournal.com]

I keep hearing TSA using this argument of "would you want to fly on a plane with people who hadn't gotten the full screening possible?" but there are so many holes in that logic. First off, as ermine_rat notes, if the goal is a suicide bombing of a large group of travelers, we aren't being protected against people in the pre-screened part of the crowd. Second off, since the Yemeni crowd has already done at least one body-cavity bomb, how is TSA justifying not demanding full body cavity searches of all potential passengers? Third off, people aren't currently all being screened alike, since even the airports with the backscatter x-rays aren't processing everyone through them.

And that's before we get to the problem that I feel immensely less safe when I'm traveling than I did before they instituted all this security theater ... but what I'm afraid of is the TSA. Grrr. Rant. Grrr.

[acorn-girl.livejournal.com]

I really think that no matter what they do, we are no more or less safer with the inspections that they do. Every problem is sensationalized to make the public scared enough to give up even the most basic of rights. Any one who is determined to cause a problem can do so. The fact that they do the same screening to pilots, who can pretty much do whatever they want with the plane anyway, proves to me that safety is not the main concern. It is really about control and money, as the new screening device is made by a company owned by one of the people in charge of implementing safety measures. I can think of no reason to subject the public to potentially harmful radiation(I know they say it's safe, but that's been said about many things that have turned out to be the complete opposite in the long term.)or a humiliation sexual assault. Something that we teach our children is not okay for ANYONE to do to them, we are allowing to happen. Not only to adults, but to children.

[cooperati.livejournal.com]

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/25911785/detail.html

Really terrible news on one previously convicted TSA agent.

-=T=-