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Tag Archives for tsa.

Say Goodbye To Covid, TSA Is Hiring 6000 Screeners For Big Summer Travel Surge

by Gary Leff on February 19, 2021

Feb 19 2021

The TSA, which manages security at most U.S. airports, is looking to hire 6000 screeners because they “expect to screen a higher number of travelers regularly by the summer months.”

There’s a worry over faster spread from the B.1.1.7 U.K. variant, and reduced effectiveness against vaccines from the South African variant. But there’s real reason for optimism that even with a virus that spreads faster, and even with one that can better evade antibodies, the summer at least should be ‘pretty normal.’

You Can Now Skip Mask Wearing On A Plane For Just $250

by Gary Leff on February 5, 2021

Feb 05 2021

The TSA, which has a hard enough time finding guns and scissors, has a new distraction from its primary mission. They’re now the transportation mask police as a result of taking existing mask rules and making non-compliance a federal offense.

The Transportation Security Administration has announced its new fines for mask non-compliance: first offenses are $250, and fines range up to $1500 for repeated non-compliance. They also have exceptions to mask enforcement, separate from new airline exemptions.

At LAX One TSA Worker Decided Screening Meant Seeing A Woman’s Breasts, Inspecting Down Her Pants

by Gary Leff on January 23, 2021

Jan 23 2021

A TSA screener at LAX has been convicted after requiring a female passenger to show him her breasts, and inspecting down her pants.

In Denver TSA screeners were flagging attractive passengers to ‘alarm’ so that colleagues could pat down their genitals. Think this is unusual? It’s not.

American Airlines CEO Confirms U.S. Capitol Rioters Being Added To Government No Fly List

by Gary Leff on January 15, 2021

Jan 15 2021

On Thursday’s Delta Air Lines earnings call, the carrier said “if the TSA is able to identify individuals [who stormed capitol building] you’ll have people added to the no fly list.”

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker confirmed this in a meeting with pilots this week.

Capitol Hill Rioters Will Be Added To Government ‘No Fly List’ According To Delta

by Gary Leff on January 14, 2021

Jan 14 2021

A number of videos have been shared on social media claiming airline passengers are being denied boarding because they’ve been added to the government’s “No Fly List” after participating in protests and riots at the U.S. Capitol last week. That hasn’t been true – although it is about to come true, according to Delta Air Lines.

House Democrats Seek To Put DC Electoral Vote Protestors On No Fly List

by Gary Leff on January 8, 2021

Jan 08 2021

Flight attendants union head Sara Nelson called for DC protestors to be banned from flying and now the House Homeland Security Committee, under Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) is calling on the TSA and FBI to add protestors to the No Fly List.

The No Fly List is a civil liberties nightmare. Expanding its use will be abused in dangerous ways. We should follow the rule of law – precisely the principle we were defending against on Wednesday at the Capitol.

Man Caught With Gun At TSA Checkpoint, Ran Away, But He Forgot His Shoes – And ID

by Gary Leff on December 30, 2020

Dec 30 2020

When the screener asked the man to “step aside” he promptly ran away, left the terminal, and hopped into a taxi. He didn’t even stop to collect his shoes, which he’d sent through the x-ray machine as well. He left his bag behind, and also his wallet along with three forms of ID, “his boarding pass, a New York learner’s permit and his passport.”

TSA Reports Man Concealed Box Cutters In A Shampoo Bottle. It Turned Out To Be Pot.

by Gary Leff on December 19, 2020

Dec 19 2020

The TSA took to social media to congratulate themselves for stopping a bad actor. Box cutters raise huge alarms because they were used to take control of aircraft on 9/11. Someone bringing those through a security checkpoint – concealed – raises huge flags. And TSA stopped the plot!

The TSA was forced to clarify that these weren’t box cutters after all, it was marijuana, and nobody tried to take it through a checkpoint since it was, in fact, found in a checked bag.

TSA Has Been Following Ordinary Passengers And Marking Down When They Use The Bathroom

by Gary Leff on December 3, 2020

Dec 03 2020

Two years ago the Boston Globe revealed that the TSA was following ordinary Americans and taking notes on their habits and behaviors for a file, even though they hadn’t been flagged as threats, for a program called “Quiet Skies.” The TSA denied they were doing this. Then they promised to stop.

The program continued anyway, and the DHS Inspector General found that it’s very, very broken.

With Nearly 2000 TSA Employees Testing Positive For Covid, They Keep Patting Down Passengers Every Day

by Gary Leff on September 22, 2020

Sep 22 2020

While flights don’t seem to be significant causes of virus spread the same may not be true of other parts of the travel experience. 1812 TSA employees have tested positive for Covid-19. 92% of those are airport screeners. Miami has had 122 screeners test positive. New York JFK has had 112. And these numbers don’t include the most recent testing.

According to a former TSA federal security director it’s insane that the TSA continues with pat downs which he says are unnecessary.

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