I think the purpose of the TSA is to get the passengers so pissed off that if anyone tries anything, the folks around him won't hesitate to 'restrain' him. Hopefully less than lethally...

It's security theater - replicating security, but not actually providing it. Confiscate nail clippers, pocketknives, questionable liquids with a minimum of grace and civility and a maximum of annoyance - makes you feel really secure, doesn't it?

I fly infrequently. I can remember when flying was something to look forward to, a pleasant adventure... Now? It feels more like you're entering a prison and shoved into a Greyhound bus with less comfortable seating and smaller windows. The ONLY good thing about it is that the duration is relatively brief.

Does it work? It'd be hard to argue with the results - we haven't had a successful attack since 9/11. But the two real attempts (shoe and panty bombers...) that we know of weren't stopped by screeners.

Which brings up the question of whether it's even cost effective. How much has been spent on the TSA over the last nine years? (I've seen between 5 and 10 billion a year, so lower bound of $45 billion, upper of $90 billion) so that could have bought 138 to 276 Airbus A380s at $325 million each. Or paid off 45,000 $1 million life insurance policies.

Just to put it in perspective.

So - don't you feel better about your junk being touched now? Or taking an unknown dose of radiation? (For the record, I think the backscatter system is safe enough... but it's funny how folks who have hysterics over things like power line radiation and cell phone radiation aren't shrieking at the top of their lungs about the potential unknown dangers of this thing...)

Security Theater... rated E for Everybody!

Turn your head and cough

You're right that it is security theater. The point is to keep the public distracted by the senseless red tape and BS that they require, while at the same time making it impossible for the public to actually do something to defend themselves.

The government realizes that if the public can defend itself and realizes that the government is impotent to deal with security issues that the public will come to the realization that it just doesn't need government for certain things. The government is very much afraid that the public will find out that it can do a far better job of protecting itself than the government can.

Well when the first bomber stuffs one up their ass, standby for 'bend over and spread 'em'.

NONE of what TSA does would have stopped the shoe or diaper bomber. Just another government run program to give incompetents a job.

Next time I fly, I'm going to eat a pile of pickled eggs and pig feet and work up a great fart to give them as my statement to their screening.

TSA is nothing but make work BS jobs.

I fly frequently and the average age of a TSA lacky seems to be 60 years old today. I wonder how many were laid off during the first two years of Barry Hussein Soetoro Obamadinajad's Hope & Change and then took up the badge and hokey uniform.

The whole concept is pathetic. I won't go though the scanner, not because of privacy issues, but because of health concerns. I have not seen any non-governmental study on the effects of this scanner on frequent fliers. No wonder the pilots unions have told them not to go through them. Being irradiated on a daily basis or twice a week in my case is not acceptable when no one other than the government says "Don't worry, it's OK"

I've been in many airports where these AIT scanners sit idle while only one is active and the standard metal detector is still there. It is just a matter of getting in the right line in many airports and making sure you do not set it off.

Still, the TSA will hire even more old people and burger king rejects to harrass fliers so we can "feel" secure while they put on blinders to muslim fliers out of political correctness.

I can only hope Congress defunds TSA & Homeland Security as they are wasting dollars and achieving nothing.

Best way to avoid all the hassle is just tell the nice TSA person, "I'm Muslim". Guaranteed free pass.

GarandFan (comment 7).

I heard or read somewhere today that Janet Napolitano is considering giving exemptions to Muslim women at airports.

I expect they're working on a version of the Soviet "internal passport." If you buy and plant a copy of the Holy Koran at the top of your carry-on bag, TSA will let you pass unimpeded. I presume this is under a direct order from our Muslim president.

Everyone should just drop their pants and stand there in their underwear and say "See no bomb there"

What can they do? Arrest you for indecent exposure? Last I checked most people wear less at a beach than their boxers.

Perhaps we should follow the Israeli model for airport security.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/744199---israelification-high-security-little-bother

Nah, that would make too much sense.