Former TSA Administrator Speaks

phantomfive writes "Former TSA head Kip Hawley talks about how the agency is broken and how it can be fixed: 'The crux of the problem, as I learned in my years at the helm, is our wrongheaded approach to risk. In attempting to eliminate all risk from flying, we have made air travel an unending nightmare for U.S. passengers and visitors from overseas, while at the same time creating a security system that is brittle where it needs to be supple. ... the TSA's mission is to prevent a catastrophic attack on the transportation system, not to ensure that every single passenger can avoid harm while traveling. Much of the friction in the system today results from rules that are direct responses to how we were attacked on 9/11. But it's simply no longer the case that killing a few people on board a plane could lead to a hijacking. ...The public wants the airport experience to be predictable, hassle-free and airtight and for it to keep us 100% safe. But 100% safety is unattainable. Embracing a bit of risk could reduce the hassle of today's airport experience while making us safer at the same time."

Re:Big crowds are targets

[Nerdfest]

Even terrorists don't want to deal with airports during major holidays.

Re:Big crowds are targets

[Anonymous Coward]

It has been tried here in Blighty albeit with mildly comic results ie. a burning terrorist being offered help from a police officer and fighting with him while onlookers screamed to "let him burn!" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Glasgow_International_Airport_attack

Re:Big crowds are targets

[NoNonAlphaCharsHere]

Obvously the TSA-mentality "cure" for that problem would be to create a separate "pre-screening" screening, to make sure people aren't carrying bombs or bio-weapons into the primary screening waiting area. Problem solved. Safety achieved.