****ing TSA

So, i'm flying to vegas this morning, jetblue from JFK. traffic was very light, and there was almost no line at security. as i went through, i noticed that the woman running the scanner was really not paying attention, and was instead conducting a casual conversation with several of her coworkers, both in my line, and a couple of lines over.

i got my coat, bags, put my shoes back on, and started to walk off. there was a supervisors stand nearby, so i went up and told the guy that the folks in my line really weren't watching, and couldn't have scanned my bag very well. He said, well, i appreciate you being honest, but i gotta scan your bags again, and he marched me back over to the line. out came the cell phone, toiletries, laptop, off came the shoes and coat, no explanation given to the security team, and the supervisor walked away.

i stood there waiting for my stuff to come back through, and one of the guys working the line asked what was up. so i told him what i'd told the supervisor, and he said , "huh...." and proceeded to glove up, put me in the room where they do manual screenings, gave me a very personal scan, with particular attention paid to my inner thighs, the inside of my belt, and inside my waistline. after, there was no thanks, no explanation, and the supervisor was no where to be found.

so much for motivating people to speak up...

and then there's this.

[rquoter]Officials Point Finger At TSA In Newark Breach
Thousands Left Stranded Inside Airport After Man Seen Walking Wrong Way Through Security Checkpoint

There's new fallout Monday from a breach that triggered pure chaos at Newark Liberty International Airport, and officials are beginning to point fingers after thousands of passengers were corralled into a jam-packed waiting area when an intruder slipped past a checkpoint.

Some were pulled off planes and many are frustrated with the way it was all handled. But who is responsible?

Starting Monday airline travelers coming to the U.S. from 14 countries face tougher rules.

The nations are, Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The Transportation Security Administration said these countries are considered to be "countries of interest."

As a result, airline passengers can expect full body pat-downs, carry-on bag searches, and explosive detection technology.

A private security guard was disciplined Monday following Sunday night's security breach and mass passenger re-screening. It was an ordeal that began at 5:30 on Sunday night when someone went into a terminal through an exit.

The massive backup stretched on past midnight with a residual hangover that dragged into the new day.

"Because of the lockdown situation, we missed the connection," traveler David Bannister told CBS 2 HD, his wife Jill adding they'd been up for 27 hours without a break.

Experts said security officers had no choice once they lost track of the intruder.

"They did have to do it," said David Boehm of Security USA. "It was a huge inconvenience to all passengers, but they needed to make that terminal area and the plane sterile."

It's a simple concept. Everyone on the other side of the security had already cleared security. That means everything on the other side is part of the sterile area. All it takes is for one to go the wrong way, and everyone has to be re-checked.

Then there's the question of accommodating the thousands who experienced the massive inconvenience. The Port Authority insists it did its best and said restaurants and toilets were available, but with crowds so thick, the question became, what more could they do?

It was a maddening delay for people caught in the crush. The crowd swelled to 10,000 at one point. Ernesto Butcher, the COO of the Port Authority, which owns the airport, apologized for the incident and told CBS 2 HD he had some stern conversations with TSA.

"When you consider what happened, it certainly was something the TSA needs to take some responsibility for, and I think they have and will continue to do so," said Butcher. "But as it turns out, these are lessons learned and you don't want to have to repeat them."

Were You There? Tell Us About Your Experience!

And besides, should it be so easy that all it takes is for someone to walk past a sign to get into the airport?

"It's a flaw in the system. They should implement a barrier system, kind of like the subways where people coming through, you come through, you have to go through the gate," said Boehm.

European travelers caught at the airport were especially upset.

"It was pure inept, letting someone through security like that. It would never happen back in the UK," said Jill Bannister.

Added traveler June Otremba: "It is especially[amazing] since you have all the problems with the Twin Towers and things like that. You don't expect to see anyone slipping through do you?" [/rquoter]