Poll: 90 Percent of Frequent Fliers Give TSA Low Marks

76 percent don't think the TSA's intrusive screening process is even effective

An overwhelming majority of frequent flyers, 90.8%, thinks that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is doing either a fair or poor job of managing security screenings at the nation's airports.

The findings are from a survey conducted by Frequent Business Traveler from August 10 to August 31, 2012, in partnership with FlyerTalk, an online travel community. A total of 1,852 frequent travelers took part in the survey.  The responses indicate that the typical American frequent flyer holds the TSA in fairly low regard and has a similar lack of confidence in the TSA's overall effectiveness. 76.1% are of the opinion that the TSA's screening procedures are either not effective or not too effective at preventing acts of terrorism on an aircraft.

Comments

[Fisher1949]

Frequent fliers see TSA often enough to recognize that these invasive searches are done to create the appearance of stringent security without providing any real benefit. TSA is betting that if these procedures are onerous and unpleasant people will think that they somehow improve security when the opposite is true. These only alienate passengers and distract from legitimate security efforts.

There were no airline attacks between 2002 and 2010 and TSA didn't grope little kids, strip search old ladies, remove diapers from incontinent passengers or irradiate and take nude photos of people in that period. After eleven years TSA hasn't caught one terrorist or even identified one legitimate attempt.

There have been no attacks on bridges, buildings, public events or shopping malls and TSA isn't near any of those so their value at airports is questionable at best.

Eight TSA screeners have been arrested in less than two years for smuggling contraband through security, which could just easily have been explosives. TSA can't prevent crime within their ranks, but we're supposed to trust them with airport security.

What are the options when there is no complaint venue or means of recourse for abuses of power by screeners except through TSA? There are laws to protect citizens from abuses by police for a reason and the same standards should be applied to TSA.