More TSA Mission Creep - Searching Cars Parked at Airports

[DJTorrente]

KROC - http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S3101080.shtml?cat=566

"Iacuzza's car was inspected by valet attendants on orders from the TSA."

So not an agent, but a car jockey valet doing the search in orders from TSA. What possible improvement to air transportation safety could that provide?

TSA Delenda Est

 

[Jim Logajan]

If I were a bad guy that seems like a pretty logical place to get a lot of explosives reasonably close to the airport. Apparently none of you have ever been to Tel Aviv.

All of the parking ramps nearest the airport terminals I've been to are non-valet parking. The vehicles are parked and locked by the owners so they couldn't be examined without breaking and entering. The parking ramp operators would have to change the contractual rules and operations to allow any sort of legal searching - not going to happen.

 

[Jim Logajan]

KROC - http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S3101080.shtml?cat=566

"Iacuzza's car was inspected by valet attendants on orders from the TSA."

So not an agent, but a car jockey valet doing the search in orders from TSA. What possible improvement to air transportation safety could that provide?

TSA Delenda Est

I'm afraid I don't see what authority TSA has to issue such an order.

 

[Jim Logajan]

No, just a federal building in Oklahoma City and a Marathon in Boston. You guys are right lets not have any security at all it's just a big waste of time and money.

Would searching of valet-parked cars have prevented either of those two explosions?

In the first one, either searches would have needed to be made of every vehicle parked near the building or no parking should have been allowed within a certain distance.

In the second one, either searches would have needed to be made of anything carried by anyone where crowds were likely to gather, or no crowds should have been allowed within sight of the runners. Or crowds not allowed anywhere.

I do not know what level of security and limitations of freedom of movements is used in Iraq and Afghanistan to prevent or minimize bombings, but the news seems to indicate that it is either insufficient or somewhat futile.

There is also the question of what the TSA could have done to the company if it had not complied with the TSA's alleged order.