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NYPost article about TSA agent accepting bribes to skip the line

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Suddenly, a small middle-aged woman wearing a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) uniform moved along that line, pushing a wheelchair while asking, in a thick non-English accent, if anyone was in need of her help. No one responded. But she nonetheless made it clear that one didn't need to be disabled for her to assist one of us, that she was available. Stopping, she even insisted that any one of us hop in. Really, now? OK, let's see where this caper leads . . . We… (www.nypost.com) Más...

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dbaker
dbaker 0
It's a pretty incredible first hand account of corruption and I agree that it's a blurry line when the agents are "on the take" for any kind of preferential treatment. Perhaps what's more interesting is how the others agents didn't seem to mind the treatment or the exchange of cash. Do they just not care or is it a larger scam?

There's also the bigger issue that the article only briefly touches on at the end -- the more time that TSA spends on stuff that doesn't matter (small knives, the 3oz liquid requirement, getting cash to skip the lines, etc), the less time they can spend on issues that actually matters, like guns and explosives.
linbb
linbb 0
Gee that doesnt supprise me in any way they are among the low class if you look at most they do not even come close to looking like they really know what they are doing. This should have been an immediate firing of the person no second chance or anything but it should have gone deeper as the others should have caught what was going on and stopped her and taken her to a supervisor.
canuck44
canuck44 0
Boyd...this was Newark, worst airport in the country. The supervisor was probably in for a cut.
Fisher1949
Bill Fisher 0
This is a perfect example of TSA corruption and abuse. Instead of protecting the airways, these criminals resort to exploiting the system for their own benefit. This is worse than the situation that ultimately led to the9/11 tragedy. At least the private screeners were attempting to do their job, but were handicapped by a lack of information from the FBI.

Since December forty-five screeners have been arrested or convicted of crimes including rape, child pornography, theft and drug trafficking. There is clearly a problem when a agency of 54,000 is on pace to have 70 employees arrested for work related crimes in a year. And those are just the ones that are discovered, countless others go undetected.

TSA Crimes & Abuses
http://www.travelunderground.org/index.php?threads/master-lists-of-tsa-abuses-crimes.317/
xmacfly
ALLEN McLEAN 0
They have outdone themselves yet again.

dalebr99
Dale Brown 0
I don't know why we just don't use military personel to handle the TSA business. If you visit bases, there are plenty of military people everywhere doing busy work to spend their days. They should be doing the screening.
mduell
Mark Duell 0
Dale: Posse Comitatus Act clearly prohibits that.
preacher1
preacher1 0
Well, just my 2cts worth: It sounds like the rest of them were in on the deal and if one had time to walk the line and do crap such as this, they have too many people working. That being said, how come the lines were so long yet one had time to run around soliciting bribes. Work slowdown by all of them??????????????
dalebr99
Dale Brown 0
That's true Mark, but Congress can act on them doing so. Although getting this Congress to do anything is a joke!
peyton11
kathryn smith 0
Unf---ing believable
MACGSO
MACGSO 0
Hey, it's Newark - where the outstretched palm is part of the culture. I have never, repeat NEVER had a good experience at Newark Airport! It seems like a job requirement for working there is rudeness, corruption, or preferably both.
zulu44
zulu44 0
Who hires these TSA'ers anyway? Don't understand why we should feel safer after having gone through the security line when we now see it doesn't matter if we 'pass' or not! Fire them all, I say, if $5 or $10 (big bucks!) makes the difference of waiting in line or not. I firmly believe that these types of employees are of a very simple mind set and just don't understand what the purpose of it all really is. Isn't there a test or something that these simple people are required to take in order to achieve such a high-end position of employment? I think we should raise the passing grade from 0 to 100!!
jwllane
Jerry Lane 0
http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/09/no-scams-here-just-technical-foul.html

In the interest of full disclosure, TSA says they investigated and found it was a skycap.
AABABY
AABABY 0
I'm going to be SICK!!
AABABY
AABABY 0
To: Jerry Lane--
Technical foul?? What were the "REAL" TSA people doing? According to the story, they were watching. So how does that make it OK?
If it was a Skycap, Was she fired?? I bet not.
The corruption is only going to get deeper and deeper.
Abolish TSA. Start over with something less complicated.
Or not at all. The airlines already know what is at risk. They should be the ones primarily responsible for their passengers.
SlopeOak
SlopeOak 0
I say, if you want to get the screeners to do their jobs, randomly select 5-10% of the on-duty force to, unannounced, be put on a randomly-selected commercial flight. Maybe if they realize they might just be on the same flight with an indivudual they're screening, they'd be a little more thorough about it.
jwllane
Jerry Lane 0
Frank, I'm not condoning the act, just presenting more info. The reporter states with certainty it was a TSA employee, TSA says otherwise. I am not a TSA apologist, but have a feeling skycaps everywhere do this.
AABABY
AABABY 0
Jerry: I did not intend to accuse you at all. Sorry if that was the way you saw it.
My resentment for TSA goes back to day ONE. They are all lazy, or incompetent, or both.
Lose them all and find some other way to secure passenger safety.
jwllane
Jerry Lane 0
Anyone can throw something out, and more than often it will stick, regardless of how irresponsible or outlandish it may be. An even more glaring example of this occurred yesterday, when Dr. Oz spreads fear and worry across the country by making outlandish claims of arsenic in apple juice by using inadequate and incomplete data. Hopefully FlightAware members would be a little more judicious and/or do a little more research before posting certain claims.

And Frank, no offense taken. I was an air traffic controller for 29 years, so believe me, I've seen lazy and incompetant.
bcfd29
Pete Schecter 0
read the article carefully, the "reporter" has made a number of serrious errors which begs the question of accuracy alltogether. They did not skip screening, but were expedited through the line. Soon we will have the option to pay for this service (e.g.: trusted traveler program) and I look forward to it. Slow news day in a fish wrapper newspaper....
chiphermes
Chip Hermes 0
@bcfd29 -- read the comments more closely...nobody is claiming they skipped screening and I think you're generally missing the point.
jwllane
Jerry Lane 0
Tell us Chip, what is the point? In actuality, it almost certainly wasn't a TSA employee, instead a skycap. In actuality, it wasn't a bribe, it was a tip. In actuality, "fish wrapper newspaper" is about all it's good for.
bcfd29
Pete Schecter 0
i throw a BS flag on the play; what ever happened to this being an aviation site and not a crybaby go to the airport twice a year and not have fun flying site? i know it is an over used technical term, but WTF? for every horror story about TSA, I have NEVER had a problem and fly several times per month on a regular basis. Given that all of the screening lines and adjacent areas are under video surveillance, this should be a real easy story to validate.
peyton11
kathryn smith 0
Ok everyone, time for a new story ;-)
chrish31
Chris Hettenbach 0
TSA is not allowed to push wheelchairs except in the screening capacity. The Skycaps who do push the wheelchairs for those needing assistance are allowed to receive tips for their service. They are paid such a low wage that the only way they can make a living is on their tips just like the wait staff in a restaurant. Therefore, it would not look at all out of the ordinary for someone to give money to the Skycap employees at an airport check point. As for the type of people emoloyed by TSA there are people from all walks of life who have decided to serve their country in that capacity. There are engineers, computer analysts and many others with college degrees who are employed by TSA. Just as in the private sector there will be those who do their job well and with pride and those that try to avoid doing their jobs and barely do the minimum. The ones who don't do their job to the very best of their ability should be fired just as they would in the private sector. That type of behavior should not be tolerated in any job, private or government!
jrkent11
jrkent11 0
TSA IS A JOKE....................
jrkent11
jrkent11 0
TSA IS ONE BIG JOKE AND A WASTE OF OUR TAX DOLLERS. PUT THE MILITARY IN CHARGE INSTEAD OF BEING IN IRAQ OR AFGHANASTAN.
jrkent11
jrkent11 0
TSA IS ONE BIG JOKE AND WASTE OF TAX DOLLARS. PUT THE MILITARY IN CHARGE INSTEAD OF BEING IN IRAQ AND AFGHANASTAN.
jrkent11
jrkent11 0
28 TSA AGENTS FIRED IN HAWAII FOR STEALING PASSANGER ITEMS IN THE BAG CHECK.
joyroderick
JOY RODERICK 0
In my opinion the security check is another waste of taxpayer money. Just stand in one of those long lines and watch the process long enough, you see all kinds of things I would definite look at twice, yet people walk right through. Last flight I took I went through security and had to go through the Xray 'booth' when I remembered I had left my cell phone at the counter and had to go back to get it. Amazingly when I came back through security, I passed right through wearing and carrying the exact same things except the added phone which was in a tray. WHY? Why also are the employees working at that point about 80% foreigners, the same percentage as postal employees. Do they also get added points on their scores on the application as postal employees do, for being a so called minority? By the way I am 65+. I realize the importance of security, maybe testing for these employees should be more difficult and also offered in English only, if it isn't already.
FlightSeer
FlightSeer 0
If moving forward is PROgress, what does that make CONgress?

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