[PieterCasparzen]

For what the TSA costs, there could be an armed air marshal on every flight.

[varyouga]

Air marshals are useless against a suicide bomber with a few ounces of high explosive. A bomb the size of a white-out bottle can bring down an airliner under the right circumstances. A bomb several times larger most definitely will.

I too hate the invasive searches but we face a quandary with public airliners. It only takes one fool with a package that can fit inside a shoe to bring one down.

IMO, they need to focus more on systems that scan to only detect explosives rather than showing every single physical object on one’s body or bag. It can easily be done for bags but scanning people is another story.

Also, more profiling. Not simply for appearance, but mainly how a person responds to simple questions. The Israelis for example simply ask “name, origin and destination?” while holding your ID and boarding pass. If you hesitate or give the wrong information to such a simple question, they check you further.

[soycd]

>For what the TSA costs, there could be an armed air marshal on every flight.

They could put three special forces members on every flight and still save billions every year. What they are doing now is criminal.

[American in Israel]

For what the TSA costs, there could be an armed air marshal on every flight.

True, there would be a great increase in security, but then who would train the sheep to stay in the pens?

I mean, come on, what's important here?!