Many people do not mind waiting in lines to get food, or lining up around the outside of a store during black Friday. But, why do people get upset for waiting in line for a short period of time to go through airport security measures that are in place to protect them. “TSA incorporates unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen, to accomplish our transportation security mission” (TSA). Even though airport security is meant to protect passengers and provide safety, many passengers still complain about how the security is intrusive and irrelevant. Airport security and technology should be increased based on terrorism that keeps occuring in the aviation transport industry. It does not matter whether people think it is unnecessary or not, it is for the protection of them and the nation.
Every september, Americans reflect on the events that happened on september 11, 2000. On this day, Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and crashed the planes into both the Trade Centers, the pentagon, and the other was crashed before it could reach the United States capital. This day changed the history of our country, but many people still do not understand the reason for the TSA and why it was created. The sole reason the TSA was created was to stop events similar to this in the future. “Two months after 9/11, the Bush administration created the Transportation Security Agency, ordering it to hire and train enough security officers to staff the nation’s 450 airports within a year” (Mann). The creation of this federal agency is clearly constructed to ensure the safety in the nation’s transportation system while also bringing security to the people traveling and the industry. “By the end of 2002, TSA had hired, trained, and deployed nearly 60,000 employees. They included doctors, lawyers, business owners, veterans, recent graduates, retirees, and countless other groups of Americans who together assumed responsibility for security at over 400 of the nation’s airports” (NMAH). The creation of this made it the largest mobilization of the federal government since WWII.
The TSA has imposed new tactics used to detect threats based on the many incidences that the TSA keeps coming across. An incident made by Richard Reid in 2002, caused the formation of bomb screening technology. Richard Reid had made a show bomb attempt by using matches to ignite an explosive device inside of his shoes. The TSA was able to stop this man by checking the shoes and finding the matches. The historical stop made by the federal agency was considered the next biggest threat after 9/11, which was only about four months after the big attack. This act brought up research and creation of explosive detection systems. The TSA reached a crucial point in transportation security by deploying detection systems for bombs, these machines by putting luggage on a conveyor belt and searching them using x-ray images.
“According to the Department of Homeland Security, 730 million people travel on passenger jets every year, while more than 700 million pieces of their baggage are screened for explosives and other dangerous items” (Tyson & Grabianowski). This is a high number of luggage that would not have been scanned before the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Another way the TSA has made traveling in a plane safer, is by fortifying the cockpit. The idea started in 2003 when all commercial planes were required to reinforce the doors. The new doors can now protect from interference, small-arms fire, and explosive devices. Not just the cockpit has been reinforced, but also the pilot inside of it.
The TSA has created new laws in security and federal law enforcement jobs to ensure safe flight flight while the plane is in the air. In 2002, the TSA started the Federal Flight Deck Program, which started training pilots to carry firearms. The pilots are not the only ones who are trained to carry firearms, but also some flights may have Federal Air Marshals aboard. In 2006, the Air Marshals were created and are armed federal law enforcement personnel who are deployed on commercial flights to detect and deter terrorism against transportation. The TSA has also formed restrictions on liquids. At first, the TSA had banned all liquids entering the terminal. “A month after the implementation of the original liquids ban, TSA amends its rules governing liquids in passenger carry-on baggage and allows airline passengers to carry liquids, gels, and aerosols in containers of only 3.4 ounces or less in a single, clear, resealable 1-quart plastic bag” (TSA). In the same period, the TSA also raises ID standards standards. The TSA made additional random screenings of employees, more canine patrol, and stricter identity verification processes. Canine teams were trained for detecting explosives. The terrorist were now starting to load explosives by cargo instead of people. Terrorists started concealing IEDs in many cargo items, such as printer cartridges. Most of the cargo shipments containing explosives were from Yemen, and now the shipments have been suspended indefinitely.
The TSA has also made substantial progress in airport security technology. The newest technology that has been created is facial recognition systems. “While arriving in Washington Dulles International Airport after a flight from São Paulo, the man presented a genuine French passport as his ID. But the facial recognition system flagged the man’s face as not matching the passport photo. Officers then searched his person, as he grew “visibly nervous,” and found his real ID card from the Republic of Congo in his shoe” (Liao). Even though it is not in a lot of airports yet, it will eventually become used more widely in the future. It is reported that there is a total of fourteen airports using it. This system will help stop people from using fake identification and catching them before they can perform acts of terrorism during transportation. There are some people who tend to complain about everything going on in the world in current times.
Full-body scanners have been around for three years now, and are said to be the one of the most effective security practices today. “The full-body scanners used in all airports since May 2013 are called ‘millimeter wave’ machines, which bounce electromagnetic waves off the traveler to provide an animated image where a suspicious item might be located. The TSA no longer uses the backscatter scanners that produced near-naked images of travelers” (Jansen). Some travelers were complaining about privacy of the fully-body scanners and lawsuits were brought up against the TSA. The full-body scanners reveal a person’s body in a way the person does not want others to see, but it shows items that cannot be exposed by explosive-detective systems or dogs.
