One Small Step For Common-Sense Security?
The Transportation
Security Administration has unveiled a new blog site aimed at those
wishing to comment (read, complain) about the level of service they
receive at checkpoints.
While it's highly improbable anything said on the "Evolution of
Security" blog -- insert your own joke here, we're too busy
snickering -- will result in shorter lines, more-efficient
screening, or a sudden decrease in the number of 85-year-old
grandmothers getting frisked... but hey, every little bit helps,
right?
David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association,
remains less-than optimistic. "This will just make it easier for
them to receive complaints for them to ignore in the name of
national security," he told The Washington Post.
For its part, the TSA promises it will read what's posted on the
site... and that complaints and suggestions won't fall on deaf
ears, or blind eyes.
"We will incorporate what we learn in this forum in our
checkpoint process evolution," TSA Administrator Kip Hawley wrote
in the blog's initial post. "Our postings from the public will be
reviewed to remove the destructive, but not touch the critical or
cranky."
Hawley said the site aims to bring a higher level of discourse
between passengers and TSA personnel.. as interaction between those
groups at the airport is harried, at best (and muted, for fear
a screener will chose to interpret the rolling of your eyes as a
"hostile action" -- Ed.)
"There isn’t much opportunity for our Security Officers to
explain the 'why,' of what we ask you to do at the checkpoint, just
the 'what' needs to be done to clear security," Hawley writes. "The
result is that the feedback and venting ends up circulating among
passengers with no real opportunity for us to learn from you or
vice versa."
Since the Post story ran earlier this week, TSA reports an
enthusiastic response from commenters. "The number of comments on
our blog has been amazing," the TSA writes. "Many of the posts
during the last 24 hours are exactly the types of questions we hope
to answer and the conversations we hope to begin with the traveling
public.
"Some have been downright mean and cranky but that’s okay
too," the agency adds. "For most people, this is the first chance
to reach out directly to TSA and tell us about your experiences and
we very much want to hear from you."
Airline analyst Terry Trippler says the TSA may be fighting an
uphill battle... but gives the agency credit for taking the step in
the first place.
Trippler says the TSA "was in the right church, just not the
right pew yet" in regards to the blog... adding he wonders if the
site won't soon de-evolve into a less-than civil forum comprised of
a handful of regular complainers, and a bunch of other "experts"
trying to convince they know what to do better than the agency (in
other words... he's afraid the blog will degrade into, well, a
blog?)
Even worse, Trippler adds, some people may still feel afraid to
comment on the site... for fear the TSA will seek retribution on
them.