OK, this article worries me...

Actions have consequences. That's why computer types implement change control and do planning. Obviously those notions are foreign ones at TSA:

Checked luggage strains security

In an interview with USA TODAY, Transportation Security Administration head Kip Hawley said there has been a 20% surge in checked luggage at U.S. airports since liquids were banned from carry-on bags Aug. 10.
...
The sudden increase "puts on a strain that could result in some vulnerabilities," Hawley said. The system that screens all checked luggage for bombs "is being stressed," he said.

"It's the pressure on the system that leads to people saying, 'Hurry, hurry, hurry,' " Hawley said. "We want our (screeners) to focus on their security job without cutting corners because of volume pressure. ... Anytime you have a system that's overwhelmed, that's where failure is a concern."

You might have thought to consider that when you banned liquids from carry-ons, you moron. Did TSA honestly think that women were going to travel without their shampoo, soap, perfume/cologne, etc.? Of course there are a lot of roll-abords that are now being checked because of the new rules. I really hope TSA didn't just order the changes to carry-on rules without someone considering the impact on the rest of the system. If you're going to change a complex system overnight, you have to keep in mind that it's going to cost some money to maintain the same level of performance.

Even before the Corps of Engineers embarks on a project at home in New Orleans, they're required to do an Environmental Impact Statement. While the ultimate value of some of those EIS documents may be dubious, at the least, they force those looking to change things to think about the consequences. It appears that TSA has no sort of check in place in this regard.

I'm worried that TSA might be manned by the same kind of hacks that controlled FEMA prior to Hurricane Katrina. After all, "heckuvajob" Brownie might still be in charge there had it not been for the storm. True incompetence is often not revealed until after the fact.

You can ping this entry by using http://www.nola-blogs.com/cgi-bin/mt/ruebourbon.cgi/481 .

Posting of new comments has been disabled for this post.