[Kosh]

Remember this is the same TSA that has been putting their hands down peoples pants.

[Sushi]

So, what, you'd prefer there to be no TSA at all? 

This much, yes please. I think the TSA adds minimal value at high cost, both in terms of money and freedom.

yeah i like how four years ago this would have been 'protecting us from turrism!' and now it's 'big goobermint!'

Hey, leave Goober out of this!

[Liberator]

If this had happened under GWB, I suspect that the people crying big-government foul would have applauded the TSA for cracking down on a traitor and demanded he be jailed for life as an enemy combatant.

Umm...no.

Hell, Wikileaks is better than this approach.

I'll disagree here.  This pilot(most likely) did what he did to try and improve the system he was working under.  Using only sources and examples he had first hand knowledge of and did use illegal means to obtain.

Wikileaks does what they do with the express purpose of embarassing the US and other countries using information that was obtained illegally.

Revealing unknown information that has a direct impact on someones life is very different from revealing that Hillary Clinton said something uncharitable about a foreign diplomat behind closed doors.

[Grizzly]

If this had happened under GWB, I suspect that the people crying big-government foul would have applauded the TSA for cracking down on a traitor and demanded he be jailed for life as an enemy combatant.

Umm...no.

We'll, we'd just have to look that up, wouldn't we? It probably HAS happened before.

Hell, Wikileaks is better than this approach.

I'll disagree here.  This pilot(most likely) did what he did to try and improve the system he was working under.  Using only sources and examples he had first hand knowledge of and did use illegal means to obtain.

Wikileaks does what they do with the express purpose of embarassing the US and other countries using information that was obtained illegally.

Revealing unknown information that has a direct impact on someones life is very different from revealing that Hillary Clinton said something uncharitable about a foreign diplomat behind closed doors.

Let's leave WikiLeaks out of this. They are vastly overrated anyway.

By the way, this stuff happened in Holland also. An SBS6 journalist infiltrated an airport and an military base (!!!) succesfully and aired it. Discussion was if the fact that he was pointing out flaws was an excuse of his illegal behaviour. In the end he was fined for misrepresentation.

[Inquisitor]

Law enfrocement, even volunteer deputies, are not the press.

The TSA is broken on nearly every level, makes us less secure rather than more, and should be disbanded and replaced. One of hte biggest lasting mistakes of the Shrub. I take issue with poor judgement exercised by someone who is supposed to have and exercise EXCELLENT judgement. YouTube is not wikileaks. YouTube is not the NYT.

This pilots responses so far have been "I didn't think much of it" which implies to me that he did no such due diligence to follow channels. Behind the stick and behind a pistol I want and need THOUGHTFUL and appropriate judgement. The marshals came to his house to take his TSA issued gun. That they also took his CA permit is a DIFFERENT and BAD problem, no argument, thats a bill of attainder as far as I am concerned, and unconstitutional.

If you are deputized, you should expect to be treated differently and badly when you fail the trust associated with that deputization.

[Liberator]

I do think this would be a bigger story if Greta Van Sustern or someone else relatively apolitical had been involved.  And how do we know he didn't do his do diligence?  How do we know he didn't go up the chain of command and was blown off at every level?  And as far as that goes, how do we know he didn't try and get this on FNC or CNN or something?

[iamzack]

This whole thing is stupid. He embarrassed his employer, of course he got fired or whatever.

As for the uselessness of TSA, it has all the faults of any security agency from mall cops to the SS. It's run by idiot human beings. All kinds of **** gets through because the show is more important politically than actual efficacy. For that, we can thank the same paranoid psychotics who came up with the DHS when we already had the department of defense, who think that giving every moron and/or nutcase who wants one a gun will somehow make us safer.

You know what? **** it. Airplane travel should ban any and all objects. No clothes, full body cavity checks, no luggage. Oh, and they tie you to your seat for the duration of the ride. Also, no one is allowed in if their skin is darker than this forum's background, because they're probably terrorists. THEN WE WILL BE SAFE.

[Inquisitor]

And as far as that goes, how do we know he didn't try and get this on FNC or CNN or something?

Because he didn't

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/12/28/california.tsa.pilot/index.html?iref=allsearch

He assumed everyone already knew and was confused by the uproar.  Anyone that ignorant of the consequences has no business with a pistol on an airplane.

He is an attention whore.

[BengalTiger]

This whole thing is stupid. He embarrassed his employer, of course he got fired or whatever.

IIRC the article stated he didn't have problems with the airline for this.

As for the uselessness of TSA, it has all the faults of any security agency from mall cops to the SS. It's run by idiot human beings. All kinds of **** gets through because the show is more important politically than actual efficacy. For that, we can thank the same paranoid psychotics who came up with the DHS when we already had the department of defense, who think that giving every moron and/or nutcase who wants one a gun will somehow make us safer.

First of all, I doubt the Secret Service are idiots, contrary to the TSA.
Secondly, I doubt that airline pilots and sky marshals are morons and/or nutcases.

You know what? **** it. Airplane travel should ban any and all objects. No clothes, full body cavity checks, no luggage. Oh, and they tie you to your seat for the duration of the ride.

The next thing you notice, we'll all have to be naked in public places (that includes old guys and fat women), just to be sure we're not hiding anything.

Also, no one is allowed in if their skin is darker than this forum's background, because they're probably terrorists. THEN WE WILL BE SAFE.

That would mean the Blue Man Group is banned from flying. Kind of a bummer.