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And yes, I know El Al is an airline - all airlines used to be responsible for airport security before the TSA came along, remember ?

Actually the airport terminal operator was responsible for security prior to the TSA. In cases where the terminal was owned by an airline, the airline provided security because they were the terminal operator, not because they had flights using that terminal. Some terminals were operated by private companies other than the airlines themselves. Others were run by municipal governments.

The difference is, El Al feels free to do what is necessary to keep their passengers safe, whereas the TSA feels the need to be politically correct and profile only those who statistically have never carried bombs aboard airlines - you know, children and grandmothers.

You're still ignoring the fact that Israeli airports do use physical screening procedures similar to what we use in the US in addition to their passenger interview process.

You are also ignoring that we do gather information on potential terrorists and use that for prescreening.

You might want to learn more about the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS) and the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) that are used here.

Tell me - what is the reason my 16yo blonde very cute daughter gets physically searched every single time she flies ? Every time.

Every time?

Think about that for just a moment.

Either every time she goes through security there's a depraved TSA agent there that jets their jollies from searching 16 year olds, or there is something else going on that is causing her to be selected.

I've traveled with attractive women and been in line going through security with attractive women, and I don't see them getting pulled out of line to be searched on a regular basis.

If you're daugther is getting searched every time, I suspect that she is setting off the metal detector every time, or has somehow managed to get into the CAPPS or TSDB as someone who needs to be searched more throughly (most likely due to being misidentified).

If your daugther is getting searched every time but isn't setting off the metal detector, or doesn't have something in her carry-on luggage that appears suspicious on the scanner, I would suggest contacting the TSA to see if she is being singled out because she is on a watch list by mistake.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/redress/index.shtm

You may think I lack intelligence on the technology...

I think you lack information about the technology. It's not an issue of intelligence.

... but I think you lack intelligence on the type of personnel who man the security areas as well as their inane procedures

I've dealt which the TSA quite a bit. I also have a friend who is an air marshal and has explained to me why they do many of the things they do. He agrees that the procedures don't always make perfect sense, but the ones that don't serve much purpose usually get changed or removed within a decent period of time.

Some, such as the prohibition on even tiny little pocket knives (even after small scissors have been allowed), are due to groups like flight attendants lobbying for them to remain.

If TSA scanning personnel miss identifying things in carry-on luggage now, what makes me think they'll be any better with any other piece of equipment ?

There is always some chance that items will be missed.

However, better equipment as well as new equipment that provide means of detecting things that are not available now can greatly increase their ability to detect prohibited items.

If you say the software is better, why is it not better on the things they do now ?

They have been getting better at detecting things, but there is still room for improvement. Improvement in technology and software take a long time to get through the rigid processes that such security systems must go through. Items that get used on people must also go through FDA approval as well.

I'll tell you why - it's the same reason the FAA is still using 30 yo radar software at some airports - it's a government procurement problem as well as a lack of attention to priorities.

There are definitely problems with government procurement, and there are always disagreements over priorities, and in many cases the priorities and budgets can get redirected at multiple levels through layers of government beauracy at federal and local levels as well as private companies (airlines, labor unions, airports) having their own priorities.

And of course each group has it's own ideas on how to address the problems.

Despite what appears to be a never ending series of delays in upgrading our air traffic control system, and the repeated assertions by the air traffic controllers union that there system is horribly flawed and unusable (followed by demands for more pay and benefits), the system is working well, and real problems are extremely rare to the point of being practically absent.

Flying is safer than driving in a car.

Despite all the stories about how the screening process is horribly flawed and pointless, suspected terrorists are getting barred from flying, and people of who they have a lesser degree of suspicion are getting searched more throughly.

You've complained that TSA agents are incompetent.

You've complained that your daugther always gets pulled out of line and physically searched just because she is a cute teenager.

You've complain that the TSA doesn't have good enough equipment.

You've complained that even if the TSA had better equipment, it wouldn't help.

You've complained that we should stop using our procedures and use the Isreali's, but you ignore the fact that Israeli airports use procedures very similar to the ones you are suggesting we stop using. You mention that we should start using profiling and background checking, but appear to be unaware of the fact that we do have systems in place that do that.

I never said we shouldn't add detection capability - that is your misunderstanding. I said the type of personnel that is now employed by the TSA is incapable of using it effectively.

But you don't know how the equipment works. You don't know what training the receive.

The media does love to point out reports of how the TSA failed to find all the objects when tested, but it's the same media that is attacking everything that the administration does and the parts of the reports they quote or reference never have much information about how the test was performed.

The media tried their own tests, but they were rather laughable. The made items they felt looked like a bomb, but the materials they were made of would make them not look like a bomb to when viewed through the xray scanner.

You appear to be one of the many that are willing to just blindly follow along with all the everything our government does regarding security is pointless and just there to irritate passengers.

The suggestions you offer show you don't understand what is already being done, but even more they show that you mostly just want to complain and that if you find anything they do is less than perfect you feel it justifies you're notion that they are all incompetent and useless.

Air travel can be frustrating by it's nature, and it's easy to get irritated with people over trivial things and misunderstandings.

However, we're at war. A little overblown irritation and complaining about things is a luxury we can afford in times of peace. However, right now the petty political games and power struggles within our government are creating serious security issues. We all need to do a better job of making sure we understand the issues and make constructive criticisms where they are needed, but avoid complaining about insignificant things simply because we don't bother to try and understand what is really happening.