More Proof We’re Not Safer Than Before 9/11
“The TSA agents just told us to run…”
That was what some passengers claim was the august and professional response to an event at MCO.
Let’s start with a basic definition of security. The goal is to protect our airports and infrastructure from harm and to have systems in place that endeavor to assure that they are not disrupted by untoward events.
It’s called anticipation, deterrence, and when an event does take place, post-event mitigation.
Last week, it was again demonstrated that these concepts are foreign to the management of the Transportation Security Administration..
An individual reportedly committed suicide by jumping out a window at the Orlando airport Hyatt. It was in the non-sterile atrium area. Just one person, apparently intent on crossing over into the Next World..
But the effect on the terminal was far from anything vaguely resembling security. Reportedly, the result was chaos… with people running past check points, and, according to reports, TSA staff yelling for people to scatter.
There was no communication or control of the situation… just “run.”
Over 100 flights were cancelled, due to the need to close an entire gate area and re-screen passengers.
Think about it. One person dives off a hotel balcony into a non-sterile area, and the airport is completely flummoxed, with flights cancelled and thousands of travelers tossed into confusion.
This was a massive security failure, but consistent with the slapdash politically-appointed management at the TSA – the solution is to just run from whatever it is… like a herd of panicked wildebeests.
What happened in Orlando should have TSA management heads rolling like a fun Paris week-end during the French Revolution. But not a peep from anybody regarding how this incident again lays bare the nature of our approach to security… or, non-approach.
Not to worry… the folks at the top of the TSA in Washington actually do have contingency plans… media contingency plans to cover their tushies. They know which wind-up toy network correspondents to call, and who’ll rush in to do an in-depth interview, plus some walk-and-talk B-roll with some high-level seat-warmer to illuminate how great things are.
The fact is, in any situation, “just run” is the basic TSA senior management policy response to any event.
Point: We are vulnerable… one reason being that major flaws are being blissfully covered up or ignored.
Just like before 9/11.
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