Transport Security Administration

The attacked on 9/11 birthed a stable security system by which passengers are checked before they enter the plane. The Transport Security Administration (TSA) is the one who regulates the system. Their mission is, “To protect the nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.” (cite) The TSA was established by the Aviation and Transport Security Act, passed by Congress and signed on November 19, 2001. Since then the TSA has done everything in their power to provide a reasonable, safe environment for Americans to travel in. Though passenger satisfaction is important, the TSA’s highest goal is safety for Americans. One has to wonder to what extent the attacks on the World Trade Center and to the Pentagon
Specific to air travel, it meant longer lines for security checks, pat-downs, metal detectors, and x-ray scanners. A typical passenger would experience one or more of these things before he gets to his flight gate. Personally, I arrive at the airport and I get my bag checked. Then I get into line for the security checks. Since I have an internal cardiac defibrillator, I cannot go through the metal detector. Instead, I am escorted to the x-ray machine where they make sure I don’t have any suspicious objects. It is a quick two second process then they may or may not pat me down. Though it can be awkward, I am okay with my fellow passengers knowing that I have been checked for suspicious behavior and they can enjoy their flight worry free. During the check I put all my belongings onto a tray and they go under an x-ray scanner as well. The entire process can take up to an hour or two. Unfortunately, the world we live in today requires I arrive at 6:00am for my 8:30am departure, and I am more than willing to make that sacrifice to ensure safety. Yes, it is a bummer, but it is a part of
Unfortunately people do not hear about what doesn’t happen. In 2014, The TSA found 2,212 guns in carry-on bags. That is an average of six firearms per day. Of those 2,212, 83% were loaded. One cannot calculate how many lives the TSA has saved because no one truly knows the motives behind those with concealed weapons. One can only speculate, though. Over the last nine years the number of discovered firearms has quadrupled in size. TSA, though controversial in method, has only proven to succeed in keeping American airways safe from the hideous agenda of evil doers. In 2014, a disassembled .22 caliber firearm was discovered in a carry-on bag at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Various components of the gun were found hidden inside a PlayStation 2 console. Imagine what story that could have been if the TSA had not been there to stop this. Protection is very important, however, TSA also believes in customer satisfaction. On their website, TSA claims to have, “evolved from a one-size-fits-all security screening approach to a risk-based, intelligence-driven strategy designed to improve both security and the passenger experience. This approach permits us to provide expedited screening for trusted travelers and to focus on high-risk and unknown passengers at security checkpoints.”