TSA Whiffs Again

As a frequent business traveler, I am not an admirer of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration). I regard it as inconsistent, largely incompetent and staffed with people who should definitely not be allowed any authority, let alone responsible for their fellow countrymen's security and safety. This is not to say that airport security is a bad idea. However, the implementation into one more needless government bueaucracy is a disaster. If terrorists have been unable to strike the United States since September 11, 2001, most of the credit should go to our intrepid military, not to the bunglers of the TSA.

Now we find even more evidence that the TSA is a disgrace and should be disbanded immediately. According to the San Diego Union-tribune, TSA officers not only lost track of a bad containing suspicious substances, but couldn't even identify the bag's owner.
According to the report,

Security officers tried to find the passenger and the bag but they did not have a good description of the person and didn't know the destination of the bag.

Officials decided to evacuate several hundred travelers in the terminal and have them go through security once again, Melendez said.

The security breach caused delays for flights on U.S. Airways, America West, Continental, and Delta.

And then of course, TSA tried to blame their own incompetence on the traveler! According to spokeperson Nico Melandez anyway, who said, "“If this passenger didn't have those liquids, none of this would have happened."

Um, no, Mr. Melandez. If your agency weren't so ridiculously inept none of this would have happened. It is not the traveler's fault for losing the bag, nor is it the traveler's fault that your agents were unable to identify the passenger in question, thus forcing many innocent people to be seriously inconvenienced. If the TSA could perform its duties in a consistent and professional manner, maybe even using some common sense, then I would have much higher respect. However, as it is, the TSA's record is worse than the DMV's. At least the DMV eventually gets things done. TSA can't even do that.