Ah CATSA, why do people hate you so much?

[grimey]

Oh, here's why. Your employees steal from us during the ineffective make-work project that is current airport security.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2011 ... 71661.html

[Beefitarian]

Over an eight month period colegues watched..

That says it all. These are the people we are supposed to trust. Tell me how to do that.

[navajo_jay]

Not a big suprise to me!! I hate them sooooo much. They all look like criminals and have the lowest standards. Just look how they wear their uniform, how they talk, how they interact with people. I just can't stand them in the employee bus in Montreal. I would do a big clean up if would running this business.

[Inverted2]

Maybe Dalton McSquinty is already giving CATSA 10000 bucks to hire them straight off the boat? Yes they are a disgrace at our airports. Although I'm no fan of the TSA at least for the most part they at least conduct themselves with a small amount of professionalism.

[oldtimer]

I wonder what would happen if some quick and stickey fingered passenger were to steal something of theirs, like their security badge or red pass.
Imagine the fun going up to security at destination and returning the badge or red pass.
"OOPS Sorry, it must have fallen into my bag""

[invertedattitude]

Isnt CATSA just a bunch of third party contractors?

[BEFAN5]

They are a crown corporation that contracts out the screening services... What a load of bull.

[Tiny Tyke]

I'm glad we contract it out in Canada. The security is a joke either way. At least the government isn't on the hook for pensions. I'd bet that in the US the TSA people make twice what an entry level pilot makes.

[jeff_w_yeg]

When I send my stuff through security, I watch it like a hawk. I refuse to put my passport or boarding pass in the bin (I always carry it through...never had a problem) and I always keep my wallet in my back pocket (again...never had a problem).

Annoying.

[Canoehead]

When I send my stuff through security, I watch it like a hawk. I refuse to put my passport or boarding pass in the bin (I always carry it through...never had a problem) and I always keep my wallet in my back pocket (again...never had a problem).

Annoying.

Same. I NEVER go through the scanner until my stuff has started to go through. I've been motioned and waved and called to walk through... I don't even reply- my eyes are on my stuff... and then I'm waiting for it on the other side.
Never let them take your laptop for a swab until you are there with them. Trust nobody there.

[Driving Rain]

I'm no fan of the TSA at least for the most part they at least conduct themselves with a small amount of professionalism

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2011/ ... 76556.html

A TSA spokesman said it's terminated 335 officers for theft since 2003.

Not much better down there it seems, although

the aggressive, proactive approach that U.S. authorities took investigating a rash of serious theft allegations stands in stark contrast to the response of Canadian authorities.

[crazy_aviator]

In a CIVIL society, they would cut the fingers off of the scum that have stolen private property from the helpless ,,ironic how our so-called "civil society" is becoming uncivil and those who we think of as barbarian are more honorable concerning property theft !!!

[Les Habitants]

WOW! Thats ridiculous.

Remember, It's one idiot-most CATSA employees (I know quite a few) are generally good people who don't make it their business to be on a "power trip." There are idiots in every group (pilots too!!!)

[BEFAN5]

I never put anything in those bins except my shoes and belt. As I am doing one leg hop down the line ripping my shoes off, I shove everything of value deep in my carry on bag.

[. ._]

If we hate CATSA so much, we should vote for a party that will get rid of it.

Otherwise, we should bend over and enjoy the cavity searches.

[Topspin]

These fellows still take the cake though I think....lord knows how much they knicked over the years.

http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/n ... ft-charges

LOS ANGELES, July 25 (UPI) -- An eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) auction led to a Los Angeles airport security worker being charged with stealing expensive watches from travelers' luggage, federal officials say.

Transportation Security Administration officer Paul Yashou, 38, of Torrance, Calif., was indicted on two felony and three misdemeanor theft counts, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

A federal indictment alleges Yashou stole an IWC GST chrono perpetual calendar moon phase watch valued at about $15,000, a Breitling Crosswind watch valued at about $5,000, a $1,000 Antima watch, a $1,000 Movado watch and a $1,000 pre-paid debit card.

Yashou allegedly stole the items from luggage undergoing security checks at Los Angeles International airport's Terminal 1, the U.S. district attorney's office said.

Authorities arrested Yashou after an investigation found the $15,000 watch had been sold to a jewelry store that then tried to sell it on eBay, where it was recognized by its owner, who contacted authorities.

Yashou faces felony counts for the $15,000 and $5,000 watches, charges that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, the Times reported.

Best for last:

http://www.itourist.com/members/blog/vi ... 0on%20EBay

According to a report in the New Jersey Star-Ledger *, Transportation Security Officer (TSO), Pythias Brown, an employee of the TSA at Newark Liberty International Airport has been charged with theft and is scheduled to appear in Federal Court. As a Transportation Security Officer, Pythias Brown was supposed to protect the public by keeping dangerous items off of aircraft; instead, this TSO stole from airline passengers - a laptop here, a camera there and had been stealing from the public since 2007. The federal charges may result in 10 years in prison, a sentence that just isn't stiff enough considering TSO's should be held to a higher standard as civil servants.

.....

Here's a list of a few items TSO Brown from Newark Liberty recently sold on EBay:

[*]CANON 70-200MM F2.8 IS USM CAMERA LENS - US $1,377.00

[*]SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-H2 6.0 MEGAPIXEL DIGITAL CAMERA - US $187.50

[*]2POCKETWIZARD PLUS II AUTO-SENSING WIRELESS TRANSCEIVER - US $290.00

[*]NIKON NIKKOR 70-200MM F/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR LENS - US $1,400.00

[*]APPLE MACBOOK PRO 15" 2.4 GHZ, 2GB, 200GB, LEOPARD - US $1,600.00

[*]CANON EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT WITH 18-55 & 28-210MM LENS - US $405.00

[*]SONY DCR-DVD710 DVD HANDYCAM CAMCORDER - US $227.50

[*]OLYMPUS EVOLT E-500 8 MP SLR W/14-45 & 40-150MM LENS - US $355.00

[*]SONY DCR-PC115 MiNiDV HANDYCAM CAMCORDER - US $200.00

[*]CANON VIXIA HV-30 HD MINI DV CAMCORDER CAMERA - US $600.00

[*]CANON EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTI WITH 2 PRO LENS - US $550.00

[*]NIKON AF-S VR 70-200MM F/2.8 G IF ED 70-200MM NIKKOR - US $1,600.00

[grimey]

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=46114

They’ve been accused of rampant thievery, spending billions of dollars like drunken sailors, groping children and little old ladies, and making everyone take off their shoes.

But the real job of the tens of thousands of screeners at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is to protect Americans from a terrorist attack.

Yet a decade after the TSA was created following the September 11 attacks, the author of the legislation that established the massive agency grades its performance at “D-.”

“The whole program has been hijacked by bureaucrats,” said Rep. John Mica (R. -Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

“It mushroomed into an army,” Mica said. “It’s gone from a couple-billion-dollar enterprise to close to $9 billion.”

As for keeping the American public safe, Mica says, “They’ve failed to actually detect any threat in 10 years.”

“Everything they have done has been reactive. They take shoes off because of [shoe-bomber] Richard Reid, passengers are patted down because of the diaper bomber, and you can’t pack liquids because the British uncovered a plot using liquids,” Mica said.

“It’s an agency that is always one step out of step,” Mica said.

[Expat]

I never put anything in those bins except my shoes and belt. As I am doing one leg hop down the line ripping my shoes off, I shove everything of value deep in my carry on bag.

That's the way to do it!

[loadshed]

One more reason why I ALWAYS put my wallet, phone and keys etc into my bag before shoving it through the scanner.