TSA didn't keep track of ex-employees' badges and uniforms

A Homeland Security Committee investigation has found that the TSA was negligent in keeping track of former officers' uniforms and badges, so that an unknown number are now floating around, ready to be worn by anyone who wants to impersonate a TSA officer in order to bring a 3.1 ounce tube of toothpaste into a major US airport, thus causing every plane in the sky to crash simultaneously.

Investigators found numerous cases in which former employees retained their passes long after they had left the agency.

The investigation also found that TSA uniforms were frequently not collected when employees left or were transferred.

People using improper badges, IDs or uniforms – particularly in combination – "could significantly increase an airport's vulnerability to unauthorized access and, potentially, a wide variety of terrorist and criminal acts," the report said.

Report slams TSA failure to track security passes (via Making Light)

• [Takuan]

  all part of the vast economic plan (praise be to His Divine Shadow). TSA passes are like currency now, possession of one gives you the right to harvest goods at the airport for later barter and re-sale. Though the real appeal is the free feel-ups.

• [Frank_in_Virginia]

  So watch, because TSA fucked up on their security procedures, they will take it out on the flying public. Watch for longer lines leading to increased Draconian measures.

• [Anonymous]

  Zuzu, I just want you to know I am having trouble getting over the name “Benedict Cumberbatch”.

  I will be in the drawing room with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Cornelius Fudge if you need me.

  –Charlie

• [Daemon]

  Hmm. They steal your stuff… They lose their own stuff…

  Where exactly does the “security” part come in?

• [Daemon]

  also…
  #1 – seriously… major bonus points for the Lexx referance.

• [Marshall]

  I just saw a grade-A thug strutting down the street in a TSA jacket the other day.

• [Baldhead]

  When did they have white uniforms? Don’t think I ever saw one.

  At any rate, is anyone at all surprised? does a week go by without news of a glaring fuck- up by the TSA?

• [angusm]

  The law of averages suggests that the bad guys are probably equally clueless and disorganized. However, they have one important advantage, which is that they can shed the dead weight from their organization by sending their dimmer members out to blow themselves up.

• [zuzu]

  @ Charlie

  Have you already spoken with Hitler Gasbag Purina von Puppychow?

• [ivan256]

  #4:

  He was on lunch break.

• [zootboing]

  Considering that these jokers are little more than self-important Mall cops with bigger responsibilities, I’m completely unsurprised.

  Two of them actually stopped my sister-in-law once and demanded to interview her 6-month old….because she had a middle name out of the old testament! (Perhaps it didn’t help that brother held up the baby and deadpanned, “I can guarantee she won’t talk.”)

• [toybreaker313]

  I found airport fire rescue uniform at a local Salvation Army, complete with a key of laminated door codes in the pocket.

  I probably shouldn’t have said that, I’ll never be able to fly again.

  At least I have Halloween costume ideas.

• [Stefan Jones]

  Aha! This would explain the TSA guy at the park who insists on frisking people before they get on their bicycles and scooters.

• [EH]

  “could significantly increase the vulnerability?” The pieces are out there, so the vulnerability is NOW.

• [dougp]

  Last time I was the the Austin airport the TSA had new dark blue uniforms instead of white. Maybe this is why. New uniforms and badges for everybody!

• [Purly]

  So basically now we can’t trust people to actually be TSA.

• [Phikus]

  We all know real terrorists are guys taking photos of public places in the street and are not clever enough to get a hold of discarded TSA uniforms for some nefarious scheme. Trust the government. They have everyone’s best interest at heart.

• [jackie31337]

  dougp @10: “Last time I was the the Austin airport the TSA had new dark blue uniforms instead of white. Maybe this is why. New uniforms and badges for everybody!”

  Did the change from white to dark blue happen on or about Labor day by any chance? ;)

• [AirPillo]

  Alright, so…

  How do we reign in the TSA?

  There have been enough serious security and oversight failures in the news to paint them as incompetents, so how do we get the fixing done?

  I’d rather not believe that we have to wait until every man, woman, and child in America says “duh” when you tell them that the TSA is a more likely and serious threat to them than terrorism is.

• [Takuan]

  come on! everyone knows terrorists wear turbans and Obama buttons!

• [zuzu]

  Trust the government. They have everyone’s best interest at heart.

  I mean, that’s pretty much the message to take away from the end of The Last Enemy, right? :)

• [zuzu]

  come on! everyone knows terrorists wear turbans and Obama buttons!

  UNAS: Unaffiliated Subversive

• [angryhippo]

  Does that mean they will start treating each other with the same disdain and suspicion as the flying public? I flew out of McCarren this weekend and they reminded me of the kid in high school who got to be hall monitor.

• [Master Mahan]

  So, I guess the S stands for something other than Security?

• [Anonymous]

  I feel safer already!

  (And I refuse to fly into the US.)

• [Lafayette Grapevine]

  This reminds me of the situation with the New Orleans Police after Hurricane Katrina. They had to switch to black uniforms because the traditional light blue uniforms were looted.
  No one knew who the real cops were.

• [ill lich]

  I believe a TSA spokesperson was quoted: “badges?. . . we don’t need no steenking badges!”

• [Grant]

  Even McDonald’s restaurants require you to turn in your uniform when you are done working there. That’s just gross negligence by the TSA.