. . . it seems to me the TSA and the airlines are unrelated financially. Unless maybe the airports pay a fee to the government for having the TSA there, which the airport passes on the the airlines, which the airline passes on the the customer. I honestly don't know if there's a connection or not. I always just assumed the TSA was paid for with tax dollars.
You could go with a 'per head' tax but probably just have TSA sell 'elective pat downs' by sticking a little vending machine that takes quarters/dollars and spits out a pat down ticket and cut the airlines out entirely, except insofar as you'd probably want to allow them to sell them for you too. Its not like government agencies don't 'sell' things anyway, licenses and such, toll road passes, stamps, etc. A little 'EPD ticket' if you would, no harder to dispense then postage stamps, good for a 24 hour period, present to TSA if you don't like scanners, lose it and buy another or get scanned. I've no idea what the actual cost of a pat down is, I used to do pat downs on locals in Iraq from time to time and it didn't take me a full minute, even including language barriers and slowness from how infrequently I did it, so like if we're paying our pat down guys $30 an hour and giving them two minutes a person that's a whole whopping buck, there's no real security worry about people forging pat down tickets so you could just use a normal little ticket vending dealie like pay garages use. Simple, easy, cheap, and gets rid of most of the hassle, if the consumers on the whole seem to prefer an extra layer of perceived privacy at a higher cost, you've got an easy way to adjust for it.
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
So, people travelling in the US tomorrow: are you opting out?
23/11/2010 10:45:03 PM
- 765 Views
How did the NYTimes phrase this again... oh yes.
23/11/2010 11:42:29 PM
- 731 Views
This article about "Isrealification" is interesting
24/11/2010 12:54:59 AM
- 778 Views
We have that saying here, too.
24/11/2010 01:50:03 AM
- 713 Views
Re: We have that saying here, too.
24/11/2010 02:05:09 AM
- 639 Views
a loaded gun clip was found left on a plane by an off-duty cop just today in fact....
24/11/2010 05:06:15 AM
- 531 Views
You're missing the point
24/11/2010 09:48:42 AM
- 631 Views
The thing about the gun just proves how good the behavioural profiling is.
25/11/2010 09:49:55 AM
- 453 Views
If all goes as they say it does, it sounds like a very good system *NM*
24/11/2010 04:23:42 AM
- 237 Views
No, US air traffic controllers don't go on strike.
24/11/2010 01:37:30 AM
- 670 Views
I've got no problem with the scanners, but people are welcome to object
24/11/2010 02:20:25 AM
- 862 Views
Nice idea, but . . .
24/11/2010 05:38:11 PM
- 486 Views
I'm not sure, but its not a big obstacle
24/11/2010 07:39:22 PM
- 610 Views
I see some sheep have replied to your post. *NM*
24/11/2010 03:17:00 AM
- 210 Views
I assume you are less than fond of the situation, then? *NM*
24/11/2010 03:25:45 AM
- 334 Views
You assume correctly.
24/11/2010 03:44:23 AM
- 785 Views
If grandmas aren't getting groped at the airport...
24/11/2010 04:38:50 AM
- 627 Views
just out of curiousity, do either you or litdog have any solutions?
24/11/2010 04:59:07 AM
- 534 Views
Stop adding useless and invasive procedures. *NM*
24/11/2010 05:19:23 AM
- 234 Views
yes that's all well and good.
24/11/2010 05:37:01 AM
- 446 Views
It would be the same as it was before this nonsense. EDITED
24/11/2010 06:18:57 AM
- 693 Views
if that's what your comfortable with, then. Fair enough *NM*
24/11/2010 06:22:46 AM
- 215 Views
Read my edit for what I think is a bit more balanced. *NM*
24/11/2010 06:29:11 AM
- 196 Views
Become the enemy and they win, but is this is really a Civil Rights issue?
24/11/2010 02:16:43 PM
- 733 Views
At least have the decency to refer to us as 'sheeple' *NM*
24/11/2010 03:39:47 AM
- 208 Views
You didn't seem to be among the sheep. *NM*
24/11/2010 03:45:06 AM
- 215 Views
i will make sure to pat my girlfriend down before we get in the car and start driving *NM*
24/11/2010 05:16:43 AM
- 201 Views
Only morons fly in the U.S. on Thanksgiving day. *NM*
24/11/2010 05:42:04 PM
- 290 Views
Here's a report on the scanners, that you might just want to get felt up.
24/11/2010 08:56:09 PM
- 658 Views
I'm half-tempted to engage in some frottage with the girlfriend while waiting in the pat-down line.
25/11/2010 03:43:47 AM
- 500 Views