Murphy TSA Twin Spin
Here’s the full version of privatizing airline security, complete with a numerical example:
[An] actuary could tell the airline, “Using only conventional metal detectors and X-ray machines on luggage, you should expect 10 terrorist incidents, each costing on average $300 million in legal damages, for every 100 million passengers who fly on your airline.” The airline would then need to charge at least $30 per passenger per ticket in order to fund the premium for its terrorism-insurance policies.
Further suppose that the actuary reported, “However, if you required your passengers to completely strip down and submit to a full-body cavity search, then you should expect only 1 terrorist incident for every 100 million passengers.” The airline in that case would only need to charge passengers $3 per ticket in order to fund the insurance policies.
Should the airline implement the new strip-search policy? It depends on its customers. Would the airline sell more or fewer tickets if it charged $27 less but required its passengers to be randomly subjected to such an invasive procedure? The answer in the current United States is probably “fewer,” meaning that it would be unprofitable for the airline to ramp up its security measures.
If you are pressed for time–or if you are curious to see how I distilled the above into a ~700 word op-ed for the masses–then check out this article which ran on AOL (unless of course you are boycotting AOL). I got the following email in response, which yes I did get permission to reprint and yes the asterisks are mine:
hello
i read your story on the tsa,well i start by saying that tsa does a great job.i know because i worked for them.
this country like it or not IS at war do you understand that….when 9/11 happened it was privitized and anything went through.
it was a low pay job with no standards,the tsa is standardized the process and that is good…..and your crack at unions ,well lets just say
for a man with a PHD that piece of paper you can wipe your *ss with!you think with a phd every thing you say is correct..did HENRY FORD have a phd…he was a machinist ,and look what he did…
take a good look around in the usa ,get away from your oak desk and get on the streets
the smart people running things ,are not so smart…
REMEMBER …WHEN YOUR AT 35000 FT IN THE AIR AND AND SOME GUY PULLS OUT A BUTCHER KNIFE YOU WILL SH*T YOUR PANTS AND WISH TSA WAS THERE TO SCREEN HIM !!!!!!!.
GOD BLESS THE TSA AND UNIONS……….
That AOL response you got is impressive.
Seriously, the ignorance and stupidity of it is off the charts.
Complete lack of knowledge regarding the facts, bad grammar, bad punctuation, bad spelling, bad reasoning, and bad language. . . The fact that the author claims working for the TSA at one point seals the deal. This is just more proof that the TSA are a bunch of barely literate and sexually perverted thugs.
To be fair to the guy who worked for the TSA, he did think he was reading a story. Based on your AOL title, he probably thought that he was going to read a story about Private Eye/TSA crime fighters stopping the pandemic of butcher knife assassinations on planes.
Wow Bob, you’re such an elitest! You need to stop living in that ivory tower and respect the little people.
Please, it’s “Dr. Murphy” to you.
I think I know who sent that email:
http://shii.org/mediawiki/images/1/1e/Boeing54kueuvg.jpg
In other words, what I think he was trying to say was: “Me grope many pretty lady, for YOUR safety, Dr. Murphy(if that be you real name). ME make grope for AMERICA safety! You need APPRECIATE ME and TSA!!”
Seriously, though, that poor guy’s response was epic. Nice job inflaming the masses, Bob.
Don’t be so quick to judge. I’ve met many tea party conservatives who truly believe that Islam is a terrorist religion and that if we don’t implement a full warfare/surveillance state, then millions of Americans will die. The belief that every true Muslim (for which there are millions) is at war with American is very widespread in some circles.
“REMEMBER …WHEN YOUR AT 35000 FT IN THE AIR AND AND SOME GUY PULLS OUT A BUTCHER KNIFE YOU WILL SH*T YOUR PANTS AND WISH TSA WAS THERE TO SCREEN HIM !!!!!!!.
GOD BLESS THE TSA AND UNIONS……….”
….wish the TSA was there to screen him AFTER he had already gotten the knife through their initial security?
I cannot tell if this is just bad grammar or if this person actually thinks the TSA does anything to “keep us safe” after we are in the air? His previous musings were so bad, so poorly reasoned and written, that I seriously cannot tell.