Airports balk at hiring private screeners

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/05/07/private.screeners.ap/index.html

Despite all the grumbling about those federal security screeners, airports are not rushing to replace them with private workers.

Only two airports -- in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Elko, Nevada -- have applied to the government to switch back to privately employed screeners. And the management at Elko is having second thoughts.

"Are the costs going to outweigh the benefits?" asked Cris Jensen, director of the Elko Regional Airport. "We're not sure."

Advocates of private screeners had predicted that dozens of airports would jump at the chance to make the switch, saying the bureaucracy inherent in a government agency -- the Transportation Security Administration -- has slowed staffing decisions at the country's 450 commercial airports.

Elaine Sanchez, spokeswoman for Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, explained why most airports are sticking with the federal screeners: "In a word, liability," she said.

[wakeme2008]

1. Sounds like somebody got smart

"liability"....

There is NO liability with Fed screeners, but if you go private, the management of the airport is now got all the liability of the private company...

[xxqqqzme]

2. there won't B any liability!

congress, under george II, will want a 'liability limit' included in the legislation. A $100,000 limit and those private pockets waiting 2 B lined R ready 2 go.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Most of those TSA people stand around and bullshit

with each other most of the time and do nothing. Remember that they started out with private companies, and supposedly they were even worse that the clowns who do it now.