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TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 5:07 pm
by highdesert
In its effort to make the airport security screening process faster, the Transportation Security Administration [TSA] is employing new high-tech baggage scanners, facial-recognition cameras and “automated lanes” to eliminate passenger gridlock. But TSA Administrator David Pekoske said the agency is also making at least one new change to reduce traveler stress: deploying more floppy-ear dogs, rather than pointy-ear dogs, to sniff out explosives in public areas. During a recent tour of Washington Dulles International Airport, Pekoske told the Washington Examiner that his agency believes floppy-ear dogs are less intimidating to travelers than dogs with pointy ears. “We find the passenger acceptance of floppy-ear dogs is just better,” he said. “It presents just a little bit less of a concern. Doesn’t scare children.”
The TSA has more than 900 teams of officers and explosive-sniffing dogs either screening passengers at airports or sniffing cargo and baggage behind the scenes. About a third of those dogs interact with passengers in airports, according to the TSA. The agency says it trains seven breeds of dogs: German shepherds (pointy ears), Labrador retrievers (floppy ears), German shorthaired pointers (floppy ears), wirehaired pointers (floppy ears), Vizslas (floppy ears), Belgian Malinois (pointy ears) and golden retrievers (floppy ears). Because of the federal shutdown, TSA representatives could not be reached to comment on how the agency will transition to more floppy-ear dogs.
https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi- ... story.html
Was recently at a large airport and the TSA line stretched to BFE. A supervisor came out with a bull horn and lined us up, the dogs came out (along with the signs reading don't pet the dogs) and checked us as we were walking through ID and baggage check.
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 4:12 am
by khlavkalash
Ears depend on cropping, no? Doberman have naturally floppy ears, but pointy is the stereotype.
TSA is the government agency who has a 90% failure rate or something.
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 5:23 am
by DavidMS
Changing the dogs used in security-theater explosives screening won't make less of a show.
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 8:25 am
by HuckleberryFun
It seems to be part of a push for a friendly-cuddly American lifestyle of day-to-day militarism.
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 8:31 am
by YankeeTarheel
HuckleberryFun wrote: Sun Dec 30, 2018 8:25 am
It seems to be part of a push for a friendly-cuddly American lifestyle of day-to-day militarism.
Kinda like pink Glocks and AR-15s?
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 9:05 am
by HuckleberryFun
YankeeTarheel wrote: Sun Dec 30, 2018 8:31 am
HuckleberryFun wrote: Sun Dec 30, 2018 8:25 am
It seems to be part of a push for a friendly-cuddly American lifestyle of day-to-day militarism.
Kinda like pink Glocks and AR-15s?
Sure. I wouldn’t mind being treated like cattle so much if the cattle herders were adorned in pink and Hello Kitty.
No, that’s not true. I would mind.
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 10:21 am
by GoldenRetrieversRule
More Golden Retrievers anywhere has to be a good thing
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 11:51 am
by JohnNewell
Wife breeds Yorkies. Maybe we should don't some ankle biters to TSA?
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 11:54 am
by JohnNewell
Wife breeds Yorkies. Maybe we should donate some ankle biters to TSA?
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 12:38 pm
by khlavkalash
By far, the most likely to be scary dogs are dachshunds. This one is deceptively cute, but still resorting to pushing me off the bed.
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2018 1:50 am
by Bisbee
Holy moly! I never realized dobermans had floppy ears. And tails too?!? What's with the dog mutilations! Who started this insane practice of cutting ears and tails?
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2018 1:53 am
by khlavkalash
Bisbee wrote:Holy moly! I never realized dobermans had floppy ears. And tails too?!? What's with the dog mutilations! Who started this insane practice of cutting ears and tails?
I won't say it's a good idea or justified, but the idea is that they will hurt their ears and/or tails in their intended jobs.
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2018 10:02 am
by YankeeTarheel
Lots of dogs were (and still are) mutilated that way, not just Dobies. Tail-docking is common for "sporting dogs" as well, like Springer Spaniels. Also Bulldogs, Boxers and others.
One of the better features of New Jersey is that ear-cropping and tail-docking are illegal, as is de-clawing cats. Despite the AKC still having standards that require ear-cropping and tail-docking for certain breeds, its rules not only allow dogs from non-mutilating states to compete, and it cannot be considered a grading "fault" against the dog.
TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2018 11:10 am
by Bucolic
Neither Bulldogs nor French Bulldogs are docked.* They have stubby little tails that can become the seat of infectIons to the extent that they need to be removed. This is rare as long as the tails are kept clean. Boxers are docked. Sometimes I wished our Bullmastiff had been docked. He wagged his tail with such delight that it would slam into furniture. He broke it a couple times, the tail and the furniture. Damn, I loved that dog!
* We used to breed and show Bulldogs and I did a lot of the early Bulldog web sites including the official site of the Bulldog Club of America.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 7:22 am
by Bang
If you want to make the process faster, how about you stop making me take my shoes off and let me keep by toenail clippers and shampoo. How about that.
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 8:59 am
by YankeeTarheel
In desperation to get needed income, a growing number of TSA agents are calling in sick with "blue flu". In the post-holiday fall-off in travel, it hasn't yet impacted security wait times, but it will.
If I were a TSA agent and any Republican member of the Senate appeared, I'd make damn sure they didn't get their special "pass-thru" privileges and see about closing TSA Pre-Check for them, telling them, "When you pay us..." Rule #1 of Employment: Don't fuck with the money.
We came through Immigration and Customs in West Palm on a small private charter, and while the agent at Immigration was still warm and friendly (and thorough), the one at Customs, about 10 feet away, was a total shit, demanding that we produce ALL our cash, even in things like my money belt. Of course, revealing that I'm wearing a money belt in public puts me and my family at risk, but they don't give a shit. We've come through that point many times and this was the first time this happened.
Of course, if they are not being paid, I must admit I don't blame them, but it pissed me off.
Re: TSA to use less scary dogs
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 5:31 pm
by highdesert
It's bad enough being laid off during a government closure, it's worse when you have to continue working with the hope that at the end you'll get back pay. You still have your transportation, tolls, meals and other expenses to pay and hopefully they have some savings, but I doubt Uncle Sam is reimbursing them for savings interest lost in the shutdown.