Stories like this — “A laptop containing the unencrypted security data for 33,000 travelers using the Clear system was stolen at San Francisco International Airport on July 26, according to CBS5 Television” — are pretty depressing. TSA is ineffective, and the contractors hired to make up for problems caused by TSA — that is, Clear — turn out to be ineffective too. Passengers who paid to avoid security problems get to enjoy more. Way to go.
We wouldn’t need to have passengers’ unencrypted personal information in unattended laptops if we had a security agency that focused on actual threats, not on equal-opportunity harassment for the sake of feeling better about flying.
“Clear” Air-Travel Pass Data Stolen From SFO [Slashdot via Megan McArdle]
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The FAA comments and ideas are old.
Talk about having a backup system. According to 1900.47B directive the FAA has contingency plans for the entire U.S. But they have never trained any one as it states in paragraph 15 of 1900.47B. I dare anyone to visit an ARTCC high altitude center, and at random walk up to a controller and ask them, If the center that boarders your airspace goes down or what the FAA calls ATC Zero what section of their air space do you assume?
All they know is that there is a contingency plan somewhere and they also know that there is an agreement with the next center about airspace. But they have no idea what it is because it has written on it For Official Use Only.
Maybe if the controllers had some training, when a center like Memphis goes to ATC Zero as it did again on Aug. 9th , with 5 centers boarding its airspace, just maybe they could have assumed Memphis airspace.
I went to a public meeting, at this meeting I asked the question, If Miami Center goes ATC Zero who will assume their air space? Rick Ducharme Deputy Vice President of Terminal Services said Jacksonville. But as I asked the next question Has any ARTCC center ever assumed another centers airspace? RICK DUCHARME said NO but yet this is their contingency plan.
How safe are we?