The Security Mentor

The February 2008 Consumer Reports, just mailed out to subscribers, has a disturbing article about aviation security with a really disturbing quote.

Retired TSA officer Larry Tortorich is quoted saying

There was a facade of security. There were numerous security flaws and vulnerabilities that I identified. The response was, it wasn't apparent to the public, so there would not be any corrective action

In other words, what counts is what the public thinks, not whether flying is safe.

Another TSA officer, Bogdan Dzakovic, had this to say about reinforced cockpit doors:

People have this illusion hardened cockpit doors work, and they don't...If you want to have a secure door, you need to have a double-hulled door

El Al has double barriers to the cockpit. We don't.

Consumer Reports found lots of other breakdowns, too. People can get on airplanes with dangerous items. There aren't enough air marshals. And so on.