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Re:$1B of TSA Nude Body Scanners Made Worthless By Blog by gee_totes on Wednesday March 07, 2012 @01:25AM (#3674512)
Was there any financial bonus for the screeners to find the fake guns and bombs? For example, would a screener get $100 if they found one of these planted items?

I would think that would be a good way to reduce the failure rate. Or does the failure rate have more to do with limitations in equipment, rather than screening being a mundane job?

Re:$1B of TSA Nude Body Scanners Made Worthless By Blog by toyg on Wednesday March 07, 2012 @05:22AM (#3674993)
You start from the assumption that it's in anybody's interest that these machines do actually work. It isn't.

The real interest is for well-connected companies to sell equipment; for the approving bureaucrat to get his kickback while not being seen as abusing his position; and for the low-level unskilled TSA employee to keep quiet and keep cashing his salary.

The suggestion you give would mean the above-mentioned bureaucrat should spend additional money (which would require a lengthy fight with his superiors in order to get additional budget, possibly even triggering a review of previous expenditure) in order to push his underlings to point out flaws in the equipment he bought, so that... he can be made a fool of ?

So you see why it isn't going to happen any time soon.

Re:$1B of TSA Nude Body Scanners Made Worthless By Blog by jonhendry on Wednesday March 07, 2012 @10:23AM (#3675748)
"Was there any financial bonus for the screeners to find the fake guns and bombs? For example, would a screener get $100 if they found one of these planted items?"

In about 5 seconds after such a bonus program was initiated, screeners would be offering kickbacks to the testers in return for being given advance notice of the test.

Re:$1B of TSA Nude Body Scanners Made Worthless By Blog by rthomas6 on Thursday March 08, 2012 @01:21PM (#3680885)
Surely the TSA screeners do not know who the testers are, or what they look like. That would defeat the purpose of the test.
Re:$1B of TSA Nude Body Scanners Made Worthless By Blog by Simucal on Wednesday March 07, 2012 @10:40AM (#3675809)
Then the testers should be given a financial incentive to get the items through.
Re:$1B of TSA Nude Body Scanners Made Worthless By Blog by deathhand on Wednesday March 07, 2012 @12:21PM (#3676190)
Then long wait times would be increased dramatically by screeners trying to be as thorough as possible.
Re:$1B of TSA Nude Body Scanners Made Worthless By Blog by megablast on Wednesday March 07, 2012 @09:35AM (#3675595)
I doubt it, minimum wage jobs don't usually have bonuses. Have you ever worked in one? Walmart has no bonuses either.