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CNN Live Sunday
TSA Proposes Checking Passengers' Baggage Without Their Presence
Aired December 15, 2002 - 18:54 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The Transportation Security Administration is facing a looming deadline for getting all checked luggage screened at airports across the country. But the plans include opening and searching your luggage without you being there. CNN's Patty Davis has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just weeks from the year-end deadline to screen all checked luggage, a rush to train screeners at the Tampa, Florida airport.
While some passengers say bag screening will make them feel more secure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am for anything that -- anything helps make us feel more safe.
DAVIS: Many don't know this.
DAVID STEMPLER, A/H TRAVELERS ASSOCIATION: Well, at some airports, the bag is going to go down on the conveyor belt, down to the bag room, and they are going to open it up and inspect it down there, out of the site of passengers, which I think is going to be very upsetting to passengers.
DAVIS: That is because if your bag sets off the alarm in these bomb detection machines, and up to 30 percent do, it has to be opened and searched, sometimes by hand without you there. Eventually, most bags will be handled this way, and that's raised a lot of concerns about privacy.
JAMES JOHNSON, TSA SCREENER: If you got something there you don't want to be seen, don't bring it here.
DAVIS: The Transportation Security Administration is considering telling passengers not to lock their bags, which could encourage theft.
ROBERT POOLE, REASON FOUNDATION: And there is already a problem nationwide with theft from baggage areas, and so you now add another party handling, opening up bags on purpose, the TSA. Then the bags are closed back up, handed off to the airline baggage people.
DAVIS: Who is liable is something is missing? And what will the TSA do if it finds illegal drugs in a passenger's suitcase?
DARIO COMPAIN, FED. SEC. DIR. TAMPA INT'L: Although we are not looking for those type of items, if we come across of them incident to a lawful search, we have the responsible to turn it over to a law enforcement officer.
DAVIS: The TSA says it will have answers to all those questions this week.
DAVIS (on camera): As for preventing theft, TSA officials say they are already monitoring bag screeners with video cameras at some airports. Officials say the TSA will likely notify passengers if their bags need to be opened out of their site.
(voice-over): And they are also considering using bomb sniffing dogs and other methods to do secondary searches on bags to minimize the number that have to be opened at all.
Patty Davis, CNN, at Regan National Airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Presence>
Aired December 15, 2002 - 18:54 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The Transportation Security Administration is facing a looming deadline for getting all checked luggage screened at airports across the country. But the plans include opening and searching your luggage without you being there. CNN's Patty Davis has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just weeks from the year-end deadline to screen all checked luggage, a rush to train screeners at the Tampa, Florida airport.
While some passengers say bag screening will make them feel more secure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am for anything that -- anything helps make us feel more safe.
DAVIS: Many don't know this.
DAVID STEMPLER, A/H TRAVELERS ASSOCIATION: Well, at some airports, the bag is going to go down on the conveyor belt, down to the bag room, and they are going to open it up and inspect it down there, out of the site of passengers, which I think is going to be very upsetting to passengers.
DAVIS: That is because if your bag sets off the alarm in these bomb detection machines, and up to 30 percent do, it has to be opened and searched, sometimes by hand without you there. Eventually, most bags will be handled this way, and that's raised a lot of concerns about privacy.
JAMES JOHNSON, TSA SCREENER: If you got something there you don't want to be seen, don't bring it here.
DAVIS: The Transportation Security Administration is considering telling passengers not to lock their bags, which could encourage theft.
ROBERT POOLE, REASON FOUNDATION: And there is already a problem nationwide with theft from baggage areas, and so you now add another party handling, opening up bags on purpose, the TSA. Then the bags are closed back up, handed off to the airline baggage people.
DAVIS: Who is liable is something is missing? And what will the TSA do if it finds illegal drugs in a passenger's suitcase?
DARIO COMPAIN, FED. SEC. DIR. TAMPA INT'L: Although we are not looking for those type of items, if we come across of them incident to a lawful search, we have the responsible to turn it over to a law enforcement officer.
DAVIS: The TSA says it will have answers to all those questions this week.
DAVIS (on camera): As for preventing theft, TSA officials say they are already monitoring bag screeners with video cameras at some airports. Officials say the TSA will likely notify passengers if their bags need to be opened out of their site.
(voice-over): And they are also considering using bomb sniffing dogs and other methods to do secondary searches on bags to minimize the number that have to be opened at all.
Patty Davis, CNN, at Regan National Airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Presence>
