TSA on Newark Security Breach: ‘Our Bad’

Peter Greenberg Worldwide
Locations in this article:  New Orleans, LA

Airport seatThe Transportation Security Administration is taking full blame for the security breach that shut down a terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday.

The breach occurred when a man walked the wrong way through a security exit.

When the TSA caught wind of this, they responded by stopping flights for six hours and forcing passengers to exit the terminal to be re-screened.

While they were re-screening passengers, TSA officials attempted review the breach with security cameras, but soon realized that their surveillance system was not recording properly. Keep reading to find out more about how the TSA plans to prevent such breaches in the future.

Great day to flyIt is still unclear exactly how long the camera system has been on the fritz. Airport sources say that the TSA uses the camera system daily and should know whether or not it is working correctly. TSA officials eventually confirmed the breach using Continental’s security cameras.

The breach originally came to a TSA officer’s attention when another passenger mentioned that he saw someone walk the wrong way through a security exit.

To prevent this from happening again, the TSA says they will add staff and change the location of the officers stationed at that exit gate. They have also promised to perform daily checks to make sure that the cameras are recording properly.

The mood in Newark had grown especially tense while passengers waited six hours to pass through security a second time.

Avoid the hullabaloo of a hub with America’s Best Alternate Airports

But a traveling guitarist, Josh Wilson, managed to take a sad song and make it better by getting everyone around him to join in singing the Beatles’ Hey Jude. The video, which shows dozens of passengers clapping and singing along, has become a viral hit.

View it below:

Passengers everywhere have been dealing with the TSA’s increased vigilance. In New Orleans, a small boy had his Play-Doh—a Christmas gift from his grandma—confiscated by TSA officials.

Play-Doh is not actually a prohibited item, but TSA officials have been encouraged to use their own discretion because plastic explosives can be camouflaged to look like Play-Doh.

The parents were reportedly very understanding, but wished the TSA would be more consistent with their prohibited items.

By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related Links: CNN, New York Times, MyFoxDC, Josh Wilson’s YouTube Channel

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