The Port Aransas Ferry some time after 9/11 hired a contracted security service to provide security personnel to be on board each ferry boat during operations. They wear different uniforms than the actual deckhands (and the shoulder badge closely resembles the abbreviation "TSA") but here, at least they do nothing but act as a deckhand. I've never been searched/questioned by one, although our ferry ride is closer to 2 minutes as opposed to Bolivar's long transit. I have noticed, however some of the more proactive guys actually taking a glance in the back of trucks and such...I would assume looking for anyone violating the 12 Gal total/6 Gal container gasoline rule or suppressing any obvious dangerous items. Other than that, they do the exact same job as the guys employed specifically as deckhands...presumably for less money as the guard position doesn't provide a ladder to advance whereas the deckhand position does.
Never really understood the point of security on the Port A ferry....if you blew one up, there's 5 more boats just like it that will keep on trucking. If they shut the crossing down, you could just go the long way around....70 mile trip to get to the other side. During some of the "tourist" weekends, that is sometimes faster than waiting in line for the boat.
