Philly Inquirer: Growing anxiety of airport pat-downs and scanners

[Hannathy]

but until we allow in this sadly overly P.C. times profiling and more thorough checking of those profiled all we can do is check everyone the same.

 

[C.Ann]

but until we allow in this sadly overly P.C. times profiling and more thorough checking of those profiled all we can do is check everyone the same.

But that's just the point - everyone is not being checked "the same"..

 

[eliza61]

but until we allow in this sadly overly P.C. times profiling and more thorough checking of those profiled all we can do is check everyone the same.

As a member of a group that to this day is profiled for no more than 'driving while black" and when your son gets pulled over simply because some bimbo in pennsylvania stole a bunch of money and goes to disney world and of course needs a villian so says that 2 black men carjacked her and of course that made it open season on african american men, then maybe just maybe you might be able to convince me of our ability to profile.

Sorry but 13% of the population will pretty much fight profiling tooth and nail. and you can say that the profiling won't be done on color but let's just say 150 years of American history doesn't give me warm and fuzzy feeling about our ability to do that.

Considering last summer some boozo down south would not marry interracial couples, I'm willing to bet our ability to profile is zero to none.

What I find so funny is that you guys (not you personally) that are rallying that TSA agents are bullies, molesters and thugs are so ready to believe that these same people will be able to profile objectively?

 

[MindyDean]

I seem to get picked quite often for the special screening thing which is so funny because I have never even received a traffic ticket. My husband just laughs. The only thing I didn't appreciate was when my 8 year old son was shuffled on through and I couldn't see him. That got me going and I did voice my complaint and someone was sent to make sure he was in my line of vision. Just let me on the plane to Disney!

 

[C.Ann]

What I find so funny is that you guys (not you personally) that are rallying that TSA agents are bullies, molesters and thugs are so ready to believe that these same people will be able to profile objectively?

Don't know who "you guys" are, but I have never mentioned profiling once.. Not here, not on the thread on the CB..

Subject everyone to the same type of search - or no one.. "Random" selection for pat downs is a big problem for lots of folks..

I'm more than happy to go through the scanner.. Radiation is not an issue for me..

 

[DebbieB]

Speaking about profiling, I was randomly chosen in Richmond in August. I'm a white, middle aged female, so I don't think I fit the terrorist profile. I'm overweight, I don't think they wanted to see my scan for their jollies. I didn't even know they were using it, I was shocked when they directed me over to it. I didn't even know there was an option to "opt out". But now knowing that, I would still just go through the scanner. I read that it's 1/30 of the radiation of a chest x-ray and less radiation than you receive during the flight. I'm sure as heck not going to let it keep my from traveling.

 

[olwyngdh]

When (if--it is still up in the air whether driving will be cheaper) we fly to Disney next May, if any of us gets chosen for the scanner or the pat down, we will do it. I am not at all worried about the scanners--if someone wants to get off on my middle aged overweight body, more power to them--they must either be desperate, or my husband who still sees me as the skinny girl he married 20 years ago. With my DD8, given the choice, I would rather she go through the scanner--it would be easier on everyone than all her questions and the giggling that would come with a pat-down. (she is *very* ticklish!) I figure my husband will probably get pulled, as the pins in his hip will set off the detectors if they are set too sensitively.

We collectively chose to give away our rights and freedoms when we elected, and re-elected the people who enacted the patriot act. This is what it has led us to, and it will just get worse because we, as a nation, have chosen to be afraid. Do I support it? No. Do I have a choice? No, too many of my countrymen *want* the loss of privacy and freedom. Until people stop being afraid, nothing is going to change.

I am also 100% against profiling, especially by race. We have plenty of white, apparently middle class home grown terrorists, and frankly I am more concerned about them than I am any that would fit the general public's profile of a terrorist, simply because they are not suspected.

As much as we don't like it, as long as we are going to do searches, the only effective way to do it, without insisting that everyone go through it, is the random pulls. The NIMBY attitude is, as always, selfish and self-centered and serves no one well.

 

[CPT Tripss]

As a member of a group that to this day is profiled for no more than 'driving while black" and when your son gets pulled over simply because some bimbo in pennsylvania stole a bunch of money and goes to disney world and of course needs a villian so says that 2 black men carjacked her and of course that made it open season on african american men, then maybe just maybe you might be able to convince me of our ability to profile.

Sorry but 13% of the population will pretty much fight profiling tooth and nail. and you can say that the profiling won't be done on color but let's just say 150 years of American history doesn't give me warm and fuzzy feeling about our ability to do that.

Considering last summer some boozo down south would not marry interracial couples, I'm willing to bet our ability to profile is zero to none.

What I find so funny is that you guys (not you personally) that are rallying that TSA agents are bullies, molesters and thugs are so ready to believe that these same people will be able to profile objectively?

I'm with you on not letting the TSAers profile at the check points. I do take issue with your 13% fighting profiling . . . it's too low.