TSA mess and the police

[LuvOrlando]

What is an alternative?

Letting everyone through? Not checking anything circa 1950?

Just checking bags, not people?

Just checking people, not bags?

Just checking known terrorists and their bags?

We DO NOT know who, what kind of person, when, or where the next attack will happen... We just know it will.

As someone who flies 20 days a month, I am not bothered by TSA at all.

The idea that there is no middle ground between radiation/groping and nothing is not reasonable. There is middle ground, there is always middle ground and forcing law abiding Americans to do this is no-where near middle ground

 

[AKL_Megs]

The idea that there is no middle ground between radiation/groping and nothing is not reasonable. There is middle ground, there is always middle ground and forcing law abiding Americans to do this is no-where near middle ground

I'm just curious what you suggest? You hate the current procedure, so to you, what is the utopian screening procedure?

 

[CathrynRose]

Chicago O'Hare has the scanners, but on a recent trip (to Las Vegas!!!) it was random. Not every single person went through it. I didn't pay attention to the rhyme or reason - but it was random. *Neither myself, nor my g/f were chosen*

On the subject of the TSA - not all of them, but some of them are complete a-holes. I've had some really friendly ones, and some real, real JERKS.

On the above mentioned trip, we were in the mile long line, doing the back and forth, back and forth thing. I had a small rolly suitcase and my purse. On top of the rolly suitcase (so no one had to lug it back and forth, back and forth) I had my g/f's tote bag, hooked on the handle bar thing.

As we corned around the queue, a TSA woman yelled at me, and opened the strappy line thing "Get out of line!" - me, being the ever so compliant person I am said "Why?!?!" She says, you have 3 bags, get out of line! I told her - this is (pointing to my g/f) *her* bag! She tells us - then she has to hold it. She would have held it, once we got up there - but we had a good 1/2 hour to go. It was absurd.

 

[npmommie]

Chicago O'Hare has the scanners, but on a recent trip (to Las Vegas!!!) it was random. Not every single person went through it. I didn't pay attention to the rhyme or reason - but it was random. *Neither myself, nor my g/f were chosen*

On the subject of the TSA - not all of them, but some of them are complete a-holes. I've had some really friendly ones, and some real, real JERKS.

On the above mentioned trip, we were in the mile long line, doing the back and forth, back and forth thing. I had a small rolly suitcase and my purse. On top of the rolly suitcase (so no one had to lug it back and forth, back and forth) I had my g/f's tote bag, hooked on the handle bar thing.

As we corned around the queue, a TSA woman yelled at me, and opened the strappy line thing "Get out of line!" - me, being the ever so compliant person I am said "Why?!?!" She says, you have 3 bags, get out of line! I told her - this is (pointing to my g/f) *her* bag! She tells us - then she has to hold it.

They're bizarre. Bizarre, strange and rude.

this happened to me, but it was a flight attendant, we all had carry on luggage, 1 piece, plus a small personal item,
my 6 yo was rolling his luggage onto the plane so I held onto his small bag ( carry on ), well the FA yelled at me when we got on the plane that I had to check my extra piece, I pointed to my kid and said I was helping him, carrying it for him, she YELLED "well he HAS to carry it!!"
I am sorry, but I had to bite my lip and kept walking, I mean common sense people. she could see how many of us there were and we each had the approved amount of carry on.
it was ridiculous.
I will help my kid if he needs help. No else certainly will.

 

[RitaE]

It's 2 minutes out of your day.

2 minutes?

My last trip through O'Hare was approaching 2 hours in the security line.

There were people around me in tears over missed flights because the line simply was not moving and nobody would give out any information as to why we had been standing in the same spot for nearly an hour. Anytime somebody would stop one of the TSA people walking by and say "Why isn't the line moving?" They'd get snarled at. Lots of fun.

My husband's company thankfully pays for them to all get those "express lane" passes, I think with United?

 

[LuvOrlando]

I'm just curious what you suggest? You hate the current procedure, so to you, what is the utopian screening procedure?

What was wrong with how things were being done 1 year to 6 months ago? I took 2 flights last year and managed to get there safely without x-rays and without being groped. The tragedy of 9/11 happened years ago and there has been no repeat so I think we can assume what was going on since then was working just fine. Think about all the thousands of flights that have gone on since then without incident. Why the invasive changes?

I'm all for the x-ray if people are ok with it but how come there is such a forceful alternative to x-ray? It seems like a punishment to me.

How can it be ok to tell me, a mother of an 11 year old pre-teen girl who is developed like a 16 year old that she has to either submit to egg damaging x-rays OR be physically molested by an adult? NOT going to happen.... so not going to happen.... not on my watch.

 

[AKL_Megs]

this happened to me, but it was a flight attendant, we all had carry on luggage, 1 piece, plus a small personal item,
my 6 yo was rolling his luggage onto the plane so I held onto his small bag ( carry on ), well the FA yelled at me when we got on the plane that I had to check my extra piece, I pointed to my kid and said I was helping him, carrying it for him, she YELLED "well he HAS to carry it!!"
I am sorry, but I had to bite my lip and kept walking, I mean common sense people. she could see how many of us there were and we each had the approved amount of carry on.
it was ridiculous.
I will help my kid if he needs help. No else certainly will.

As a flight attendant, that is DUMB. I'll give her the benefit and say she was probably having a bad day

 

[CathrynRose]

I pointed to my kid and said I was helping him, carrying it for him, she YELLED "well he HAS to carry it!!"
.

Ridiculous. It is truly ridiculous.

You realize the entire plane's safety was in jeopardy with you carrying on your 6 y.o's bag, right? As was the entire airport, when I hooked my g/f's tote bag, onto the handle of my rolly suitcase, just to get through the line without anyone having to carry anything.

 

[C.Ann]

Took my husband to the airport a couple weeks ago. He had traveled from that airport twice this summer already. He had his hands in the air for a pat down. Then hands ran up and down his arms, up inside his legs and crotch, down inside the waistband, and his socks.

I told my sister about it and she said there had been a news story on TV about the new authority TSA has for searches. She said they can pat up the underside of a woman's breasts and can use the palms of their hands instead of the outside of the hand. That would sure take the fun out of flying for me.

In the morning they sometimes show news clips on the Weather Channel.. It just so happens that I was watching the other day and they were showing the TSA's doing "pat downs" - male to male, female to female - (the real deal - in one of the airports, as it was being done) and the broadcaster was
reporting on the changes they have made in regards to how the hands are used.. No longer sliding - with the backs or sides of the hands.. Full front hands, feeling, squeezing, etc.. My eyes almost popped out of my head.. That's not a "pat down".. That's what used to take place in the back of a Chevy on Lovers Lane..

So if this doesn't catch the "bad guys", what's next? Strip searches and cavity searches? (And the did specifically mention that "cavities" of the body are often places used by terrorists to conceal whatever..)

I believe there are some people that have to go the "pat down" route if they have metal or other medical devices implanted in their bodies, so I don't think everyone has the exact same options..

I don't care about people going through my luggage (I think it's been done on every single flight I've made) - and I don't think the scanner would be a big deal for me either.. But being groped? I guess that's where I draw my line in the sand.. I would not be flying - I would turn around and leave.. And then what? Be hassled and detained for suspicious activity because I decided that I changed my mind?

 

[AKL_Megs]

What was wrong with how things were being done 1 year to 6 months ago? I took 2 flights last year and managed to get there safely without x-rays and without being groped. The tragedy of 9/11 happened years ago and there has been no repeat so I think we can assume what was going on since then was working just fine. Think about all the thousands of flights that have gone on since then without incident. Why the invasive changes?

I'm all for the x-ray if people are ok with it but how come there is such a forceful alternative to x-ray? It seems like a punishment to me

I think what almost happened on Christmas is what prompted the change... It didn't happen, thank God, but the methods of old didn't catch THAT kind threat, and it got through. The new kind WILL catch that threat.

I know, I know, and I agree, it won't catch anything with this random selection nonsense, it needs to be all or nothing. I am sure in time, with funding, it will be ALL soon enough. Fine with me.

 

[Adipoo]

I don't fly all that often, only 7-8 times a year, and have never had an issue with TSA. Have they had to go through my carry-on when something looked odd? Sure, no big deal. Has my checked luggage been opened? Sure, never would have know it if they didn't put the little slip of paper in there. Have I been a random pull from the line? Yep. I refuse to get my panties in a wad over it. It is ultimately my choice to fly; if I'm that offended by TSA, I'll stay home.

I try to go through security with a smile on my face and I get smiles back. I expect if I give them attitude that I'm going to get attitude back.

 

[Jennasis]

I don't have a problem with the screening process, though I am sympathetic to those that do.

LuvOrlando mentioned the "middle ground". But isn't the middle ground what left us vulnerable to 9/11 and the like?

If they need a blood, urine or DNA sample of another kind, a naked pat down and a 500 word essay about why I love America, well then so be it (okay, maybe I would object to the essay). I'm just not that upset by it. Then again, I don't fly often and I don't like flying.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I think what almost happened on Christmas is what prompted the change... It didn't happen, thank God, but the methods of old didn't catch THAT kind threat, and it got through. The new kind WILL catch that threat.

I know, I know, and I agree, it won't catch anything with this random selection nonsense, it needs to be all or nothing. I am sure in time, with funding, it will be ALL soon enough. Fine with me.

There will always be a way around deterrents. If human beings dream up the obstacle another human being will be able to outsmart it because there is no such thing as 100%.

Don't get me wrong, I am 100% behind safety and up until the new allegations of open handed groping I was ok with things but this is over the line. I understand your line may sit somewhere different than mine, and I can respect that but I also hope you can respect where I'm coming from. I realize my limits have a great deal more to do with my frequent flying DH and my DD than myself but my line still is where it is and nothing is going to change it.

 

[Heidict]

LuvOrlando, you can opt for the patdown. Nobody HAS to get scanned, so really, no need for all of he radiation drama posts!

I had a friend that flew out of Charlotte, NC on Monday. She said that she had to go through the scanner and have a patdown. There was no either / or option. Even stranger was that all women had to do both the pat down and scanner while men were just given a patdown.

She has no idea why it was being done this way.

 

[AKL_Megs]

There will always be a way around deterrents. If human beings dream up the obstacle another human being will be able to outsmart it because there is no such thing as 100%.

Don't get me wrong, I am 100% behind safety and up until the new allegations of open handed groping I was ok with things but this is over the line. I understand your line may sit somewhere different than mine, and I can respect that but I also hope you can respect where I'm coming from. I realize my limits have a great deal more to do with my frequent flying DH and my DD than myself but my line still is where it is and nothing is going to change it.

Oh, I totally respect where you are coming from!

 

[AKL_Megs]

I had a friend that flew out of Charlotte, NC on Monday. She said that she had to go through the scanner and have a patdown. There was no either / or option. Even stranger was that all women had to do both the pat down and scanner while men were just given a patdown.

She has no idea why it was being done this way.

You get the more intense, "Friday Night Special" patdown if you opt out. If you scan, you get a less intensive invasive patdown

 

[apirateslifeforme]

My DFi flew to Florida this past weekend. I asked him how security was, and he got pretty quiet. Our airport has the scanners now, but he wasn't given a choice to go through them or get the pat-down. He said there was one line, then agents seemed to be randomly putting people in the scanner line and pat-down line. He was directed to the pat-down line. And he said that was no quick pat-down. What made him the most uncomfortable was how the (male) agent went under his shirt and gave "the boys" a lot of attention. Not just a quick brush; he says he got completely felt up. Next time he hopes to get the "naked scanner."

 

[Heidict]

You get the more intense, "Friday Night Special" patdown if you opt out. If you scan, you get a less intensive invasive patdown

Oh, so even if you opt for the scanner, you still get a pat down? Sounds like loads of fun.

Why though would they have only the women going through the scanner and not the men?

 

[OceanAnnie]

I was just reading an article about the TSA:

Flight attendants union upset over new pat-down procedures

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/lifestyle/travel/flight-attendants-union-upset-over-new-pat-down-procedures

I thought it was interesting. There are some that allege there is more going on than a pat down. I'm sure it "can" happen. It'll be interesting to see if more comes of this.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I just have to add... If WE feel as uncomfortable having "the boys" and "the girls" felt up with fury, think how uncomfortable the TSA agents feel, just doing their job and make an honest living.

Please don't make them the bad guy just because they are doing their job. In any line of work, of course, there are good and bad attitudes. Same with the TSA.