TSA mess and the police

[JLTraveling]

OK, fine. Let's say that there was some information floating around out there. Just like any new WDW construction, show, etc., the advance news/rumors are never exactly the same as the final product. It's one thing to hear vague information about what is allegedly coming down the line, and something entirely different to SEE the new procedures in action. The head of the TSA has admitted that he purposely avoided giving out details, so I'm going with the idea that even if there was some "information" out there, it wasn't official and it wasn't specific.

 

[kaytieeldr]

LOVED IT. I'm in. I have a flight to Chicago and Vegas this December. My flight to Chicago is in 2 weeks so maybe it will arrive in time.

LOL

I wonder how many they're going to see, and if they'll have a sense of humor about the shirts!

By the way, when will you be in Las Vegas?

 

[C.Ann]

OK, fine. Let's say that there was some information floating around out there. Just like any new WDW construction, show, etc., the advance news/rumors are never exactly the same as the final product. It's one thing to hear vague information about what is allegedly coming down the line, and something entirely different to SEE the new procedures in action. The head of the TSA has admitted that he purposely avoided giving out details, so I'm going with the idea that even if there was some "information" out there, it wasn't official and it wasn't specific.

I agree.. Very vague chatter is just that - "very vague".. No indication that it would reach this level.. Until I actually saw this new pat down on the news, I had no idea how intrusive/invasive it was going to be..

 

[Geoff_M]

Patdowns at stadiums are checking for alcohol. When you can get to a distant destination by entering a sports stadium or arena, maybe the security procedures at airports can be changed to mirror what they use at Ford Field.

Alcohol??? Seriously? We're talking about Detroit here. And I can assure you that the metal detectors I walk through at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit aren't looking for screw tops on a glass flask of Jack Daniels!!!

 

[ccgirl]

While "pat downs" were discussed back then as the "opt out" Plan B, it's worth noting that a "pat down" is a pretty general term with varying degrees of intrusiveness. Everyone that goes to a Detroit Lions game at Ford Field is given a same-sex "pat down" too, but it's VERY minimal. They check around your waist for something tucked in your belt, and then quickly run the back side of their hands down each of your arms and legs... and you're in. You don't feel like you should be kissing the guy during the check, if you know what I mean.

Just curious, have you experienced the new pat down yourself? My DH had it and likened it to the patdown he receives going to a New England Patriots game.

 

[skater]

Okay, anybody who's flying this holiday season and has a sense of humor, check out today's t-shirt on woot.com: http://shirt.woot.com/

I'm in for one!

Cute.

 

[skater]

Just curious, have you experienced the new pat down yourself? My DH had it and likened it to the patdown he receives going to a New England Patriots game.

From reading some of the anecdotes, it seems that there's not much consistency in the patdowns.

 

[DMRick]

Did you read some of the many threads on this from months ago on the Dis? There is a lot of info there that isn't vague. Should it have been announced officially? Maybe, if it wouldn't hurt what they had in mind. But in any case it was being discussed here and on the flying boards, and prob elsewhere. No one thought it was a rumor at that time. Did people like it? No. Do they like it now? No. Will most continue to fly? I bet they will. Will those who didn't fly (or had no plans to fly) before fly now? I bet not.

OK, fine. Let's say that there was some information floating around out there. Just like any new WDW construction, show, etc., the advance news/rumors are never exactly the same as the final product. It's one thing to hear vague information about what is allegedly coming down the line, and something entirely different to SEE the new procedures in action. The head of the TSA has admitted that he purposely avoided giving out details, so I'm going with the idea that even if there was some "information" out there, it wasn't official and it wasn't specific.

 

[Geoff_M]

Just curious, have you experienced the new pat down yourself? My DH had it and likened it to the patdown he receives going to a New England Patriots game.

Nope, but then again I don't really have an opinion for or against them at this point in time.

 

[CPT Tripss]

My son flies on Saturday from NYC, I fly next Tuesday, from Alb which doesn't have the new scanners and we both come back from CA, different airports (different times), I can't wait to see how that goes.

Which of the NYCity area airports? When the new post is told.

 

[CPT Tripss]

I didn't have a chance to watch the entire video at work, but thought it worth mentioning that this video/story is from February 2010 (Blog date is later, but the first few seconds of the video indicate February 1, 2010 2:43PM)

In my own personal opinion, this video illustrates my feeling that the time to question the TSA's authority in an airport was long before now. The new changes mean nothing to me. The TSA is in our airports now and that's the way that it is. If I want to travel via air I need to deal with TSA, thorns and all. Chances are that I'll have a great agent who sees me on my way with no issue. There is a small chance that I may get an agent who is lacking.

As someone said earlier, every profession has great employees and real jerks/idiots. This video is a great example of that and shows that abuses of power happened a long time before any enhanced anything.

Thank you for posting that as I did not have time to watch the video. If you are challenging the current practices of the TSA, the links should really be current.

TSA excesses have been questioned here on DIS for quite some time. There a plenty of current abuses noted . . . kids partially undressed, insulin pumps mishandled and ostemy bags spilled come immediately to mind.

 

[Metsfan520]

Patdowns at stadiums are checking for alcohol. When you can get to a distant destination by entering a sports stadium or arena, maybe the security procedures at airports can be changed to mirror what they use at Ford Field.

Not here in NY--they are patting you down for other things. They check our bags, if you don't have a bag you are wanded, and then everyone is patting down by a same sex security guard.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Can't we request a private room for it??? I know that it is done by the same gender you are. But I wouldn't mind as much if they took me to a private area. I'd HATE to have it done in line with everybody watching.
Nancy

I got through another page and did not see an answer to your question.

You can request a private screening. You can also bring a witness with you to observe the screening. If you opt for a private screening, I (and a lot of others) recommend a witness. Certain screenings, "resolution screenings" I think is the TSA term require a private room.

 

[kaytieeldr]

TSA excesses have been questioned here on DIS for quite some time. There a plenty of current abuses noted . . . kids partially undressed, insulin pumps mishandled and ostemy bags spilled come immediately to mind.

One kid partially undressed was done by the kid's own father, not any TSA officer or at the direction or request of any TSA officer. One - as far as I'm aware - insulin pump incident and one traumatic mishandling of a urostomy bag. Not multiples.

While the latter two aren't excusable by any means, they're isolated incidents, not multiple occurrences that inappropriate pluralizing would have one believe. And leave the kid-undressed out of any discussion, since his father did that.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Okay, anybody who's flying this holiday season and has a sense of humor, check out today's t-shirt on woot.com: http://shirt.woot.com/

I'm in for one!

And if you want to experience the "resolution pat down", try these . . . . http://www.flyingpasties.com/index.html - (NSFW)

 

[CPT Tripss]

Yes, does it matter which magazine it was in? It was a quote from the Boston Globe.
The point I was making was that it's not like we just knew about this on November 1st. Or did just a few people know about this? I knew, although I didn't know just how enhanced it would be. I took the article to mean they didn't go in depth, because they didn't want to play out all their cards.

They also said it will remain like this in the short term..which to me means they are looking at it and perhaps there will be changes.

here's a line from that piece

Reports have surfaced that passengers who've refused to go through the TSA's expensive and invasive body scanners have been treated to a more rigerous pat-down. "If anybody ever groped me like that in real life, I would have punched them in their nose,” one male traveler told the Boston Globe. “It was extremely invasive.. actually probing and pushing and seeing if I was concealing something in my genital area.”

Posters on Dis have disputed that this is happening now. Posters, supposed TSAers over on Flyer Talk disputed that this was happening back then, and good ol' Blogger Bob denied that this was happening.

If you didn't know how "enhanced" it would be, did you really know? Might it be accurate to say that you, like me, were aware changes were coming?

 

[DMRick]

Which of the NYCity area airports? When the new post is told.

He's leaving tonight from JFK. He's in the city now. I don't understand the second sentence.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Just put in TSA scans or enhanced pat downs, etc in the Dis search. Here is one to show that it really was discussed last March. There are several threads on it..most closed:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=35706665#post35706665

Obviously people knew about the changes. Maybe not to the extent, but they were known.

From that post's link.

Under existing protocols, full-body scans are optional at airport checkpoints. Travelers who decline the scans are funneled to a location where they may be given a pat down and subjected to other tests such as swabs that can detect minute traces of explosives on hands or luggage.

That was the old method of dealing with people that alarmed the WTMD or had a medical item that should not be renewed. It's no where close to the new methods.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Alcohol??? Seriously? We're talking about Detroit here. And I can assure you that the metal detectors I walk through at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit aren't looking for screw tops on a glass flask of Jack Daniels!!!

And the octopi don't show up on a WTMD . . .

 

[CPT Tripss]

Did you read some of the many threads on this from months ago on the Dis? There is a lot of info there that isn't vague. Should it have been announced officially? Maybe, if it wouldn't hurt what they had in mind. But in any case it was being discussed here and on the flying boards, and prob elsewhere. No one thought it was a rumor at that time. Did people like it? No. Do they like it now? No. Will most continue to fly? I bet they will. Will those who didn't fly (or had no plans to fly) before fly now? I bet not.

That's true . . . and some were called "tin hatters" and accused of gross exaggeration.