TSA mess and the police

[C.Ann]

Who started this thread?? I'm wasting hours of my life Googling, now!!! **shake fist**

There's been a few accounts of - and these were pre-envasive pat downs - of women being asked to go to the Private Room for additional screening (one didn't have a bra on). They said "No, thanks...." and removed their shirt and/or skirt, right there in the public screening area....even the bra less woman.

Many, many people are NOT happy about this.

Consider it time well spent.. A public service, so to speak.. I think for many who are being complacent it's a matter of not looking beyond the intial pat down and what happens next - if something doesn't "feel" right..

I also think that some people have the notion that as long as they don't refuse to go through the scanner, there's no chance that they (or their children) will be randomly chosen for the pat down..

It's obviously not as cut-and-dried as many seem to think it is..

Anyhow - thanks for the links.. I appreciate your efforts..

 

[Bilberry]

I've been lucky dealing with the TSA to this point. Only one somewhat bad incident so far! Fingers crossed that it stays that way as I'll be flying to Florida Tuesday for a Disney trip.

Had a chuckle seeing this article today about what TSA now stands for - touching sensitive areas. Keep those paws away from me!

http://michellemalkin.com/2010/11/11/tsa-touching-sensitive-areas/

 

[Colleen27]

But profiling is also against our civil liberties. Why aren't you asking for the ACLU there? I bet if you were in the group being profiled you would be. I guess grandmothers and children could never be a threat?

But as someone (several, I think) has already pointed out, profiling doesn't mean "That guy looks Middle Eastern, he needs a more in depth check" (though if you think that doesn't happen now you're really naive; every friend we have of Arab decent has at least a couple of airport security stories to tell). It is about observing behaviour and mannerisms, not race.

 

[CathrynRose]

Anyhow - thanks for the links.. I appreciate your efforts..

As in efforts you mean O.C.D.?

I've been lucky dealing with the TSA to this point. Only one somewhat bad incident so far! Fingers crossed that it stays that way as I'll be flying to Florida Tuesday for a Disney trip.

Had a chuckle seeing this article today about what TSA now stands for - touching sensitive areas. Keep those paws away from me!

http://michellemalkin.com/2010/11/11/tsa-touching-sensitive-areas/

Hahah!! Gosh - it could be Sensitive, Special, S e..... nevermind.

 

[mhsjax]

As in efforts you mean O.C.D.?



Hahah!! Gosh - it could be Sensitive, Special, S e..... nevermind.

I forgot about C.Ann's OCD thread. That was fun. Made me feel better about all of my quirks.

 

[C.Ann]

I forgot about C.Ann's OCD thread. That was fun. Made me feel better about all of my quirks.

You all just better hope you don't happen to run into a TSA with OCD that has to keep doing the same thing over and over and over and over...

And before anyone goes ballistic, I'm kidding.. Tongue-in-cheek, lightening things up for a minute.. I'm OCD-ish myself..

 

[mhsjax]

You all just better hope you don't happen to run into a TSA with OCD that has to keep doing the same thing over and over and over and over...

And before anyone goes ballistic, I'm kidding.. Tongue-in-cheek, lightening things up for a minute.. I'm OCD-ish myself..

That is funny. Maybe the person the are patting down will be a germaphobe and really give the TSA a hard time about hand washing and where his or her hands have been. lol

 

[CathrynRose]

That is funny. Maybe the person the are patting down will be a germaphobe and really give the TSA a hard time about hand washing and where his or her hands have been. lol

*I* am a germaphobe. I'd be lying if I said dirty hands on me, wasn't one of my first thoughts!

I'm thinking "paper gown through airline check points"

 

[CathrynRose]

While talking (complaining) about this to my family tonight, I found out my son was patted down, on our way to Disney. I had no idea - must have been quick. But I'll admit to always watching my items on the belt like a hawk. Perhaps I should watch for men touching my child, instead.

This was pre-enhanced pat down, however my son did 'jump back' a bit when the frisker got a little close to his manliness.

To each their own. I'm not cool with it. And you know, Danny never said one word about it, until tonight. Maybe it bugged him? I don't know.

 

[mhsjax]

*I* am a germaphobe. I'd be lying if I said dirty hands on me, wasn't one of my first thoughts!

I'm thinking "paper gown through airline check points"

Yeah, I am not feeling the love of taking my shoes off. YUCK. Not a total germaphobe but I am the one that yells at my kids while at WDW, DON"T TOUCH THAT.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Just like the police officers who harass your family for being black and owning a Lexus, the TSA agents harass you for being American and choosing to fly.

Nope. Aside from your use of 'harass' not being comparable to eliza's son's experience... being American has nothing to do with airport security. Any person choosing to travel on a commercial airline is required to undergo security screening.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The airport TSA agents, on the other hand, are not doing anything to treat anyone. As I posted previously, not one person ever stopped from boarding a plane by a TSA agent has ever been prosecuted. There has not been enough evidence to take it to court. This tells me that the agents are either very subjective in who they choose to pick on or they're dumb. It's more than likely a combination.

Or maybe they just stopped banned ITEMS - and perhaps the potential passengers carrying them, or perhaps not - from getting on the plane. This seems to be the purpose of the TSOs, not necessarily arresting/prosecuting people. Well, except maybe the passengers who physically attack them when they're simply trying to do their jobs

 

[kaytieeldr]

I have to be honest, I find the supporters to be perplexing mostly because very few are being clear over what it is, exactly, that they are supporting.

They are tearing away at complaints but they really aren't saying what the advantages are to the changes.

I'm not supporting the changes, I'm disputing the outrage, fear, etc, expressed by people based on what they've heard or read on the Internet. This is the same Internet that created a need for Snopes, that gave us the Nigerian Prince and other scams, that really allows anyone to create a website saying anything or a blog, or use Facebook to promote an agenda, or complain on a message board...

ccgirl's husband just got screened and she reported his experience. Technically I suppose I shouldn't believe her because this is a second-hand report, but I'm sure if we asked, she'd get him to confirm her report of his experience. eliza61 just flew twice last week and reported her first-person experience. When posters who are against the changes fly and post their own experiences, that's credible. Someone in the back seat of a car 'reporting' what he claims was his parents' horrifying experience ever so calmly, not so much. Conservative radio talk show hosts to whom I don't listen regularly? Ditto.

 

[kaytieeldr]

But if there is no proof that what HAS been done is not working or is not enough how can the changes be justified?

Fire was working for light, heat and cooking. Electricity was invented. How can the change be justified?

Feet were working for transportation. People started using animals for transportation, then built carts and carriages. Eventually someone built the engine and we get around in cars (trains, buses, and yes, planes). How can the change be justified?

 

[CathrynRose]

AH HA! The naked scanners ARE capable of storing you and your loved ones nude images! Awesome!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20012583-281.html

 

[skater]

Fire was working for light, heat and cooking. Electricity was invented. How can the change be justified?

Feet were working for transportation. People started using animals for transportation, then built carts and carriages. Eventually someone built the engine and we get around in cars (trains, buses, and yes, planes). How can the change be justified?

Not all changes are created equal .

 

[Magpie]

My 65 year old mother wants to weigh in on this debate...

So here goes...

My mother has traveled all over the world. She's lived and worked in Pakistan and Romania. In recent years she's been to London, Paris, Moscow, Lahore, Tokyo, Dubai, Egypt, Italy, and bunches of other places, too. She says that the "enhanced pat downs" have been in place for years in Europe.

On her last trip to Europe with my daughter, my mother got selected for special screening both ways, probably because of her travel patterns. The second time, my daughter, in a particularly piercing voice, exclaimed, "Grandma, AGAIN?" which everyone except my mother found very amusing, apparently.

My mother says that she has no issues with the way things are, but she will NOT, under ANY circumstances, walk through one of those new "naked" scanners. No way, no how.

It's not modesty, BTW. My Luddite mom wants nothing to do with any machine that emits radiation, and she doesn't care if she gets more radiation exposure by flying. She barely tolerates medical machines, she's not going to put up with machines in the airport.

My mother says, "I will happily strip down naked right there in front of everyone, and let them do any kind of search they like. But I will not walk through a scanner!"

So... if you read in the news some day about a grandma getting stark naked in the middle of the airport and her mortified grand daughter exclaiming, "Grandma! AGAIN?" You'll know that's my mom.

 

[CathrynRose]

So... if you read in the news some day about a grandma getting stark naked in the middle of the airport and her mortified grand daughter exclaiming, "Grandma! AGAIN?" You'll know that's my mom.

She'd be in good company. Many women have 'gone for it'.



This is a good article and both video's within it, are worth watching:::

http://www.prisonplanet.com/tsa-groping-out-of-control.html

I would love to give everyone the benefit of the doubt - but frankly that's not in my nature. I don't understand the "God Complex" many TSO's have.

 

[kaytieeldr]

This is true. The interviews are generally short and easy.

However, a friend of mine recently flew from Indonesia (muslim country) to Israel and she got the long interview. She was not pleased, but she wasn't patted down either. It was a very intense 30 minute interrogation. The interrogators were polite (well polite for Israelis)

Is it possible you meant that as "well, polite for people whose job it is to ensure that persons who may or intend to cause harm in their native country don't get into that country" and not, as it sounds, as an insult to an entire country's people?

 

[punkin]

Is it possible you meant that as "well, polite for people whose job it is to ensure that persons who may or intend to cause harm in their native country don't get into that country" and not, as it sounds, as an insult to an entire country's people?

Ever met any Israelis? They are....a bit direct.

This is not an insult, merely an observation. Different countries have different social norms. Believe me Israeli social norms are not like American social norms.