Political & Elections

longprime · Guru

TSA & Full body scans

Cartera · Guru

Good God. Apparently they're allowed to put their hands inside your clothing, inside your underwear, and to touch your genitals directly:

Okay, so that's the good news. Go ahead and tell me what it's going to cost me.

busdriver11 · Guru

"Good God. Apparently they're allowed to put their hands inside your clothing, inside your underwear, and to touch your genitals directly"

If something like that happens, that has to be a person abusing the system, not the norm. I can't imagine that is acceptable. (But if it is, I want to pick the best looking guy there to do it, not Helga the mean German witch). I actually feel sorry for the TSA people, I'm sure most of them do not want this grief.

I personally would always go through the scanner, given a choice. I have heard it's the radiation of an extra 5 minutes of flight, so big deal. And unless you're a movie star (which some of you may be) and you're really that concerned about someone looking at your profile. The person back there looks at thousands of people a day, big deal. I am rather torn by the personal privacy issue, and the desire to not get blown up when I fly. Even if they do a poor job detecting the bombs, just having tougher procedures in place has to scare off some attempts.

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

I agree, Jazzy.

It is a critical job to protect our fliers, but I am leery of the scanners, at this point in terms of medical safety, and the screeners due to a number of sketchy procedures that make me squirm.

We live close enough to LAX that I have a lot of friends and acquaintances that have jobs at the airport. I know a few people who work at TSA, in addition to pilots, a baggage handler, customs agents, a reservation agent or two, etc. These jobs are all demanding and many don't pay very well. Many of the folks at TSA simply aren't trained very well. Sometimes you get what you pay for, if you know what I mean.

jazzy · Senior Member

I'm not too clear on these new protocol either. We usually fly out of LAX and I'm not even aware of whether these new body scan devices are there yet. I could probably live with that indignity, but I agree that hands inside panties is going too far (seriously, no pun intended.)

We need to take homeland security and airport screening seriously and professionally, so maybe we should find a way to get highly trained, smart, well-disciplined individuals into that job. Sometimes I think that we are topsy turvy on national security ---- we send some of our best educated and trained young men and women into units that go abroad to patrol when we should be putting them into security jobs here. In the airports. In the ports. On the borders.

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

Already though, anyone can go into a private room for the pat down. Supposedly.

Except those who haven't had privacy observed and have made their stories public.

So how would they adjust this for Muslim women? If women of all religious beliefs have women TSA agents patting them down, wouldn't they already have the accommodations in place for a degree of privacy?

I guess I am not too clear on what other things would have to be adjusted to meet the concerns of female flyers with this new security protocol.

poetgrl · Senior Member

They're just going to have to start profiling.

Not profiling is beginning to inflict too much on the rights of OTHERS. It's just true.

It's a balancing act. we are giving up too many freedoms in order to be "fair," but it's turning out to not be "fair." JMO

DonnaL · Senior Member

Good God. Apparently they're allowed to put their hands inside your clothing, inside your underwear, and to touch your genitals directly:

http://www.kmov.com/news/mobile/Woman-says-her-Lambert-security-screening-was-sexual-assault--109114934.html

This is the Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/business/19security.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all

If this had been in place before I had my surgery, I don't think I could have flown. I know that a lot of trans people are extremely upset about the prospect of being involuntarily "outed."

I've also read, by the way, that they're giving a hard time to people with ostomies. I had one of those for a year once, temporarily. What are they going to make people do, empty the bag in front of them?

poetgrl · Senior Member

I'm sure you are right.

You must be right.

If you are not right? The world has completely tilted off its axis.

I heard this last night from a friend, who is hillariously funny, so we were joking about it. How, we would have to go through the scanners but that the Politically Correct would insist that it was unfair to force Muslims to go through them, therefore making all of us MUCH safer. How does that work confuse

?

-- Edited by poetgrl on Friday 19th of November 2010 04:11:38 PM

jazzy · Senior Member

I can't find any detail about what Napolitano said and to whom....except this:

When asked if she will insist that Muslim women wearing hijabs must go through full body pat downs before boarding planes, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano did not say yes or no, but told CNSNews.com there will be “adjustments” and “more to come” on the issue.

which turned up in the comments area of a View website. Couldn't track down the interview at CNSN.

Just an observation, though, that "adjustments" does not mean "exemption."

I really wish the right-wing blogosphere would wait to freak out until there is something concrete to freak out about. Adjustments could just mean that screening would be done by women only in a private room. Not that everyone who is wearing a hijab or burka gets the all-clear through security.....which is the notion prompting all the rent-a-burka remarks on the blogs that dove head first into the very shallow water of this "issue."

CelticClan07 · Senior Member

I heard it also poetgrl. Unfreakinbelievable.

I can't help but think if this TSA intrusion was being implemented while GWB was president, the ACLU, hippies of all ages, libs and anarchists would be rioting in the streets with pitchforks nationwide. Somehow this pres gets a pass when his admin says 'ok let's do it!'

This sad example has made my blood boil: http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13534628

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

Napolitano is considering what? Surely you read it in "The Onion".

If that is true, then the game is over.

Everyone will be in burqas.

Especially the terrorists.

poetgrl · Senior Member

I'm not really all that thrilled with the idea of my 16 year old daughter going through the scanners, OR the patdowns. fwiw.

I was always anti-profiling.

But, then, I heard that Napolitano is actually considering exempting Muslm women in Burkhas from the scanners or patdowns for religious reasons.

If this happens? My head will explode. Like a monty python cartoon.

geeps20 · Senior Member

scanner doen't bother me..just want to be safe. For all the mothers out there and guys that have gotten their prostrate checked, the scannner is nothing.

longprime · Guru

Everyone should wear their PJ's or workout outfits. I got a lot to showoff.

longprime · Guru

I really like that bug costume.

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

Bullet,

You made me laugh. In the kind of awkward, OMG, he's right sort of way.

We are in trouble.

Bullet · Senior Member

Actually, I just can't wait to see TSA's reaction the next time there is any hint of a security issue. Not going to hint at any suggestions, but I can guarantee there will be more attempts at "mischief" by some truly deperate matry wanna-be's sometime in the future, despite TSA's best efforts.

My prediction: by 2014, EVERY passenger will have to be stripped down, drugged into unconsciousness, and sent on their merry way naked and zonked in metal containers stacked like cord-wood in the airplane. I mean, it's only best for everyone's safety, right?

It would make the baggage carousel a little more interesting, wouldn't it?

"Look Johny! There's Grandma's travel tube coming up the ramp now! Get her on the baggage cart!"

longprime · Guru

Let those who object, I'd probably would want to fly with them. Since they would be the least likely to be the one to have a device.

However, the safety of the program is dependent that everyone could and will be screened, without exception.

I may not have much physically, but its all I got.

I can make myself bigger, but I don't think an airport is mood conducive . ashamed

-- Edited by longprime on Friday 19th of November 2010 11:12:46 AM

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

There is a thread at CC about TSA using full body scans. It is kind of an interesting discussion.

Anyone have thoughts on this they would like to post here?