Posted on 11/12/2010 10:44:28 AM PST by george76
Two months ago, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the federal stimulus legislation would pay for the purchase of hundreds of controversial full-body scanners.
"Through the Recovery Act, we are able to continue our accelerated deployment of enhanced technology as part of our layered approach to security at airports nationwide," Napolitano said at the time.
The number of scanners has roughly doubled since Napolitano's announcement and they are now found in 68 U.S. airports, and the Transportation Security Administration says the controversial devices have proven to be a success.
"We have received minimal complaints," a TSA spokeswoman told CNET yesterday. She said that the agency, part of DHS, keeps track of air traveler complaints and has not seen a significant rise.
A growing number of airline passengers, labor unions, and advocacy groups, however, say the new procedures--a choice of full-body scans or what the TSA delicately calls "enhanced pat-downs"--go too far.
Unions representing U.S. Airways pilots, American Airlines pilots, and some flight attendants are advising their members to skip the full-body scans, even if it means that their genitals are touched. Air travelers are speaking out online, with a woman saying in a YouTube video her breasts were "twisted," and ExpressJet pilot Michael Roberts emerging as an instant hero after he rejected both the body scanning and "enhanced pat-downs" options and was unceremoniously ejected from the security line from Memphis International Airport.
One lawsuit has been filed and at least two more are being contemplated. There are snarky suggestions for what TSA actually stands for, attempts at grope-induced erotic fiction, and now even a movie.
These privacy concerns, and in a few cases even outright rebellion, come as an estimated 24 million travelers are expected to fly during the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday season
(Excerpt) Read more at news.cnet.com ...
What will happen is they’ll back off. Some terror incident will occur and then the sheeple will beg to be groped and radiated.
Free societies cannot guarantee your individual safety.
Oddly, neither can slave societies.
SA receives few complaints for an obvious reason-—anyone who complains will be tracked, and you will be put on a retaliation or do-not-fly list forever. Complaints immediately lead to additional harrassment.
Sending an email will quickly get you tracked down-—and put on a list.
Sending a letter by mail is only safe IF you are sure the gov’t does not have your fingerprints on file and you do not leave a valid address. Any complaints are routinely scanned for fingerprints, and they will find out who complained-—and put on a list that you can never know about.
Your fingerprints are on file if you ever worked for a defense contractor, a court, a gov’t agency, or if arrested for the smallest of infractions (e.g., driving with a license that expired 10 days ago).
My protest letters (3) to TSA: handled only with latex gloves; using fresh paper and an envelope from the middle of the pack. Don’t forget the stamp—a fingerprint is often found there.
TSA’s power of retaliation is unlimited.
That is why they get away with unlimited stupidity and affronts to every element of civility.
Just pack some stuff down there or buy something a bit fake from an adult shop and then see how they respond.
How can they tell the difference between plastic explosives and a plastic d***?
This is the eye popper. By what measure have they proven to be a success?
How many terrorists has the TSA caught, arrested and convicted?
"nude strip searches"
...or a cucumber wrapped in aluminum foil...
>Most importantly, are Business Class travelers guaranteed a “happy ending”?
And on that note:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJeHk1gDT68
Time for a National 4th Amendment Day.
I just called the airlines and spoke very nicely to a csr about what our options were. I told her that my daughter would not be subjected to a full body scan nor an invasive patdown. I made sure that she knew I was NOT on the phone to argue about the new procedures, just wanted to know what our options were about the ticket she currently has.
Their answer ?? She has to follow TSA rules and if she did not want to go through the scanner, that she could go into another room and have a "personal search" by a member of the same sex.
Of course by that time, I was more than just a little irritated (this was after about 10 minutes on the phone and her checking with a supervisor). I said to the woman on the phone, "I'm not sure about you, but my daughter will not be subjected to someone groping her breasts or putting their hands between her legs. No woman should have that done and that innocent people were being treated as criminals".
ok --- so much for me being nice, but I didn't yell or get mad, just irritated at her response. But of course, what did I expect ?? I almost said something like, "please, at least you can buy her dinner before the foreplay starts"
In any case, I really didn't get the answers I wanted, so I guess we will just eat the price of the ticket. And hubby and I were planning a big vacation in Feb, but now we will NOT be flying --- driving will be our choice, that is IF we can afford the price of gas by then !!
At least 99% of all terrorist attacks are done by Muslims. For a summary of the past several years, plus up-to-date daily attacks, see www.thereligionofpeace.com
Given this information, it would make sense to ban Muslims from all U.S. airports, much the same as Saudi Arabia bans non-Muslims from their “holy” cities of Mecca and Medina. This would render the long security lines and most TSA personnel unnecessary, while at the same time making our country far more secure against Muslim terrorist attacks.
Muslims could not fly to the U.S., since they would be banned at our airports. Muslims could not fly inside the U.S. either. An exception could be made for those Muslims who wish to permanently leave the U.S., so they could get on a plane at JFK, etc. and never return.
Also, mosques and sharia law should be outlawed here, much as the practice of any religion other than Islam is banned in Saudi Arabia. Muslims should be banned from service in our government, and (to be redundant) banned from immigrating into the U.S.
Let’s write to our Congressmen and recommend legislation.
Homeland INsecurity is trying to pretend this is all about unreal fears of radiation exposure and not about modesty and molestation.
Enhanced Pat Down sounds like it includes a Happy Ending!
Hahaha! Line up about 20 Biggest Loser contestant types at the gate and have all of them request patdowns.
As a hetero male, I would allow ONLY females to search me. I do NOT want to be fondled by some gay-wad.
Then file a criminal complaint.
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