TSA Enhanced Pat Downs

[chex]

Discuss.

I'll get into it tomorrow when my migraine is gone.

[Clovvach]

We're discussing this in English class, Freedom vs. Safety.

We need to find another way to check for unwanted items, because IMO this seems like the wrong approach.

[Shay]

Man, I don't even wanna go there. The TSA Pat-Downs have always pissed me off in the first place. They claim it is completely random, and yet every single time I fly, I am always the one selected from large group of caucasians. Random my bottom. And now to make matters worse, they have to "enhance" their pat-downs to completely violate you. There have already been numerous cases where this is being done in a completely uncalled for manner and taking advantage of the customer. I think it's a disgusting excuse to stick their fingers where ever they please and make the process as uncomfortable as possible.

[Wesley]

I say go with the scatter x-ray. "Oh noes, someone will see a black and white transparent picture of my no-no!" It is better than grabbing a handfull of your no-no "just to make sure nothing is being smuggled."

On a different subject, I will do your TSA patdown for you when you need to travel, Shay.

[Shay]

Well in that case...

[chex]

I say go with the scatter x-ray. "Oh noes, someone will see a black and white transparent picture of my no-no!" It is better than grabbing a handfull of your no-no "just to make sure nothing is being smuggled."

But how safe is the radiation from those? Especially for frequent flyers. And I sure as hell wouldn't opt for that right about now!

[chex]

Okay, now that I have a chance, I can get my thoughts down.

Airport security is a smurf joke. You can do just as much damage with a ballpoint pen as you can with a butter knife. These procedures are not designed to keep up safe. They're in place to make us feel safe.

I hear a lot of people saying that if you don't like it, you can choose not to fly. I'd like to rip these people out of whatever bubble they live in and show them that not everyone is flying a few states away for a vacation. So many people have to fly for work. Hell, when we move, then military will likely send us by plane, and we aren't exempt from the extra screening either. Children are also not exempt, and no, I will NOT allow anyone to touch my children's genitals or have black-and-white naked photographs of them.

The enhanced pat downs involve a sliding motion with the palm of the TSA agents hand, as opposed to the patting motion they used to use. Genitals and buttocks are felt. They touch your hair. Anyone wonder how that's going to affect a rape survivor?

[Dowster]

Airport security is a smurf joke, when we went to my wife's nephews wedding (In Portugal but he was living in England at the time) we were on the same flight, and during the flight he opened his carry on bag and realised that had left his BB gun in the bottom of it from a few weeks earlier when he had taken it on a fishing trip. Doesn't really give you much faith in the fact that they actually pay proper attention to the friggin screens when the bags go through x-ray

Funny thing is my wife had a roll of parcel tape in her bag, and they took it out and told her she had to leave it behind because she wasn't allowed to take an adhesive on the plane, so sticky tape no, guns yes...

[Wesley]

The scatter x-ray has extremely low levels of radiation. And it does not take a picture, only a live image which is not stored anywhere.

Also, airport security is a joke, but that is why we have the Civil Air Patrol training Air Marshals on a daily basis. By some nice coincidence, a close friend of mine is an air marshal. He gets paid to fly around the world while wearing a sneaky gun and sneaky knife sneakily hidden under his shirt. He goes through the sneaky door that bypasses security. On his days off he practices shooting his gun and fighting other people. He, and his coworkers, are keeping flights safe around the world.

[chex]

I'd have to find it again, and the source could have been wrong, but I read an article where they found that some images were stored. And either way, not with my kids. Adults are one thing, but kids? Nope.

He, and his coworkers, are keeping flights safe around the world.

Yes. Definitely. We need more of your friend and his coworkers, and less TSA molestation.

[Wesley]

One thing that has always pissed me off a little was how you can't take more than 2 ounces of a propellant or toothpaste or shaving cream. Might be a bomb in disguise. Um, what if I am flying with three of my friends? We can just pour all our stuff together and apparently make a bomb big enough to take out the entire plane!

[chex]

Three ounces, (unless they changed it) but either way, it is a huge pain in the bottom. I think you're allowed to bring an empty water bottle (I honestly can't remember though) but either way, you can buy a bigger soda bottle once you're past security, dispose of it in the bathroom and mix your little shampoo bottles there.

They offer exceptions for baby food/formula (as they should!) but if those exceptions aren't dangerous, neither is the water I brought from home, instead of purchasing their overpriced water bottles.

^Long winded way of saying "I agree!"

[bella]

Uhm, when I get this right, it allows airport security to paw someone? And what's TSA?

[chex]

Yep. You can get a virtual strip search or a groping.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/leaked-body ... cture.html

[chex]

This is the TSA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporta ... nistration

[bella]

It's ok when they search you for weapons or such with that beeping device but hands off my private parts! Are they allowed to do that?
The bodyscanners have been introduced to several airports worldwide. In London Heathrow there is one, me thinks. It was optional though to go through, you could also choose the regular way. I had to take off my shoes, my belt, my watch, empty my trouser's pockets which is kind of annoying but still acceptable.

[chex]

Apparently they are allowed to do that.

[bella]

Hmpf, first they make tourists pay when entering the country and now groping. Makes one feel less welcome, more like an intruder who is possibly dangerous.

[chex]

Oh, don't worry. It's not just the evil foreigners. Americans get molested, too. Don't you know it's guilty until proven innocent here?