TSA's new security screenings

[imagirlgeek]

What do you guys think about the new security policies at the airports? If you fly and are selected to go through the body scanner, will you? Or will you Opt out and go for the enhanced pat down?

I'll be traveling for work in early December and am not looking forward to it. I almost always set off the regular metal detectors and have had to go over to the roped off area to be scanned with the wand. I don't mind that, but I am pretty irked about the possibility of either being randomly selected for the Enhanced screening, or setting off the regular metal detector, therefore being made to go through the enhanced screening.

Personally, if it weren't a work trip, I wouldn't be using air travel anymore. I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

[CichlidFan]

It's part of the plan traci.....We are being domesticated...like cattle, or sheeple if you will ...they want to see how much of our liberties we are willing to give up....all in the name of security against the boogie man they created.....by the way....not to change the subject.....but just who is tim osmond anyway....smiles.

CF

[ImaGuyGeek]

I will ask for copies of my scan then offer to pay extra for the groping. I want to get my money's worth and ride both rides.

[CichlidFan]

Seriously.....There might acutally be times in the near future, where the general public will have to show "papers" at random to go anywhere ....

CF

[BeefyG]

They should at least let you pick which agent gropes you )

[jeebus]

I personally would actually have no problem with the groping if they actually profiled for Terrorists AND the gropers were high-speed individuals who actually knew the difference between genitals and box cutters. That's obviously not the case now.

Now, people who complain about grandmas and children getting groped don't get why its done like that. Its not so that certain ethnicities feelings aren't hurt, its so that terrorists know that no certain demographic is a safe bet to 100% bypass the pat-down. That being said, I think more emphasis needs to be put in the fact that potential terrorists are the make up the main body of those singled out. Then, as an added safety measure, they pull a few grandmas and kids out, just to keep us all guessing.

As for the body scanner, I'm not a fan of it, but I won't object to it. If I were a business class flyer I'd be a little stressed right now over the hassle of potentially getting cancer or repeated gropings though. That sucks.

I don't think its a violation of your 4th amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches when boarding a plane you voluntarily paid a ticket for. I do think its unnecessary and an invasion of privacy and personal space if and when groped, but nothing that is unconstitutional, per se. THE REALITY however, is that if everyone stopped flying, as impossible as that seems, the airlines would QUICKLY fix this boondoggle. Capitalism rulez!

[jeebus]

Seriously.....There might acutally be times in the near future, where the general public will have to show "papers" at random to go anywhere ....

CF

I highly doubt that. We'd need to secure our borders first and see a governmental body that would be concerned enough with citizenship to even care enough to pass any form of legislation that would provide states the power to give local agencies the directive to do so.

[imagirlgeek]

I don't think its a violation of your 4th amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches when boarding a plane you voluntarily paid a ticket for. I do think its unnecessary and an invasion of privacy and personal space if and when groped, but nothing that is unconstitutional, per se. THE REALITY however, is that if everyone stopped flying, as impossible as that seems, the airlines would QUICKLY fix this boondoggle. Capitalism rulez!

I would agree with you IF it were the airlines doing the unreasonable searches. But because it's a government agency, the airlines can't change it. The change has to come from the government. The airports are required to comply to TSA's standards and procedures whether they use TSA employees or a private firm. The only way around it is to charter a private jet.

Walking through the metal detectors, being pulled aside to be wanded or swabbed or even sniffed by a dog trained to detect explosives wouldn't bother me AT ALL, but to have a stranger view a nude computer image of me, or frisk me like I'm a criminal is unacceptable. Not to mention the possible health issues that are essentially unknown from the machines. They say the machines are safe, but I'll be interested to see if the rate of skin cancer increases over the next few years.

And I have a question...what will they do about people with bladder problems who wear adult diapers, or women traveling during their 'time of the month'? I mean, are they going to pull these people aside to swab the diaper/pad for chemicals?? And what about someone hiding something in their butt? These machines won't detect that. According to the reports (in response to the cancer concerns), the machines only go 1/4" in. They aren't going to see something inside the body cavities.

I keep hearing people argue that the Underwear Bomber would have been caught had these machines been in place, but that is completely untrue. That guy boarded a plane in Amsterdam and was flying into Detroit. Having US airports scanning people would not have stopped him. What would have stopped him is our government actually paying attention to the intelligence that came in about him 2 months before he boarded the plane, and at the very least revoke his Visa so he couldn't enter the country! But instead, he showed his paperwork, boarded the plane, and had to be taken down by us...the regular everyday people who are now the ones being made to go through this new screening process.

I just don't feel any safer on a plane because of this new process. Now I am just irritated that in addition to the possibility of being blown up in the sky, I now have to be groped by a stranger before-hand. :aua:

And if it weren't for work, I would NOT be traveling by air.

[CichlidFan]

Glen, it's obvious to some that the government has no intention in securing the borders.....they never will....look how they condemn Arizona for their attempt to tighten their border....

Heck...they used to talk about the tightening up border security back in the mid 70ties, when I was just starting to pay attention to politics, can you imagine the number of illegal immigrants has crossed our borders in the past 40 years....???

The current ecomonic situation if it gets any worse, or combined with another major "terror attack" could bring marshall law to parts of this country, along with marshall law might mean showing papers to get across town ....I hope not, but it could happen.......but I am digressing....traci's question is in regards to our thoughts on TSA and their new security measures.....my apologies for my ramblings....

CF

[TonyO]

Unfortunately, if I want to see family, I'll have to either fly for 2.5 hours or drive 40+ total hours. . . I'll tolerate the groping for now.

[TonyO]

Seriously.....There might acutally be times in the near future, where the general public will have to show "papers" at random to go anywhere ....

CF

I propose a chip, like the EZ tags.

[jeebus]

Glen, it's obvious to some that the government has no intention in securing the borders.....they never will....look how they condemn Arizona for their attempt to tighten their border....

That was my point. What's the point of checking papers if you know a large portion of the people don't have them?

The current ecomonic situation if it gets any worse, or combined with another major "terror attack" could bring marshall law to parts of this country, along with marshall law might mean showing papers to get across town ....I hope not, but it could happen.......but I am digressing....traci's question is in regards to our thoughts on TSA and their new security measures.....my apologies for my ramblings....

Very unlikely. Katrina was a perfect setup for a long-term Marshall Law situation and it never occurred.

I propose a chip, like the EZ tags.

RFID

[jeebus]

I would agree with you IF it were the airlines doing the unreasonable searches. But because it's a government agency, the airlines can't change it. The change has to come from the government. The airports are required to comply to TSA's standards and procedures whether they use TSA employees or a private firm. The only way around it is to charter a private jet.

Not necessarily the case: http://stossel.blogs.foxbusiness.com...atize-the-tsa/

The airlines can privatize their security, they just haven't had enough incentive to do so yet.

Walking through the metal detectors, being pulled aside to be wanded or swabbed or even sniffed by a dog trained to detect explosives wouldn't bother me AT ALL, but to have a stranger view a nude computer image of me, or frisk me like I'm a criminal is unacceptable. Not to mention the possible health issues that are essentially unknown from the machines. They say the machines are safe, but I'll be interested to see if the rate of skin cancer increases over the next few years.

I agree 100%. If I were a business class flyer I don't know what I would be doing right now, besides freaking out. Luckily I'm only a casual flyer, and haven't even flown since 2005.

And I have a question...what will they do about people with bladder problems who wear adult diapers, or women traveling during their 'time of the month'? I mean, are they going to pull these people aside to swab the diaper/pad for chemicals?? And what about someone hiding something in their butt? These machines won't detect that. According to the reports (in response to the cancer concerns), the machines only go 1/4" in. They aren't going to see something inside the body cavities.

This is the true flaw in the system that by process of elimination (carry-on, then waistband, then shoes, then underwear) that has left one place on our bodies they know they can't search or else there will be a revolt - yet its the only surefire place you could stick a small wad of c4 and never have it detected. Because c4 reacts to pressure, all the terrorist would have to do is go to the bathroom, take it out, then stomp on it.

I keep hearing people argue that the Underwear Bomber would have been caught had these machines been in place, but that is completely untrue. That guy boarded a plane in Amsterdam and was flying into Detroit. Having US airports scanning people would not have stopped him. What would have stopped him is our government actually paying attention to the intelligence that came in about him 2 months before he boarded the plane, and at the very least revoke his Visa so he couldn't enter the country! But instead, he showed his paperwork, boarded the plane, and had to be taken down by us...the regular everyday people who are now the ones being made to go through this new screening process.

This is the biggest issue of all - inbound international flights.

I just don't feel any safer on a plane because of this new process. Now I am just irritated that in addition to the possibility of being blown up in the sky, I now have to be groped by a stranger before-hand. :aua:

And if it weren't for work, I would NOT be traveling by air.

Nor do I, or will I.

[CichlidFan]

actually police, and national guard troops were used to confiscate weapons from many homeowners after Katrina....

and let's just hope things, dont get as bad as I feel they could.....

CF

[jeebus]

So it sounds like NOPD enforced Marshall Law post disaster. As I asked originally, are they still doing so? No.

It also looks like most everyone got their gun back. The old lady who was holding a loaded gun deserved what she got. Guns come with rules, one of them being that you don't produce a loaded one in your hand while in a close encounter with police.

Do you realize how many more dead cops there would be if they DIDN'T take down anyone who did that? What if she accidently pulled the trigger. Then they would have shot her dead and you would have two dead people, instead of none.

Common sense post disaster? It doesn't exist.