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Zap Rowsdower
Maine
November 18th, 2010
10:35 pm
I am very uncomfortable with the prospect of these invasive pat-downs and will not be flying again until the policy is changed. One thing which this article didn't mention is that the backscatter machines are not only intrinsically invasive, in the sense that they reveal the full contours of your body, but the government claims of safety and privacy are dubious. The government claimed that the dust around Ground Zero was perfectly safe, and they were wrong. The government claims that these machines cannot store or transmit images, although the design specs for them specifically require them to do so. (Surely the scanning evidence would be needed for a trial in the case that a terrorist was found attempting to sneak explosives on board.)
In short, the government is invading our privacy and lying about it. Given the lack of any integrity in our government officials, I think the best way to express our dissatisfaction is financially. Stop buying plane tickets. Make the airlines feel the pain, and let their lobbyists convince our politicians to do the right thing. Ah, democracy at work....
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2.
Fiore
New York
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
This new policy is reactionary and poorly designed. It causes major inconvenience as an overstep of power and does not prevent a potential terrorist from entering a plane with a bomb inside his body or well-hidden on it. There is no bigger waste of resources and source of inefficiency than DHS and airport screening. One in a hundred million passengers is a threat, but all are searched as such.
If reasonable steps were taken to identify likelier threats before boarding and expose thos individuals to extra search, more efficient, fair and reasonable screening would happen. As it stands now, politically appointed people with no accountability and little acumen make decisions with impunity.
If those in charge had any ability, they would have caught captain underpants, who had an alert out for him and was a sketchy individual traveling from the Middle East. As long as the security apparatus is run by above-minimun-wage low-level employees, enforcement will be poor and arbitrary.
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CLICK HERE to go to the TerryReport analysis of why naked scanner machines won’t last.
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3.
Greg
Austin, TX, USA
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
I would be more amenable to submitting to the groping if I felt that Homeland Security was equally concerned with the wooded terrain near the airport.
When DHS demonstrates their vigilance in protecting the take-off zones of every major airport in the U.S. I will happily submit to my end of the bargain by allowing the humiliating invasion of privacy.
But right now, to my knowledge, there is nothing preventing a coordinated attack of dozens of shoulder-fired missiles being launched at jets taking off at every major airport in the U.S. at a predetermined moment.
The threat to our safety comes as much from outside the aircraft as within. Seal our ports and borders before you touch my junk.
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4.
carrobin
New York
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
I'm one of those with a surgical appliance that no one has seen except medical professionals and a couple of intimate friends. The thought of a pat-down at the airport gives me panic attacks, but I have no choice if I'm to go home for Christmas--my mother is 90 years old, and she can't come to me. (A few days ago, Anderson Cooper said he had been X-rayed and then patted down on his last flight because he'd left his wallet in a pocket. In what universe could a highly recognizable celebrity like Cooper be considered a terrorist suspect? Are guards not allowed to use their brains?) There used to be these things called passenger trains that were slow but comfortable and generally hassle-free. Unfortunately, our government slashed their budgets and poured money into airline support and interstate highways. Gring back the trains!
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5.
Bob Forest
Left Coast
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
More TSA "Security Theater" in action. If I know explosives can be secreted in body cavities that are undetectable by machine or "pat down" then every terrorist on the planet earth knows it. It's time for air travelers to understand that TSA cannot protect us. We need to get rid of the whole operation and adopt the proven profile-driven rational security system such as the one used by El Al Airlines. As an aside, does anyone really believe the government's claim that the their new machines are safe and there is no long-term radiation risks?
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6.
Jon
San Diego
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
The only people who will be able to outsmart a body patdown will be terrorists and criminals. Once again we're tossing away citizens' rights on another ineffective screening procedure.
That said, I'd rather have a patdown than subject myself to direct radiation every time I go through airport security.
That said, it makes driving really tempting...
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7.
Vikram06
CA
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
Airline travelers have a choice: fourth amendment rights Vs personal security. You cannot have both unless our elected representatives changes national foreign policy. In a democracy, people through their vote can demand a change in foreign policy from our elected leaders. Apart from invasion of our body privacy, there is enormous cost we all pay to support TSA services. It is high time to act instead of complaining. Choices cant be more clearer than what is before us.
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8.
James Kelley
Saratoga Springs, NY
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
My father worked as a psychologist in a max security prison. The big no-nos were drugs and weapons.
Needless to say, drugs and weapons make their way in. Everyday.
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9.
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
This comment has been removed. Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.
10.
Gary Feltham
Alberta, Canada
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
It surprises me that Americans are so willing to give up their basic rights in the name of perceived security. Thankfully in Canada we have a charter of rights, which states that everyone has "the right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure." This right does not end at the airport door.
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11.
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
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12.
JLB
White Plains NY
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
the same people who complain about the security procedures are the ones who complain the loudest when a lapse in security occurs. instead of opting out of compliance, they should opt out of flying.
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13.
Nycmom
nyc
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
So, my choice is to expose my children to radiation through full body scans, or to let strangers touch their "private" areas? This will totally traumatize them. Just because a child is 12 or older, they are still children!!! And in the whole history, there has not been one child who has tried to bomb an airplane. C'mon. Common sense here people.
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14.
jas
new york city
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
I take the train- I've already configured my life to avoid flying, I'm not surprised by this abuse of technology. The airlines, together with the TSA, are not at all user friendly.
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15.
annie m.
austin, tx
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
I'm sorry for using a worn out phrase, but I don't know any other way to express my angst: The terrorists have won.
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16.
treez
missouri
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
As usual this issue is not about the pat downs per se. It is about the fact that we are continuously paying a ridiculous price for the despicable acts of insane people who happened to be of Mid-Eastern ancestry. I have not read or heard of bombs or shoe fires being set by people who are traveling from say, Cincinnati to Tampa. I question the wisdom and reason a school teacher would have to patted down. And a twelve year old? Is this in the name of "political correctness?" Why not have significant security on any package or person traveling to or from any Mid- Eastern country? As for domestic flights, relax!
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17.
Dan
Olympia
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
The polls apply to people who either don't regularly fly, or who haven't experienced the lousy handjob that the TSA gives. Time to dial it back, TSA, and completely revise the security procedures and remove the worthless machines, because treating everyone as a criminal without some discrimination, ignoring what goes on in the cargo hold, will do nothing to deter terrorists from blowing up planes.
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18.
jim
san francisco
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
This is an absolute outrage. Bush Bins, Porno scanners and needless delays have to end. Where are our Tea Party Friends? The TSA's airport fiasco is costing billions of dollars a year, employs the equivalent of a small army and as we all know, it is totally ineffective failure. Any self-respecting terrorist can foil this amateur hour bad movie in a minute. We allow trucks, ships and their containers, and cargo planes to pass our borders with little or no screening, but God forbid that a 6 year old child or an 80 year old Grandmother should get through TSA without a porno pat down. Wake up America, let's do in the TSA, stop wasting billions and rediscover some self-respect.
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19.
mx
rochester
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
All the more reason that we should support high speed rail, especially over shorter distances (e.g. Northeast corridor). Far less screening time, less hassle, and no privacy worries.
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20.
Freedom
Denver
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
The procedures are an insult to all peoples. The searches are illegal and unconstitutional. There has to be a better way to handle these matters. More people die from slipping in their tub. The system is upside down.
F~
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21.
G. Long
California
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
I do not understand how this cannot be unreasonable search and seizure. What probable cause do they have, really?
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22.
schneider40
California
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
If you stand a good chance of getting fondled anyway *after* getting an unknown dose of radiation in X-ray machine, you might as well opt-out of getting nuked and simply request the molestation up front.
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23.
Janet
Lafayette
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
They'll keep pushing ever more intrusive measures so long as they can get away with it.
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24.
Paul Adams
Stony Brook
November 18th, 2010
10:36 pm
I've reached a consensus - I no longer fly.
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