Question the TSA at your own Risk

[tinrobot]

The TSA chose Meg McLain for special screening. They wanted her to go through the new porno-scanners. When she opted out, TSA (Transportation Security Administration of the Department of Homeland Security, US federal government) agents raised an enormous ruckus. When she asked some question about what they planned to do to her, they flipped out. TSA agents yelled at her, handcuffed her to a chair, ripped up her ticket, called in 12 local Miami cops and finally escorted her out of the airport. Listen to her story as she told it on radio show Free Talk Live last night. Things are truly getting scary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJGvsAgpfig

http://wewontfly.com/question-tsa-risk

[ixion]

1. TSA: Thugs with a badge.

The TSA and the DHS are distinctly un-American, and should be disbanded.

[FiveGoodMen]

3. Amen

Fatherland Security has to go.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

9. Thugs Stalking Americans

The DHS is even worse. Instead of fixing actual factual problems in certain organizations, say, the FBI, CIA, DOD, and others, they pushed 1/3 of government into a massive new burro-cracy that not only did basically the same job, they did it worse. Only the well functioning groups were changed, and in some cases, erased. (State Dept's nifty Intel unit gave some of the best analysis and predictions in the business. Cheney closed them down. He could not afford to have facts interfere with his plans)

The FBI STILL has no unified computer system, and no working plan to continually update and upgrade equipment. They wasted 280,000,000 on a program that experts said would never work, and it didn't. Instead of buying top of the line, proven, functional equipment, that would have at least provided intranets, internet, and intertubes, on a secure platform, they tried to build something from the ground up. Except the designers had no clue what the FBI wanted, the FBI never put down a list of priorities and needs, and the program's direction changed course more times than a ping pong ball.

The CIA? Hell, they just got another "Get out of Jail Free card" and that is the lesson they will take home this week. There will be no oversight under Obama, because it might seem too, er, partisan and anti-American. In other words, they win, America loses.

[kctim]

2. What a rip-off

all I got for opting out was the wand treatment. Sure, the TSA "Agent" had an attitude because he had to get up and I got a good laugh while he huffed and puffed trying to be intimidating, but ol Meg struck gold.

[gort]

4. In what other business can customers be treated so harshly?

Boycott air travel. Maybe they'll get the message.

[Posteritatis]

24. S&M clubs, maybe? (nt)

[dkofos]

5. So much for our FREE country.

[Catherina]

6. And people think I should fly a flag tomorrow? Fuck that. Terrible! n/t

[enlightenment]

7. The TSA is definitely out of control - that said, I think this

young woman isn't being totally honest.

First she said that she refused the body scanner - her right to do so and apparently they were prepared to perform the alternative body grope, which she also refused because she didn't want her breasts squeezed and twisted. Can't blame her for that, but by refusing either measure she put herself square into their sights.

A bit later, she admitted that she had never actually experienced having her breasts squeezed and twisted with the new pat-down procedure, but she had read about it happening to someone. Questioned further, she changed her position and said that she had been squeezed and groped even before 9/11 and the emplacement of the TSA . . .

Something is just a bit off about her story. I have no doubt that she got herself into a situation with the TSA - something that can happen even to the innocent - but I think she may have provoked it just a tad.


edited for sentence correction.

[CreekDog]

14. here you go:

TSA Screeners Check Luggage, Investigate Your Marriage & Personal Finances

During the inspection of her bag, the screener came across a deposit slip and seven checks made out to her and her husband, worth about $8,000.

That's when the police got involved, as the TSA screener was joined by to city cops and at least four TSA officers. The woman was eventually told the police had been notified because the checks were numbered sequentially, a claim she denies.

http://consumerist.com/2010/08/tsa-screeners-check-luggage-call-your-husband-to-discuss-your-personal-finances.html

TSA Makes Disabled Child Remove Leg Braces, Walk Through Metal Detector

The TSA forced a disabled 4-year old to get out of his stroller and remove his leg braces and walk unassisted through the metal director. After the humiliating and frightening incident, the boy's father, a cop, told the supervisor, "This is overkill. He's 4 years old. I don't think he's a terrorist."

http://consumerist.com/2010/02/tsa-makes-disabled-child-remove-leg-braces-and-walk-through-metal-detector.html

[enlightenment]

16. CreekDog, not for one moment did I suggest that the TSA

is NOT out of control - I think that's the first thing I said.

I said that this woman's story seemed inconsistent. That bothers me because there are enough consistent and well-documented cases (like the two you list) to prove the point. It seemed that she almost created the situation to make them react. IF that is what she did - and I'm only going on what it sounded like, to me - then it serves only to dilute the very real problem of these out of control federal rent-a-cops.

I didn't have any questions about it, really, until she claimed that she had been groped before 9/11. Since it was very rare for security to physically touch someone during a secondary screening before the TSA was created, I found myself questioning her entire story. I'm not saying it didn't happen - I just wonder if she didn't provoke it in order to get the over-the-top response. If more comes out on this - surely someone else noted the scenario, since she said that it was an hour before they strong-armed her out of the terminal - I'll accept that it occurred just as she said.

[Dyler Turden]

8. I just flew to and from DC/Baltimore and got pulled out of line.

I was guessing because I had a shitload of electronics with me (GPS, Netbook, chargers, camera equipment, etc) but it was because I had all my 3 oz. toiletries in my carry-on per the investigator.

I was cordial and it took me about three extra minutes to hit my Business Class seat but had to wonder about the efficacy of the system where in reality much more danger was in the electronics than in the deodorant.

After the ordeal I was shaken enough to knock bak enough bloody marys to have nixed my plan for a rental upon arrival in DC. I have learned that cabs are expensive there. $80 from Baltimore to the Mall.

[DCKit]

20. "$80 from Baltimore to the Mall. "

A cab from BWI to the Amtrak station or Metro would have been far less $$$.

[Dyler Turden]

22. Amtrak was sold out that day/morning.

I took them back, however. After a five hour wait at Central Station.

[silverweb]

10. So when is the new avatar upgrade going into effect?

That would solve the problem for me and, I'll bet, a lot of other people, as well.

New full-body scanner software displays only avatars, not real images

Avatars for Full-Body Airport Scans Could Be A TSA Privacy Coup

[Celtic Raven]

12. Don't believe it

When they first rolled out the scanners they lied about images being stored & how detailed they were.

Now we're to take their word for it that only avatars will be shown to TSA agents.

Yeah right.

Still not flying.

[arcane1]

11. Of what possible use is this if you can opt-out?

I went through one of these at 5am, and didn't even realize that's what was happening until it was over... chosen at random too, so who knows what kind of terr-ist got through the gate before and after me.

[notesdev]

13. The TSA terrorizes more people than anything they allegedly exist to protect against n/t

[Curmudgeoness]

19. I agree. I get physically sick before flying because of a fear

of having any trouble with these government terrorists. I am not afraid of flying, only of getting through the security. Now tell me, is there something wrong with this picture? And I haven't flown since the new policies and procedures have been instituted.

[TexasObserver]

15. TSA is staffed by petty tyrants who are closer to Brownshirts than public servants.

[Dawson Leery]

17. The TSA (cockroaches) and DHS (cockroaches) must be shut down!

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. I think the TSA is in trouble. They are going well over board with this.

[LoZoccolo]

21. I had a bad experience with them.

I was coming back from Vegas and there's this TSA agen there acting like a jerk telling people which turnstyle to go through, and it wasn't exactly clear because a few people were confused and trying to figure it out (was he thinking that they were hesitating on purpose just to make him angry?). I figured out which one he was talking about and walked through and he was like "good, good, at least someone is thinking" or some other comment meant to demean the intelligence of the people who couldn't figure out his instructions. I thought about even just mildly complaining that he didn't have to treat people like that but then figured I'd get in all sorts of trouble. And then I thought - I wonder how many people get upset at this guy and then end up getting the TSA agents sic'ed on them for conflicts that would have been completely avoidable if they didn't bully the passengers just because they can? And how much of their resources get wasted on dealing with and/or carrying out these conflicts that should be spent on actually making the trips safer and catching the guys who actually mean to do harm rather than the people who were provoked by these people and their unnecessary attitude problems? Every time they send someone through the ringer for their personal grudges wastes time and money that could be spent screening people who should be screened.

[The Green Manalishi]

23. Most interesting, just as much outrage over this

all across the spectrum. Can't find anyone from the far right to the far left who doesn't think this sucks and the TSA is *WAY* out of line.