TSA will soon be "psycho-bullying" people into body scanners

[BerenTebogo]

It doesn't matter if we reduce the number of planes they attack when there are plenty of other attack vectors that are as of yet completely untapped. A deterrent isn't much good if all it accomplishes is to redirect the terrorists into equally viable alternatives.

This is the recurring point that people seem to be missing. Yes, attacking planes may be a blow mentally to the public, but no more so than attacking the red line in Boston or the subway in New York City or Chicago, and no more so than a seaboard port authority, or anything of the sort.

There is no shortage of choke points that carry a large amount of crippling emotional and psychological trauma to the American people. People will always find ways to effectively kill other people, humans are good at it.

[Korietsu]

I thought there was a CNN article posted earlier about a female getting patted down by a male TSA agent, including patting around her chest.

Yep, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/trav...-1225955345734

[Norellicus]

Female TSA agents don't exist?

They aren't retarded. I have never seen some one get searched by a person of the opposite sex at an airport. It's just common sense.

Besides the article above, people are allowed to request a same gender agent but they are not sent to one by default.

[Olo401]

ohi there.. http://www.tomsguide.com/us/US-Marsh...news-8875.html

http://media.bestofmicro.com/2/T/234...808-726403.jpg

[Dalek]

I think the real point that is being missed here is that terrorists don't even have to put in the effort to try and attack planes anymore. Like its already been said, if they were concerned about the greatest number of targets they could just as easily blow up a stadium or airport lineup with the same results. What they have accomplished, however, is getting the american public so paranoid and hysterical that they are actually even considering having this technology used against them, and that's not even mentioning all the other rights and liberties that have been seized by the government since 9/11. Terrorism is alive and well every time you step into an airport or pick up your phone now.

The icing on the cake here that people are too blind to realize as well, is that a FORMER GOVERNMENT DEFENSE SECRETARY(or whatever the position was, name escapes me atm) is now PROFITING from the $300 MILLION of TAXPAYER money being used to purchase machines from THEIR COMPANY. And here everyone is arguing about whether the scanners themselves are ethical or not, lol. WHOOOOOSSSHHHH

[SwampdonkeyPLD]

Spoiler: show

As the Chalk Leader for my flight home from Afghanistan, I witnessed the following:

When we were on our way back from Afghanistan, we flew out of Baghram Air Field. We went through customs at BAF, full body scanners (no groping), had all of our bags searched, the whole nine yards.

Our first stop was Shannon, Ireland to refuel. After that, we had to stop at Indianapolis, Indiana to drop off about 100 folks from the Indiana National Guard. That’s where the stupid started.

First, everyone was forced to get off the plane–even though the plane wasn’t refueling again. All 330 people got off that plane, rather than let the 100 people from the ING get off. We were filed from the plane to a holding area. No vending machines, no means of escape. Only a male/female latrine.

It’s probably important to mention that we were ALL carrying weapons. Everyone was carrying an M4 Carbine (rifle) and some, like me, were also carrying an M9 pistol. Oh, and our gunners had M-240B machine guns. Of course, the weapons weren’t loaded. And we had been cleared of all ammo well before we even got to customs at Baghram, then AGAIN at customs.

The TSA personnel at the airport seriously considered making us unload all of the baggage from the SECURE cargo hold to have it reinspected. Keep in mind, this cargo had been unpacked, inspected piece by piece by U.S. Customs officials, resealed and had bomb-sniffing dogs give it a one-hour run through. After two hours of sitting in this holding area, the TSA decided not to reinspect our Cargo–just to inspect us again: Soldiers on the way home from war, who had already been inspected, reinspected and kept in a SECURE holding area for 2 hours. Ok, whatever. So we lined up to go through security AGAIN.

This is probably another good time to remind you all that all of us were carrying actual assault rifles, and some of us were also carrying pistols.

So we’re in line, going through one at a time. One of our Soldiers had his Gerber multi-tool. TSA confiscated it. Kind of ridiculous, but it gets better. A few minutes later, a guy empties his pockets and has a pair of nail clippers. Nail clippers. TSA informs the Soldier that they’re going to confiscate his nail clippers. The conversation went something like this:

TSA Guy: You can’t take those on the plane.

Soldier: What? I’ve had them since we left country.

TSA Guy: You’re not suppose to have them.

Soldier: Why?

TSA Guy: They can be used as a weapon.

Soldier: [touches butt stock of the rifle] But this actually is a weapon. And I’m allowed to take it on.

TSA Guy: Yeah but you can’t use it to take over the plane. You don’t have bullets.

Soldier: And I can take over the plane with nail clippers?

TSA Guy: [awkward silence]

Me: Dude, just give him your damn nail clippers so we can get the f**k out of here. I’ll buy you a new set.

Soldier: [hands nail clippers to TSA guy, makes it through security]

This might be a good time to remind everyone that approximately 233 people re-boarded that plane with assault rifles, pistols, and machine guns–but nothing that could have been used as a weapon.

From a blog.

[jmc]

That's just....

I don't even......

*sigh*

[quannum]

From a blog.

link?

[SwampdonkeyPLD]

link?

www.redstate.com

[Tanthalass]

Couple questions..

1. Is the additional screening random (the choice between scanner/search), or mandatory for everyone now, or what?

2. How the fuck is this actually happening? It hasn't come into effect by any new law I'm aware of, its just a spontaneous policy change by the TSA....and also happens to be completely and totally illegal. I'm honestly confused.

[test123]

[Kuya]

I don't care for his principles about property and government doing things for you (as if government were a parent and you were a child), rather i think the best way to frame the issue is whether the costs incured both economically and emotionally are worth these measures and i don't think they are. Going through the TSA is already a bad enough experience, and quite frankly, everytime i go through that process i really do feel degraded.

[Norellicus]

1. Is the additional screening random (the choice between scanner/search), or mandatory for everyone now, or what?

It varies by airport, which is another reason the whole thing is ridiculous.

[Norellicus]

If you're gay, can you request to be groped by someone of the opposite sex instead?

I just had a thought about this, I wonder what they'd say if you did request someone of the opposite gender, regardless of your personal sexual preference. Arguably it may make some people more comfortable with it.

And if nothing else it'll mess with their heads >.>

[Acturus]

I just had a thought about this, I wonder what they'd say if you did request someone of the opposite gender, regardless of your personal sexual preference. Arguably it may make some people more comfortable with it.

And if nothing else it'll mess with their heads >.>

That was my thought. I'm all for screwing with the spirit of the law as I obey the letter.

[Atreides]

http://www.flyingpasties.com/

image on site might be slightly nsfw

[Kuya]

http://www.flyingpasties.com/

image on site might be slightly nsfw

Wow. Check out the first video at the 40seconds mark. That is extremely explicit.

[Olo401]

http://www.flyingpasties.com/

image on site might be slightly nsfw

That's just too awesome. I wonder if they make a fourth amendment unit sock for the gentlemen..

[bigrougabagel]

Hmm, video wont load for me.

[Atreides]

TSA forces cancer survivor to show prosthetic breast
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40278427/ns/travel-news/