Comments on: Airline Passenger Refuses to Be Groped by Security; Becomes a Folk Hero

By: Kelvin Schmelmer

Kelvin Schmelmer — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:06:26 +0000

Hi there, I read your blog frequently and usually your articles are incredibly readable on the other hand this particular one just did not seem like you took your time with it. I don’t want to turn out to be rude — just simply providing some constructive suggestions. My apologies.

By: randrand

randrand — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:50:29 +0000

I’M DONE—-COMMENTS FOLKS???????

By: randrand

randrand — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:49:52 +0000

“RANDMAJESTIC” KNOWS SECURITY-THIRTY YEARS OF IT-WITH A STETSON DEGREE—-AND THIS THINK-TANK SAYS THAT YOU ARE NOT GETTING REAL SECURITY, AND NOW-YOU THE PUBLIC-ARE BEING AS ABUSED AS THE SECURITY GUARDS! WHERE DOES IT ALL END…..????????!

By: randrand

randrand — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:46:02 +0000

EVEN MOSSAD HAS TOLD THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, AND THE MONEY-GRUBBING STINGEY-BUTT AIRLINES, THAT MACHINES AND PAT-DOWNS ARE ONLY PARTIAL SECURITY MEASURES. THE AIRPORTS NEED MY TYPE, AND SKILL, AND UMP ANTI-TERRORIST BULLET-LOADED 45 ACP SUB-MACHINE GUN (WHICH I OWN AND CARE FOR-AND YES-IT IS HELLACIOUSLY EXPENSIVE!)-AND THAT WILL COST THE PUBLIC A HUGE PREMIUM IN WAGES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF WAIVERED PROTOCOL FOR GUARD-CARRY! IF THE POWERS THAT BE KEEP UP THIS FOOLISH OUTSOURCING AND STUPID STOP-GAP MEASURES-THEN , LIKE SOCIAL SECURITY, WE WILL ALL BE DEAD WHEN ANY GOOD TRANSPIRES! AGE 7O IS NOT TIME TO START RETIREMENT-AFTER 30-40 YEARS OF HARD WORK—-IT IS THE TOTALITY OF LIFE-EXPECTANCY—DEATH! WHO ARE THESE GOVERNMENT CLOWNS FOOLING—-OBVIOUSLY, BY THE PISSED-OFF MOOD OF THE PUBLIC, N-O O-N-E!!!!!!!!

By: Concerned

Concerned — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:50:15 +0000

Ok. So if under 12 are not able to be pat down, then that means they have ZERO choice for the scanner? Way to go America for limiting/eliminating our freedom of choice!

I am in the “opt out” category. So if I opt out, then my daughter opts out. So she gets by free and clear or cannot fly?

Either way, I don’t exactly want someone patting me down while my daughter watches.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:17:04 +0000

Concerned:

Your 8yr old daughter is exempt from pat downs. Kids under 12 are not subject to physical pat downs.

By: SecurityPerson

SecurityPerson — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:09:52 +0000

So if the images are not saved or stored anywhere, then explain the leaks of multiple images.

Simply enough if 2 people are getting scanned, then person 1 gets scanned and the image is temporarily stored to analyze, then person 2 gets scanned and the scanned image of person 2 replaces the scanned image from person 1. Ideally there should be at most one image in the scanner at the end of the day if the images are not being stored.
If this process is the case then seeing multiple images on the internet implies that there is a problem with our airport security because multiple airports are leaking their final image to the public.
If the process is not the case, then one can conclude that a lot more information is being stored than the TSA wants you to know.

If the images are being stored, then security can easily add your driver’s license/passport information to the stored image…

By: Concerned

Concerned — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:19:09 +0000

My 8 year old daughter wanted to go on an airplane trip, just for the experience. I did have intentions of just picking some weekend, going to the airport, buying two tickets to anywhere, and then going for a ride.
Now with the new scanners in place, there is NO chance that I am going to have my daughter go through either the scanner or the pat down.

I am glad that I got some international travel in myself before the scanners became part of our society.

I really hope that the airlines tank. We really don’t need more checkpoints in our society. What is next? Buses?

To be honest, I am now expecting the next terrorist attack to be in the security lines. Terrorists typically pick targets that either have high kills or high impact on mental states. With the long waits in line there is definitely both.

By: Jenn

Jenn — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:11:02 +0000

I’m disappointed by how there’s not much thought given to how triggering both forms of security protocol (the scanning and the pat downs) could be to rape victims. It’s like shouts of ‘terrorism!’ make people completely forget the potential abuse of power that could happen when something like this is put into place. It’s naive to think this is genuinely done for the sake of national security – I’m certain it’s more psychological play to make travellers used to the idea of not having rights.

1. There are already horrifying incidences of how a woman who is a rape survivor got trigerred by a pat down and how the TSA refused to assign a female agent for her: http://pncminnesota.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/rape-survivor-devasted-by-tsa-enhanced-pat-down/
2. and there’s also an incident of a 9 year old boy being scared by a TSA agent who targeted him for a pat down even after he went through a scanner: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=26798164&postcount=6
3. Not to mention how violating this is to the rights of transgender people travelling. I can’t imagine the level of trans and gender fail that could take place as a result of TSA agents (the majority of whom I’m guessing like the wider population, don’t give much thought to trans issues) being able to see genitalia of all passengers.

It’s an outrageous violation of bodily autonomy rights and I hope US citizens stand up to end this.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:40:48 +0000

Just another example of the pussification of the USA. Some of you people need to get over yourselves. I bet for 90% of you, it’s more of a disgusting experience for the person doing the exam than it is for you. It’s not “groping” or “molesting” unless it is done for those purposes. They are doing it for the purpose of safety. I have a daughter, and I’d rather her get a 30-second exam over risking her safety any day. Ten seconds after you get the exam, the person who did it already forgot about you.

Are you people who oppose this so fiercely the same people who go to the doctor and refuse to have a physical exam? Those patients crack me up.