Scanners and pat-downs upset airline passengers
WASHINGTON – Nearly a week before the Thanksgiving travel crush, federal air security officials were struggling to reassure rising numbers of fliers and airline workers outraged by new anti-terrorism screening procedures they consider invasive and harmful.
Across the country, passengers simmered over being forced to choose scans by full-body image detectors or probing pat-downs. Top federal security officials said Monday that the procedures were safe and necessary sacrifices to ward off terror attacks.
It's unbelievable that it's come to this. I have a flight in a few days from one major airport to another and I'm not looking forward to this.
Do you think there is anything that average Americans can do to make the TSA abandon this policy? Americans of all stripes, left and right, generally strongly support a right to privacy, and I would expect that to extend to forcing strangers to grope you or look at your naked body to avoid a $10,000 fine.
I don't want to hear any bellyaching about Obama, because you know the GOP would do this too. I want to hear about what ordinary citizens can do to get this policy overturned, because I think if enough people get involved it could happen. I don't see this as making us safer, I see this as making us humiliated, and making us want to fly less, thus making us a less mobile country and killing off the tourism and airline industries. That is to say, this is making us terrorized.
There was a thread on this earlier but it was ignored.
I would add two comments -
1) I believe that in the USA the same procedures can in theory be implemented at local airports for passengers on private flights with GA licensed private pilots.
2) This type of reaction is precisely what the bomb threats are meant to achieve. Every traveler every single day is reminded of the issues even if the terrorists go on holidays for a year and sit back sipping Piña Colada at a South Sea island resort. In a way these sort of measures mean the terrorists have won.
I find myself agreeing with you a lot lately...Originally posted by WTE_Galway:
2) This type of reaction is precisely what the bomb threats are meant to achieve. Every traveler every single day is reminded of the issues even if the terrorists go on holidays for a year and sit back sipping Piña Colada at a South Sea island resort. In a way these sort of measures mean the terrorists have won.
These measures are not safety measures. They're measures meant to give the illusion of safety. If somebody wants to bomb a plane, they will bomb a plane.
By far and away the most effective "security measure" has been public awareness about the need to fight back. That has thwarted several bombing attempts so far.
Which is more than can be said about "body scans."
Just give everyone on the plane big **** off knives and the cabin crew guns then tell them they're responsible for their own safety.
Then invest the money saved on 10 times as many sniffer dogs.
Or just put people through the scanner that are statistically more likely to go bang than the rest of us. We'll never stop all those who want to blast themselves to paradise and everyone else to hell.
Strange because terrorists diverted from blowing up airplanes would choose other targets like shopping malls or buses and trains. I don't see security scampering around trying to look at people's privates in those public places, but i think they are likely to be much more vulnerable to terror.
I'm not against security measures at the airport, but the idea that its there to protect me from terror is over sold.
I saw that other article posted earlier and despite the security walk through, the calamity that occurs at airports is enough to enrage some passengers.
I have a growing concern for more invasive types of security measures, such as the ones that prune society into accepting intrusion into their comfort zones. It might start at the airport, but it may one day end up in other public hot spots, like malls, bus/train stations, sporting events, or even random road check points.
The hassle at the airport has become so bad, that some Germans were quoted as saying it reminded them of the old East Germany policies before the wall came down.
Combine health care with airport security. Free proctology exam with every full body search.
There has been internet protesting over this, with the hope of next Wednesday's day of travel being slowed by every passenger forgoing the scan for a pat down, thus slowing the security process and making it unmanageable. Next Wednesday is the busiest travel day in the U.S. because of Thanksgiving.
Take the train when the option is available. I'll personally never step on another plane as long as this step is activated. My brother on the other hand goes to the Dominican Republic 2 times a week. Can't imagine his frustration level.
There are so many more significant loopholes in national security that airplanes and airports would be my last choice if I were a terrorist. This intrusive step is highly unnecessary and infringes upon the 4th Amendment to the Constitution.
Does the movie Brazil ring any bells? I keep thinking of how intrusive the government is getting and I'm reminded of the claustrophobic paranoid society that movie portrayed.
there would be the whole freedom for safety thing going on with this one.
So, I would rather live with some risk free then give up my freedom.
If we want to improve the safety of the planes we should be targeting folks who are more likely to blow up. Unlike flagging 80 year old war vets and nuns for extra screening.
Thanksgiving flying is going to be a nightmare next week..
Annnnd... if this article is to be believed then the situation is even worse.
http://gizmodo.com/5690749/the...00-leaked-body-scans
Remember that any time anything is stored ever... it will be leaked out eventually and if it`s something highly embarrassing then it has even more momentum!
Has nobody learned that old addage about trading liberty for security?