Here's the problem with airport security: Show me one instance where airport security has averted a major terrorist attack and maybe I'll buy into some of the bullshit requirements. To the best of my knowledge, most terrorist attacks involving airplanes have either (a) been successful or (b) stopped by passengers and crew, not airport security officials.
The thing I don't get is that they've got a drug dog who can find 7/8 of a gram of marijuana in Ron White's luggage, but they can't find a bomb without virtually stripping you and touching your junk?
And for that matter, I have (accidentally) put a Swiss Army knife through security successfully. I have one on my keychain and before I got in the habit of taking it off as soon as I start packing I would occasionally forget it. They caught it about 50% of the time. One time I forget my keychain in my pocket until I'm coming up to the metal detector so in front of at least 2 TSA people I put the thing in that plastic dog dish and sent it through by itself and it got through. I'm walking away from the checkpoint, putting on my belt and wristwatch and such and I'm like "Hmmmm... " I decided I wasn't going to hijack the plane and nothing good would come of going back to the check point and saying "HEY MISTER! YOU MISSED THIS!"
For $10, you can get this easily through security. http://allknife.com/index.php?categ...rip&pid=402&return=?tpl=index&category_id=35&
I've been reading on several other boards about people simply boycotting the airlines, let our dollars do the talking kind of a thing, with the assumption that doing that will force the airlines to demand the TSA change its ways. But I don't think that will work simply because the airlines will go hat in hand to the government, cry about how they need bailed out because they are essential to the country, and then just get a check written by the taxpayers.
It was the first time I didn't have to be manually searched since I had my ICD implanted in 2006. The thing always sets off metal detectors, but apparently the backscatter whatsit whoozit is sophisticated enough to tell what it is without a pat-down. I was surprised, particularly since the Be Very Afraid Panic Panic Oh My God the Terrorists Are Coming and We're All Gonna Die meter was at "high."
Seriously, though, with all the extra attention TSA's been getting I'll just bet they've been given repeated reminders to get their act together and keep it that way. That's all well and good for right now but what about in six months?
Hey, bodily integrity and medical privacy are no laughing matters. Especially for people with urinary catheters, colostomy bags, or prosthetics - and that includes prosthetic breasts and penises. It's bad enough for those who already have prosthetics, and getting them prodded at and exposed just adds insult to injury. Without making flying safer.
I have young children. I've told them nobody is allowed to see them naked except for mommy, daddy, and the doctor. Nobody is allowed to touch their private parts except for them. If they don't want anybody to tocuh them, and I mean anybody, yell NO! and find a grownup like a teacher or a policeman or Mommy and Daddy. Now I get to say all of that and add "...or some overweight high school dropout with bad BO at the airport. It's for your own good kid."
tafkats, what is an ICD, and where is it implanted? If it's more than a few mm below the skin, it simply doesn't show up on the pornoscanners - it won't even detect tampon bombs or gerbils up your butt. Again, it's just so much security theater, potentially dangerous, and no security. A cavity search is coming next if we don't draw the line.
In six months they will be unionized and demanding more taxpayer money and benefits and probably acting like bigger assholes with union goons protecting them.
It's a pacemaker/defibrilator. It's just below the skin -- I can feel its outline. I agree, though, that a suitably intelligent and well-equipped terrorist will still be able to hijack a plane if he wants to. TSA screenings are more likely to protect against random nutballs than people who really know what they're doing.
T'he TSA searches, do nothing other than to make it look like the government is doing something. It does not make air travel safer.
Let 'em strike! Then maybe everyone will wake up and realize that we don't need these fuckers anymore and get rid of them permanently!
1: Super-glue a mousetrap to my taint. 2: Refuse full-body scan. 3: Pray to Odin that my nuts have enough clearance. 4: ??? 5: Profit.
So to recap: -Because of the 9/11 attacks, you can't have a fingernail clippers--even though anyone on a plain that pulls so much as a butterknife in this day and age is going to get tackled and beat bloody by the other passengers. -Because of the failed shoe-bomber, you have to take your shoes off to get on a plane. -Because of the failed liquid bombers you can't have a proper shaving kit on a plane. -And because of the failed underwear bomber you now have to be tested for a hernia and prostate cancer to get on a plane. This all seems to be a solution in search of a problem. At this point they should just throw it wide open and let people carry on whatever the fuck they want. Some towlie is going to be a bit reticent about pulling a box cutter or setting his underwear on fire if he's going to be staring down the barrel of a .45.
The US is sending a message to terrorists that as long what they do is original and hasn't been tried before they will be fine. It isn't until they've tried to do something on a plane or at an airport before the US reacts and comes up with some new ridiculous screening rule.
Man, really, Osama needs to hire someone from National Lampoon or Jackass or something at this point. Forget blowing up buildings at this point. If they can figure out a way to leak a plot that can only be stopped by shoving a fish up the ass of every air traveler, pretty soon they'll have TSA aquariums and airport security will get a lot more invasive.
"Sir, we need you to drop your trousers, bend over and cough." "Uh, why do you have a speculum?" "Cavity search, sir. You'll be free to go if we can see the light from this flashlight shining from your mouth." --- "Ma'am, once my fist is inside, I need you to bear down and push so I can examine your uterus for explosives. Once complete, I will need a lactate sample for testing before I can let you board." --- "Is that spec sanitized? I saw you using it on that last passenger and I don't want to catch the hiv." "Are you questioning my authoritay?!" "No.. no, sorry." "Good. Now bend over!"
