TSA: Wants to See You Naked, Complains When You Get That Way

[lafinjack]

As the submitter of this item put it,
"perhaps not the first person you'd pick to
protest in this manner, but God bless him."

Comments

[crysania4]

From what I've gathered the smaller airports aren't as nuts as the bigger ones. I flew back in 2007 to Ireland and back. On the way back, we went through security and all seemed fine. We took various things out of our little quart-sized stupid bags and then suddenly with no warning they funneled us through a second security point that no one was alerted to. We thought we were just entering the place where our gate was, but it was another security checkpoint. They took all our drinks and contact solutions and tons of stuff that people had bought or taken out of their bags, no warning, all nastiness. Apparently Irish security "wasn't good enough" so they felt the need to trick all us terrible evil Americans into going through security again. Oh BOY did those asshole TSA agents rejoice in taking away things from people. I ended up on a 7-hour flight with no saline solution and came close to getting taken aside because I was so angry over their duping us.

I haven't flown since. Thankfully I don't have to for my job, so I just stay here for vacation instead.

[bellichka]

I had an experience at London Luton where I got pulled aside and wanded and patted and all that jazz because I had my iphone in my pocket. They pulled my kindle out of my purse and wanded it like they had never seen a fucking kindle before.

Nothing compares to the absolute troll who was manning the entry into "Britain" before I got on the Eurostar train in Paris. She wasn't going to let me on the train, despite having a valid passport, because I didn't have proof of my flight out of the UK. I've done a fair bit of international traveling, and had never needed that before... needless to say, I wasn't happy, especially because it just seemed like she was on a power trip. But damn, do I get peppered with questions every time I enter the UK.

[crysania4]

It's getting so out of control I'm afraid to even travel to Canada (by car) now. I don't live far from there, but I'm worried about harassment just for wanting to go on vacation. I haven't gone any further than Vermont (from central NY) for vacation since 2007. It's CRAZY.

[bellichka]

.... where in central NY are you? I'm in the Rochester area. I always forget who's around here and who isn't.

If you have any kind of a record, forget about getting into Canada. But my parents generally head up to Toronto when the Yankees are playing the Blue Jays and they never have any problems.

International traveling really isn't too bad... after all, I wasn't denied entry anywhere, just mildly harassed and inconvenienced. Iceland was phenomenal, they barely looked at my passport and were just kind of like "LULZ HAVE A GOOD TIME IN ICELAND." Once you're in the Schengen area you're good to go anywhere, though, so that makes it easier. Same thing w/Britain and Ireland, they didn't even check passports when I went to Ireland from Britain.

[crysania4]

I'm in Syracuse. And I have no record, but the thought still scares me! I don't deal well with harassment. It tends to get me really angry, so I avoid it at all costs.

[fenris_lorsrai]

You can always take the train to farther away destinations! That's actually a fairly pretty ride up through that area. I used to have t take that route to go to college in Ohio.

[crysania4]

As long as they don't start screening people on trains, which I'm starting to hear more and more about. *sigh*

Mostly I just drive these days. Then I can take my dog along!

[ohloverx]

A bit late on this, but how much of a record is an issue? My husband had a noise violation that he had to do community service on (it's his only offense other than a moving violation and a speeding ticket) and I'd hate to think my dream of us going to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto won't happen because he technically has a record. :(

[mirhanda]

Canadian border guards can be absolutely NUTS! My dad went up there, oh some time in the 90s, he died in 1998 so (obviously) before that. And the border guard kept harassing him. When my dad handed over his driver's license, the border guard asked him "where is your gun" and dad said "I don't have a gun" and the guy is all "You're from Alabama, all people from Alabama have guns, where is it?" And he just kept on arguing with my dad that he MUST have a gun. It was CRAZY!

[crysania4]

OMG. Way to go with stereotypes there, nutjob.

I used to travel to Canada a lot back around 1999-2002. I never had any problem back then but I was a young, female college student. I just handed them my license, told them where I was going, and went on with no problem. I've heard crossings have gotten worse since.

[hinoema]

Yeah, in the 80's, they were like, "US citizen? Welcome to Canada! No, you can't take booze with you. Yes, I know we charge a fortune, next! Canadian citizen? Lose the cigarettes, Sneaky. Ok, go home." That was as bad as it got.

[mirhanda]

Unless you were from Alabama, apparently, haha!

[amyura]

I started McGill University in 1995. You know, right after Waco and Oklahoma City. EVERYONE asked me, upon hearing I was American, if I had guns and if I or anyone in my family was in a militia.

I'm from Massachusetts. Which is home to more than a few schools that Canadian students apply to.

[nahele_101]

I have actually had a harder time getting back in. Show military ID, and the border guards are like "well, anyone can join the military! WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?!?!?"

Gah.

A friend of mine is from Alabama and I have seen people treat him like that. Its nuts. That attitude is far from rare unfortunately.

[mrasaki]

...I took a bus from NYC to Toronto once. Jeez, I'd never been given the third degree so badly as at the Canadian border, EVER. And I've flown in and out of most of the US's major airports, to many, many international places. They must be bored up there or something.

[arisma]

I'm in VT and I don't go to Canada any more. Not that I went super often but it's too much of a hassle. There used to be random stops up north, not even particularly near the border. They'd just look in the car and decide if you were Canadian or not and then just wave you through. Super effective.

That said, there's some really lovely spots in Maine if you want to scoot a bit further east for vacations.