Copied from bodlon. What’s the S in TSA stand for again?

[martygreene]

This is an EXCELLENT collection of links to accounts with the new TSA regulations, as well as generally good commentary on the situation. Not to mention brings up some important issues with the scanners AND pat-downs in regards to trans-folk. Worth a read. It's triggery, I will be up front with that. Read it, if you can.

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Comments

[maudelynn]

I went through the pat down in LA because I was wearing a long, flowing, dress. They took me off to a private area and did it. The woman was kind and I was ok with it and I am very very picky about people touching me, but I understood why they had to do it. I did not have a choice between that and a scanner.
Bottom line, to me, is this; flying is sometimes necessary but it is not a right. We are all now fully aware of what we will have to do to fly. It is not fun, and it is definitely not comfy for everyone. There is always the train or a bus if someone really objects.
The one thing I DO really have an issue with is the limbo that being in the middle of the TSA line creates. You cannot just say "F this." and leave instead of choosing the pat down or the scanner. Once your bag goes through the scanner, you are pretty much at their mercy. THAT is what annoys and has, on one occasion, scared me.

[martygreene]

I take issue with these things to "make us safer". I don't buy that they make us any safer. They scare people into thinking that somehow they're safer.

[maudelynn]

It is true that they won't stop everything, but I think we are a lot safer than we were 10 years ago.

[thekaiser]

I don't mind dealing with useful security procedures, this is not a useful security procedure. The backscatter scanners are fairly easy to hide things from if you know what you're doing (theres a clip from a German show that has a security consultant demonstrating this). Any former inmate or prison guard can tell you that people can hide things on or in their person that will be missed by a pat down. Flying may not be a right, but it is well within our rights as citizens to protest against unreasonable regulations and security measures.

Personally, I also plan on making it uncomfortable for them too. If they make off color remarks about the pat down, I will make off color remarks about how awesome it is that I can make someone touch my nuts for the price of a plane ticket.

[unholypassion]

I've been fearing this day. I just think this is sooo wrong.

I had something like this happen to me in Vegas. Back when you could still wear your shoes through screening, my Fluevogs happened to have metal shanks, which I was not aware of. I took off my boots and sent them through the X-ray machine, sure enough they were the culprits. But, they weren't satisfied. Because I had on a long skirt, I then had to have an agent stick a handheld metal detector up and in between my legs. Then she proceeded to search the inside of my bra, feeling what little I do have, and radioed someone to be aware that I was wearing an underwire (oh, the horror). Everyone stopped and watched, as if I were some criminal - it was so humiliating and insulting. Having a female agent didn't make me feel any better about it. I have issues with being touched, so this was really unsettling.