Question the TSA at your own Risk

I’m afraid to fly. Before hearing this I was interested in refusing to support the airlines for not fighting this, but now? I’m just scared.

This is my worst nightmare.

You need to pursue some kind of legal action against these people! Not that you will get justice – you need to find out who all the witnesses were and ask them to come forward and confirm your story – this needs to be all over the internet. This is the most horrible story I have ever heard!

I hope you are home with loved ones – you were brave and have my support and prayers.

TIL That TSA agents can give you titty-twisters if you opt out of the full-body scan.

The WORST thing you can do in America is question an agent of authority. If its the TSA or the local/state sheriffs office you had better do what they say exactly when they say it. The only difference with the TSA is its the middle/rich class that is being treated this way instead of the poor and poorly educated.

This is nothing new in the land of the free! The only thing new is its becoming apparent because someone who can demand time on a radio show is bringing it to your attention.

Your are indoctrinated from a very young age not to question authority. Teachers do not want an interactive classroom. They have guidelines and metrics they have to complete. Asking questions and interaction only slows them down. Sit down. Shut up. Officer friend do as I say when I say it. TSA shut up and move along comrade. Get on the train. Into the “work” camps”.

FREEDOM is an illusion you believe you have.

If “they” hated us for our freedoms………it sounds as if “they” won.

Here’s a key point of this story – in taking this approach, the TSA ‘wasted’ an hour on interacting with Meg. It seems that in this hour they made no attempt to screen her, get her on her flight, and free that area up for additional screenings.

To any logical person, this exposes this incident as having more to do with making a spectacle of Meg – in order to intimidate other passengers from choosing to opt-out – than it did with a real desire to be as efficient as possible in implementing an efficient random screening process aimed at promoting national security. They found nothing, she was of no threat, and the outcome was an abused citizen, a dozen distracted police officers, a potential lawsuit, and most frighteningly and opportunity for a real threat to pass through mis-occupied TSA security checkpoint.

If this scanning +opt-out security systems was truly effective, the TSA would spend very little time in processing opt-outs in a lawful way that ensures our liberties remain intact, so they could get on with as much random screening activity as possible. This would increase the number of people processed, and therefore increase the odds of the process being effective.

That’s not what the TSA did, and their desire to exhibit arbitrary power over liberty is as naked as the images being stored on their questionably safe body scanners. If the policy is to allow opt-outs, then the TSA must truly honor this as an option. If in truth, they have no intention of allowing people to opt-out, then they must change their official policy and state directly that any passenger who wants to get on a plane MUST go through a scanner or they will not be permitted to fly. Then they could see if their ridership decreases or not. However, if the plan is to say that opt-out is an option, but then bully the hell out of anyone who ‘dares’ to exercise that option while all the while puling the “Patriotic” card on them for not forgoing their constitutional rights in favor of national security hysteria, then we’ll continue to hear from more unfortunate travelers like Meg.

I meant to add this useful link from ACLU of MA: http://aclum.org/tsa/kyo_airport.php

Id rather a professional look at a very un-detailed picture of my body than getting blown up in a plane. This website is so stupid its unreal.

I’m truly sorry you had to go through that experience,

But if you don’t want to go through it again, make the choice to drive. Or if you absolutely need to fly, hire a private plane. A few people pooling their money for a private plane is still expensive, but there are no scanners or security checks.

While I absolutely disagree with the use of scanners and MOST of the post 9/11 security screening procedures, airlines are businesses; regulated by the government to be sure, but businesses never the less.

So, do what you would do with any other business? Report them, boycott them, Take a train, car, bus or as suggested, private plane. Take away their revenue stream. Even if it’s a government screening, if the airlines start complaining about losing business, the government will, as they always do, find ways to “accommodate” big business.

My husband and I have not been on a plane since 9/11. Mostly because our destinations are within an 8 hour drive. So by the time we get to the airport the required 2+ hours early, sit on the plane for another 45 minutes before take off, fly 2 hours, debark, find a cab or drive to our destination, we are closing in on 6 + hours. I’ll take 2 more hours on the road to keep my sanity and my dignity.

In any case, I would definitely pursue legal recourse. But remember, you are choosing to put yourself in this situation, If you do it as a form of protest, fine. But, like it or not, you knew going in you were making the choice to play TSA roulette as soon as you entered the airport.

This isn’t about liberty. No one is preventing you from traveling. This is about making convenience, inconvenient. Not exactly what the Founding Fathers were enduring when they coined the phrase: “Give me liberty or give me death.”

I think airline CEO’s need a huge letter writing campaign and a drastic drop in their profit margin. right now.

Luckily, my crappy airport will never be able to afford this. Through all the intensifying airport security, they have always been polite and friendly, because they’re just normal people like me.

The most straight-forward answer and solution is to avoid any and all situations where adverse interaction with GUNvernment GUNpersons is probable.

Obviously commercial airlines warrant complete avoidance but train and bus travelers are increasingly being subjected to similar restrictions and screenings.

Keep up the great work everyone!

Brothers and Sisters In Liberty, Sons and Daughters Of Liberty!

Starving The Monkeys and Ending The Looterfest,
John and Dagny Galt
Atlas Shrugged, Owners Manual For The Universe!(tm)

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For all the people who are willing to sacrifice privacy for a ride on a plane…

“He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.” -Ben Franklin