Question the TSA at your own Risk

by George Donnelly on November 9, 2010

The TSA chose Meg McLain for special screening. They wanted her to go through the new porno-scanners. When she opted out, TSA (Transportation Security Administration of the Department of Homeland Security, US federal government) agents raised an enormous ruckus. When she asked some question about what they planned to do to her, they flipped out. TSA agents yelled at her, handcuffed her to a chair, ripped up her ticket, called in 12 local Miami cops and finally escorted her out of the airport. Listen to her story as she told it on radio show Free Talk Live last night. Things are truly getting scary.

For best results, listen to the audio on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJGvsAgpfig

 

Update: Apologies. We are getting hammered with traffic from Reddit.

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{ 159 comments… read them below or add one }

Benjamin Bartholomew November 9, 2010 at 4:33 pm

Whisky
Tango
Foxtrot

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bigtoe416 November 9, 2010 at 11:31 pm

This can’t continue on like this.

On a side note, you need to post more open carry videos my friend.

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smeg November 9, 2010 at 4:49 pm

thanks for posting this. it was a humiliating and scary situation, and worst of all, i’m now creating an inconvenience for 2 of the sweetest guys on earth (pete & adam of liberty on tour – libertyontour.com).

i’ve been trying to contact the airline to exchange the ticket so i can get back home; but US airlines doesn’t answer ANY of the numbers i have found online. at this point, i think the plan is just to goto the airport, exchange the ticket at the counter, then go an speak with the TSA before going through screening to explain the issue i dealt with, and hopefully find a reasonable solution BEFORE going through security. while i hate to haggle my freedom with these people, at this point i just need to get home.

i’d be willing to stand up to whatever bs they throw at me, but i’m not willing to put adam & pete in a position where they feel obligated to go out of their way for me (anymore than they already have). they are amazing activists with lots of work to do, and i’m not about to be a distraction from that.

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Peter November 10, 2010 at 8:43 am

Megan,

Not sure if you will see this before you catch a flight home but I am 2.5 hours north of Miami and have friends in Miami. If you prefer I have Veterans Day off from work tomorrow and I would be more than happy to help out a fellow NH resident (born and raised). Could try to get you on a train out of Orlando instead of dealing with a flight? Not sure where it would get you but for one of my college classes I did a report on those machines and they are not very flattering unless you plan to wear a lead bra and panties… ugh…

Wish you all the best and I am sorry to hear the trouble you have gone through!

Also, what airliner are you trying to fly with? I fly up to NH frequently out of Orlando and never had a hassle, maybe switching your flight through Orlando would be better? Unless they got the machines in the past few months you are safe and I have never had a bad experience with the TSA’s there.

Regards,
-Peter

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Adam Mueller November 10, 2010 at 12:21 pm

Smeg, you know you’re not a bother to us. I think you just need another day of rest because you’ve been through alot the last few days. Thanks for taking a stand and I bet you’ve inspired others to opt out of the body scanners.

Adam

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smeg November 10, 2010 at 12:39 pm

i would like to add:

pete and adam have been the most amazing, helpful people throughout this whole ordeal. everyone please send them lots of thank you’s… in cash if possible ;)

contact them on LibertyOnTour.com

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smeg November 10, 2010 at 12:58 pm

i would like to add that i would be lost without the amazing help of Pete & Adam. they truly are superheroes, and i could never thank them enough.

please send them your thanks… in cash if possible.

contact them at LibertyOnTour.com

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smeg November 10, 2010 at 12:59 pm

sorry, double post cause of a computer f-up ;)

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Anonymous November 10, 2010 at 1:44 pm

@smeg – try 480-517-9230 for US Air. That was on my caller ID when they called me the other day.

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Cole November 11, 2010 at 7:58 pm

Meg, It appears you are not being truthful about your “run in” with TSA. Please feel free to point out where your ticket was ripped up, they screamed at you and you were handcuffed. This link contains video of your incident and nowhere in it does it show any “mistreatment” .

https://jalopnik.com/5687831/this-libertarian-radio-host-lied-about-tsa-harassment

Sounds to me like someone is “crying for attention”

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AM55 November 9, 2010 at 4:53 pm

I’ve seen the same scenario; the way you are treated, and the steps you take are completely dependent on the TSA agents, and aren’t uniform across the country.

If you express any sort of concern, or do not IMMEDIATELY comply it throws them off and they are either flabbergasted and confused, or angry and combative.

What ever happened to “Give me liberty or give me death”? “Land of the free” – my ass!

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George Donnelly November 9, 2010 at 4:56 pm

Great comments, guys.

Meg, part of being a liberty activist is solidarity with those victimized by the state. So I highly doubt Pete and Adam mind helping you out. Fingers crossed you’ll be able to get on that flight home tonight.

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Sanction November 9, 2010 at 6:27 pm

Stand up for all your rights: refuse to be scanned or groped.

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D L November 9, 2010 at 6:53 pm

If you have to fly, and so you’re subjected to this “treatment”, someone should make undershirts or underwear with the words “F*** You” easily visible by those scanners. Oh, I know, how about undershirts or body suits you could wear that show up as funny images like a head growing out of your torso, or your man-junk malformed, or a third boob. Yeah, you might as well have fun with it. They were going to pull you out of the line anyways, maybe you should make a special trip to the airport JUST to mess with the jerk-faces who think those scanners are a GOOD idea.

Oh, by the way TSA, how many bombers have you stopped with one of those scanners? Not so good odds huh?

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uglyoldwoman November 10, 2010 at 5:30 pm

or act all pervvy yourself and scare them off. Hey TSA you gonna scan me with your hands I hope, touch me touch me! Some ugly old woman might scare the stuffing out of them and give them something to think about.

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Kisa AH November 9, 2010 at 8:31 pm

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.

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Steve November 10, 2010 at 2:12 pm

Stand up to them they will back off if we dont it will escallate

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Doug November 9, 2010 at 8:43 pm

I’m thinking of writing a letter addressed to each CEO of the major airlines and ask if they like it when their customers are treated like criminals. I’m not going to fly while those TSA gorillas are there, certainly–I won’t stand for that.

Surely these corporations have enough money to lobby Congress to get the TSA to back off on these scanners and physical searches?

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Kisa AH November 10, 2010 at 11:27 pm

I like this idea too. I wonder, why haven’t the airlines stood up for their customers yet? They will lose a lot of business because of the miseries people are forced through when they fly. I know people who refused to fly even before this body scanner garbage.

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NewsMom November 9, 2010 at 8:55 pm

This is my worst nightmare.

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Michell Smithington November 9, 2010 at 9:07 pm

Read this report by a nobel prize winning scientists and MDs on the safety concerns of these back scatter radiation scanners.

https://www.npr.org/assets/news/2010/05/17/concern.pdf

I will be opting out!!! Don’t let them poison your body!

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Smack41 November 9, 2010 at 9:27 pm

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.

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KirstenA November 10, 2010 at 10:37 am

Please file a report with the ACLU & EPIC!!

ACLU – https://tiny.cc/u1kqz

EPIC – https://epic.org/bodyscanner/incident_report/

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Anonymous November 9, 2010 at 11:04 pm

I wasn’t going to comment, but listening to the podcast changed my mind.

I agree that these body scanners are ridiculous.

But, please, guys, keep it a bit more professional. Nazi Germany? Are you serious? “Does anyone feel like this is Germany?” Don’t be silly, guys. C’mon. I’m German and take serious, serious offence to that. :)

Let me inform you that Germany, and most of the EU states have opted against these scanners due to their gross invasion of privacy….

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anon November 10, 2010 at 9:54 am

These type of things are exactly how it started then. Take one thing, then another, then another, next thing you know…totalitarian state

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anon November 10, 2010 at 12:49 pm

THANK you.

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Globalism Destroyed Detroit November 10, 2010 at 2:19 pm

Nobody is talking about current Germany. But sudden and forceful inspections, combined with power hungry anger are exactly the same conditions that led to the rise of Nazi Germany. People went along with the Kristallnacht because they thought it was only temporary. We do not want the US to go down the same path Germany did in 1933 and we are willing to give our lives to prevent this from happening. We already know what living Hell awaits us if we are too cowardly to stop this BEFORE it gets too big:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht

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mackler November 10, 2010 at 2:47 pm

That’s easy for you to say sitting there in Germany. Here in America we know that the terrorists want to destroy us because we’re so free.

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Jack November 10, 2010 at 3:28 pm

The German people didn’t have the slightest clue as to how bad things were getting or going to get under the Third Reich. Germans (not all, but a great majority) regretted with much pain, what they “allowed” to happen within their country for many, many years afterwords and to this day. No its not NAZI Germany here, but that doesn’t mean it cant go in a similar direction. All the evidence points to that likely-hood. If you never stand up an make a stink, then you will continually lose every last bit of personal sovereignty that you have.

People of rationality tend to avoid, mentally, the worst that can happen to them. They will always believe, ultimately, it cant. Do I know what will become of the state of Americans lives? No, but I don’t like what I see. Never repeating history means just that, never repeating it…

So while constant cries of Nazism may not be the best thing to be spouting every minute, since the effect will wane, consider that what we face, day in and day out, in this age IS a continual wind up to a greater level of tyranny by a government that claims to have our best interests and freedoms in mind…

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uglyoldwoman November 10, 2010 at 5:40 pm

Im part German but I was born in America. I take no offense to any remark about nazi, germany or even hitler. dont be so sensitive.

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John November 9, 2010 at 11:23 pm

This makes me crazy.
It’s funny though if you’re a terrorist who is casing the place, you would take away the idea that if you send one person up to complain and make a big deal, then you could sneak in some people after that.

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erk November 9, 2010 at 11:34 pm

Terrorist Sex Abusers?

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Lietrum November 9, 2010 at 11:46 pm

Please remember that most of the founding employees of the TSA came from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Their reactions are in line with those of correctional workers confronted by an uncooperative inmate. This is compounded by most founding employees of TSA were consider as disciplinary problems by the Federal BOP. This has contributed to this idea of the citizen being treated as a criminal.

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Bill McGonigle November 10, 2010 at 12:04 am

Alternately, see if you can get a refund and take the train (switch in NYC or DC). “Won’t fly” and all that.

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Murdrakk November 10, 2010 at 12:12 am

Flying through Miami next Tuesday, planned on opting out a week ago, not gonna let this change my mind.

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Gardner Goldsmith November 10, 2010 at 2:15 am

Meg is a terrific person. Great to have her here in NH. She always resists government authority. Awesome.

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Jared Lorz November 10, 2010 at 4:02 am

Go through and tell the TSA they do not have permission to touch sexual parts of your body. If they do then file a civil suit against them for rape if the police refuse to intervene. If they refuse to let you through without touching your genitalia sue them for sexual harassment. I know of no bombs or explosives small enough to fit on the top of a vagina that will do enough damage to warrant securing the area.

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Hank November 10, 2010 at 5:33 am

So, 12 cops and 7 TSA, 19 [NINETEEN] people, are busy doing nothing. For an hour.

Isn’t there a budget implication on spending all those resources on nothing? What happened to their other duties when they were intimidating a lone traveler.

The yelling of “opt out!”, what is that about? It’s a special condition now to opt out of being irradiated against your will? To be targeted for humiliation?

I also like ‘the greater good’ argument. That sounds very familiar.

I liked it a lot more when the US was the land of the free. They could get things done then. Now they can’t build a railway without freaking out over the budget.

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anon November 10, 2010 at 5:57 am

Someone from inside TSA needs to leak these scanned screens/photos to wikileaks or other sites.

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AM55 November 10, 2010 at 10:40 am

That would be the nail in the coffin for these scanners. It’d be cool to offer a bounty for the first real, full-resolution image.

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Bob November 10, 2010 at 6:01 am

I’ve been wanting to go to the US on holiday forever, but I’ll postpone until sanity is restored and I’m not treated as a bloody criminal/terrorist before I’ve even entered the country.

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Bruno November 10, 2010 at 6:01 am

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

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Frank Hissam November 10, 2010 at 7:48 am

Please stop saying “apparently” and “allegedly” every time you air a story that contains anything that might piss off a government institution.

You come off sounding with a complete lack of confidence and resolute.

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Abe_Froman November 10, 2010 at 7:55 am

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.

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Rodrigo Diaz November 10, 2010 at 7:55 am

https://www.aclu.org/technology-and-liberty/tsa-pat-down-search-abuse

Please report the abuse to ACLU, with sufficient complaints the out of control TSA agents will only be reigned in by a massive law suit and new laws.

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glenda November 10, 2010 at 8:33 am

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

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Nick November 10, 2010 at 8:37 am

I find the audio player really unreliable. I’ve been trying for 30 minute to listen to the audio. Perhaps you should provide the audio some other way. Whilst this topic is important to me, I don’t have a whole morning just to listen to your audio file while it buffers and cancels and generally shows its bugginess. I would place the file some other way, such as youtube.

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Concerned Citizen November 10, 2010 at 8:40 am

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.

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uglyoldwoman November 10, 2010 at 5:43 pm

since they didnt screen her or scan her to find anything then they did not secure the area and allowed other passengers to be exposed to potential harm. She could have blown them all up. The fact they didnt do more protecting of the other passengers proves she was no threat. Just massive egos out of whack. And perverts besides.

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Charlsey November 10, 2010 at 8:41 am

I went through one of those scanners.. it is intense but no problem whatsoever as I didn’t have anything to hide. They are searching for weapons or bombs – that’s a good thing. Get used to it, we’re not going back to the 70′s. Privacy is now quite limited when in an airport or public space for obvious reasons – I bet the threat is worse than you think.

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KirstenA November 10, 2010 at 10:49 am

It’s attitudes like this that allow Big Brother the ability to destroy our remaining rights. The whole, “it’s for the greater good of society” reasoning is exactly how the Nazis came to power in Germany, and how they were able to stay there for so long.

The TSA has not found ONE bomb or weapon with these scanners since they have been in use. In fact, Israel won’t even use these machines, because they know you can’t see everything. The only reason these machines are in use here is because of the political connections of the manufacturer.

Since you said, “I didn’t have anything to hide,” why did you wear clothes to the airport?? Why not go nude? Please wake up to the real issue that the government is turning us into their sheep!

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Joshua November 10, 2010 at 1:39 pm

We get used to this now, but we’ve been falling down the same path for a while. First it was no visitors near the gate. Then random searches through carry-on bags, then we had to remove our shoes. Then we had to take our laptops out of bags. Then separate wires and batteries from other electronics. Then the nude-scanners were optional. Then the pat-down procedures became more intense. Be a victim of a voyer or a groper. Wife, mother, child, father–all are literally exposed to middle-aged Napoleons in ties.

By increments you agree to warrant-less searches and being treated like a criminal. And by your approval we’ve all lost our liberty!

Do not fly. Apologists for the TSA don’t deserve freedom. They are Dogs of the State, and should go lick some bureaucrat’s crotch.

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Perry Mason November 10, 2010 at 1:48 pm

By “obvious reasons” do you mean a meglomaniac desire to exercise further control over the sheeple? Because if you are referring to the terrorists hiding under your bed, then perhaps it is you who is the problem.

If you don’t want America to be a free country based on good and civilized principles, then I kindly ask that you leave.

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Concerned Citizen November 10, 2010 at 8:45 am

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

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walnuttrees November 10, 2010 at 10:03 am

From that website:

“Women in tight skirts that don’t allow an agent to feel the thigh area may be asked to remove the skirt in a private screening area and will be given a gown or towel to put on.”

NEVER, EVER go into a private room with TSA screeners, even if it means missing your flight that day!

If you feel you must do so, demand to have someone accompany you as YOUR witness, even if you have to call a LEO to be that witness.

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Sean November 10, 2010 at 8:46 am

I don’t get why the TSA insist on using a technology that clearly is of no use. Otherwise the Israelis, arguably the country with the tightest security at their airports (and for good reason) would have installed them. But they couldn’t care less about this “state of the art“ technology: https://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Full+body+scanners+waste+money+Israeli+expert+says/2941610/story.html

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KirstenA November 10, 2010 at 10:52 am

The answer is MONEY. It always is. Follow the money from the TSA (government) to the manufacturer (lobbyist).

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Hal Turner November 10, 2010 at 8:46 am

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.

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Cole November 10, 2010 at 9:57 am

Your comment Sir, is the only one on this site worth reading. Make no mistake, these are the same people whom would be wailing on TSA if the plane carrying one of their loved ones was blown out of the air. Their cries of “why didnt you do more” would only be drown out by their ignorance.

Simply put, if you dont like it DONT FLY !!!!!

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iawai November 10, 2010 at 11:17 am

Cole – that would be a fine solution if it were simply a private airport or airline putting these procedures in place, but the TSA is a gov’t entity, and is supposed to be bound by its “Constitution”. Part of that is defending the individuals who use gov’t services from unreasonable searches.

A privately run, privately regulated air-service company may choose to implement these draconian procedures, and you would be free to not fly with them. You could also choose a different airline to show that you will not support these procedures. Or you could even start your own company to fly yourself and others around without these procedures.

As long as the gov’t is in control, they are supposed to be restrained from exercising tyrannical power. If you follow your logic, why not set up one of these scanners at everyone’s front door? If they want access to “the public property”, they must go through the scanner – after all, we don’t want people blowing themselves up on the sidewalk or in a school or mall, or in Times Square, do we? They still have the freedom to not go outside, right?

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iawai November 10, 2010 at 10:51 am

Perhaps you should consider choosing a more unique or less stilted username. “Hal Turner” – per a quick google search and wikipedia reading, is an FBI instigator, promoting antisemitism, general racism, and violence.

I was looking to see if you had some blog or other message board history to see if you had some coherent theory of why TSAs should be considered “professionals” as opposed to “thugs”, why you are so scared of being “blown up in a plane”, why you can’t address and substance, why you insist they are only taking “very un-detailed picture[s]“, or why the property owners of the airlines and airports couldn’t do this without government intervention. Or why you merely lay emotional name calling upon a website, without explaining why it is stupid to defend individual rights.

The more I try to understand your mindset, the more I am convinced you actually are Hal Turner, the unscrupulous, dirty, lying, violence loving, government fellating national socialist.

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Dave November 10, 2010 at 11:40 am

One day a government agent will tell you to do something that you *will* think is an infringement of your rights or an unreasonable impingement on your personal liberty. At that point, it will be too late for you to complain because the precedent will have been set by things like these unreasonable invasions of personal privacy that you’re accepting so readily.

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Grant November 10, 2010 at 1:55 pm

“I’d rather let TSA agents probe my anus with a cattle prod – to prove my loyalty to Amerika – than risk having our food supply contaminated by Martians … if the government told me that’s what I needed to do.” Sheep.

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Kisa AH November 10, 2010 at 11:45 pm

Hal Turner just works for the TSA & wants to see some boobies for free on the clock. Think about it: would anyone other than a TSA agent call TSA agents “professionals”? A professional is an educated, skilled producer, not an unskilled government laborer.

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walnuttrees November 10, 2010 at 9:08 am

National Opt-Out Day – November 24, 2010

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-safety-security-222/

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Karen November 10, 2010 at 9:20 am

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.”

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Rel November 10, 2010 at 10:16 am

“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.””

The founding fathers faced the kind of restrictions we face today, yet back then, it was from a King. Year after year, new restrictions and requirements are placed upon us all in the name of safety and security – or because someone doesn’t want you doing something.

100 years ago, you could hike anywhere at anytime. Now, gates have been placed to restrict access, and if that wasn’t enough, no access at night – why? Because 99% are going to pay for the 1% that cause a problem – and this affects all categories of freedom.

Driving is a priviledge. So isn’t owning a gun – it once was a right.

My favorite swimming holes have been closed, because one person drowned.

Although George Orwell expected this to come in the last century, the seeds of totalitarianism have germinated.

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Karen November 10, 2010 at 4:45 pm

You haven’t addressed the fact that her liberties are not restricted. No one is preventing her from traveling. When that happens then I will gladly join the protest.

But if any other business treated you that way, you would never use their services again. Why is an airline any different? If an employee (or employees) treated you that way, and management ignored you, what would you do? Would you bring a civil suit?

Then do it. If you choose to fly, knowing all the possibilities, then you can’t really complain that you were unprepared to be groped or humiliated. Did you miss the point where I said I haven’t traveled by air in 10 years?

And if you truly think there is a comparison between armed militia breaking into your house, stealing your food and killing you and/or your family and being able to cut 3 hours off your travel time, your priorities are seriously out of kilter.

And holy cow, a swimming hole is not a business. What a ridiculous comparison.

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Alex November 10, 2010 at 9:23 am

Is there a recording i can download this is awful, it keeps resetting itself in the middle.

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Lizza November 10, 2010 at 9:32 am

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

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Jim November 10, 2010 at 9:53 am

Dear dumb ass article writer…. what the hel is TSA? Everyone is not as smart as you so we all do not TSA stands for.

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Ash November 10, 2010 at 11:05 am

…Really? She’s the dumb ass?

Even if you explicitly do not know what TSA stands for, anyone above the age of 10 should know who they are.

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Joshua November 10, 2010 at 1:20 pm

Ellipses should have three periods.

“Hell” is spelled with two l’s.

Not knowing what TSA stands for does not make you “not as smart,” it makes you ignorant.

You missed the word “know” in writing, “we all do not TSA stands for.”

TSA is an acronym for Transportation Security Administration.

I hope that helps!

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Olivia November 10, 2010 at 9:55 am

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.

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odd November 10, 2010 at 10:18 am
John and Dagny Galt November 10, 2010 at 10:29 am

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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Lars November 10, 2010 at 10:33 am
Anon November 10, 2010 at 10:37 am

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

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Chris November 10, 2010 at 10:44 am

Really if some TSA agent wants to fap to fuzzy pictures of my manhood, more power too them. There’s much better porn on the internet. :) If this technology helps keep even one plane from going down, I’m okay with it.

You have the right to many things in this country provided it doesn’t infringe upon others. Blowing up my plane infringes upon my right to live.

I think they should use hooters girls as the pat down agents, I’d leave for the airport early to give extra time to opt out.

- Weekly flyer.

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iawai November 10, 2010 at 11:09 am

Chris – how do we know whether these procedures will “keep even one plane from going down”? How, with a single unchallengeable set of gov’t procedures, can we say that the procedures are worth their costs, both in the social cost taking of “fuzzy pictures” of all travelers and the economic costs of salaries, capital and time spent inspecting?

No one is arguing that individuals should be allowed to blow up or hijack planes – we are arguing that the procedures are arbitrary and capricious, ineffective and inefficient. Why are pilots and flight attendants subject to the same procedures when baggage handlers are not? Why are pilots subject to any security at all beyond that set by their employer? They are trusted thousands of times daily to not negligently fly or otherwise affirmatively decide to intentionally crash for personal or political reasons.

Further, where is the evidence that people are trying to blow up planes, and would be able to succeed in doing so? 9/11 was a tragic success for those seeking to instill terror. Since then, however, even when individuals have gotten “explosives” onto planes, they were thwarted from carrying out their plans by observant co-fliers. Certainly there are less intrusive and less costly ways to protect you from being blown up than broad and intrusive suspicionless searches on every passenger.

But when the power to enforce your rights is entrusted to (or self-assumed by) a monopolist power, there is no calculation possible and there is no real way to redress our grievances except refusing to fly, refusing to be a subject, refusing to walk into the x-ray gulag or dehumanizing grope corral.

I’m glad you’re happy with the procedures, but please realize that just because you’re okay with it doesn’t justify mandating it for all those who are not so passive and complicit in tyranny.

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anon November 10, 2010 at 1:01 pm

Clever. Clearly, you don’t have a wife or daughters.

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Martin November 10, 2010 at 11:24 am

The way I see it you guys have made a great effort to put together a nice website. I appreciate your time and resources.

1) I will not fly to the US until things have changed. I have no interest whatso ever. Over the years I have had United Gold, American Gold, US Airways Gold and Continental Silver status. I have no interest in flying in the USA anymore.

2) If I was requested to go into the body scanners, I think my initial response would be. ” No thanks. It is not worth it to me to fly today, and I plan on going back to the ticket counter for a refund.” I know this is challenging as we are all on a schedule, but I guarantee the counter booking agent would understand and you can hop on a train or rent a car and drive, or just book a later flight, and even just find another airport terminal access line.

the only way to stop this madness is hit them in the pocketbook.

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Concerned foreigner November 10, 2010 at 11:37 am

Americans, please keep fighting TSA for your liberty. This security theatre is crazy and surely must be unconstitutional.

Outside of the US, a lot of folks hoped that Obama would bring some sanity back to America, but it’s disappointing that it doesn’t appear to be happening.

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Susan November 10, 2010 at 2:47 pm

You bet he’s a disapointment, as are his predecessors.

American politicians are corrupt elitists, nothing more. If they and their families were made to live by the rules they force on us there would BE no naked body images or invasive pat-downs. Imagine the TSA doing this to the first lady or their daughters.

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kevin November 10, 2010 at 11:41 am

If you don’t wish to be searched or screened, then don’t fly. I have absolutely no problem with TSA screenings being as intrusive as they need to be to ensure – as best they can – that the other passengers on the flight don’t present a danger to me. I have nothing to hide, and you probably don’t either – but someone else might, and my primary concern is to have that person caught before boarding the plane. I’d rather be screened / groped and alive than not groped and the subject of a news story because I was killed.

Do not confuse my statement as approval for the way TSA behave. Some are wonderfully polite and helpful, but others are inexplicably and unacceptably rude, impatient and aggressive.

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Joshua November 10, 2010 at 1:27 pm

Just because you approve of being treated like a criminal without warrant does not mean that you have the right to assert that treatment onto others.

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Eric the Half A Beast November 10, 2010 at 12:03 pm

There is a question here of were the people who “flipped out, cuffed her to a chair, tore up her BP,” etc. all TSA people.

I hope the police got the checkpoint surveillance tapes to determine what actually happened.

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Paul November 10, 2010 at 1:04 pm

Here is another site that suggests taking a more economics approach to combatting this fascist intrusion…

https://stoptsascanners.blogspot.com/

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via con dios November 10, 2010 at 3:04 pm

and who is president while all of this is happening?

who?

yes!

thank you.

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