Posted on 06/18/2008 4:13:02 AM PDT by CWWren
It's been at least five years since I've flown commercial, and for good reason: I don't wish to be arrested for questioning actions by often arrogant, rude Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers.
Two years ago, my decision was reinforced by my daughter's experience when going through airport security with her two lovebirds. Having shown her ticket and ID to security personnel, and walking toward the metal detector, they started shouting to her, "Miss, you're going to have to take them birds out of the cage." I watched with incredulity as she approached the metal detectors. Fortunately, a TSA worker took the cages and my daughter followed without further incident. Had it been I traveling with the birds, I might have told the TSA workers something that would have gotten me arrested.
James Bovard has an article titled "Federal Attitude Policy" that appears in Freedom Daily (June 2008), a publication of the Fairfax, Va.-based Future of Freedom Foundation. According to the February 2002 Federal Register, people can be arrested if they act in a way that "might distract or inhibit a screener from effectively performing his or her duties … A screener encountering such a situation must turn away from his or her normal duties to deal with the disruptive individual, which may affect the screening of other individuals."
That means it is a federal offense, and a fine of up to $1,500, for any alleged "nonphysical interference" that makes a TSA screener "turn away" from whatever he was doing.
What's nonphysical interference is solely up to the discretion of a TSA screener since it isn't defined in the regulations. TSA agents can levy fines for a passenger disagreeing with the behavior or arrogance of a screener. The TSA has made little effort to control screener behavior.
Bovard reports that in March 2004, airline passengers filed almost 3,000 formal complaints with the federal government over the conduct of TSA screeners. Hundreds have complained about the rudeness of TSA screeners. And yet, none of these passenger complaints resulted in disciplinary measures. In fact, passengers filed four times more complaints against the TSA than against airlines.
But it's going to get worse. The TSA aims to have 500 "behavior detection officers" (BDOs) in airports by the end of this year. The job of the BDOs will be that of examining passengers for "body language and facial cues … for signs of bad intentions." They look for what the experts call "micro-expressions." Fear and disgust are the key ones, he said, because they're associated with deception. That would make me a prime candidate for scrutiny and possibly trouble because if I ever had to go through airport security procedures, I would have those "micro-expressions" of disgust and fear of arrest.
McClatchy Newspapers reported in an article, "New airport agents check for danger in fliers' facial expressions," (August 2007) that Jay Cohen, undersecretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology, "wants to automate passenger screening by using videocams and computers to measure and analyze heart rate, respiration, body temperature and verbal responses as well as facial micro-expressions."
Someone who wishes to hijack or destroy a plane will spend considerable time and effort to get around the TSA's attitude-detecting policies. The bulk of the people hassled by these and other TSA procedures are law-abiding Americans who have no malicious intentions, along with a few people traveling with drugs and other contraband. The TSA routinely confiscates about 15,000 items a day from passengers, in addition to the hassle, rudeness and arrogance. With these kind of costs imposed on the traveling public, I'd like TSA to give an account of themselves, namely just how many hijackings or bombings they have prevented, along with the evidence. Americans have been far too compliant and that has given the TSA carte blanche to treat travelers any way they wish. I'm staying away. TSA has its rules and Williams has his, and one of mine is to avoid tyrants and idiots.
Ridiculous!
Profile!
So...is Williams suggesting we drop security at airports altogether?
ML/NJ
U.S. airlines carry on average about 50 million domestic passengers in a given month. So using Williams' figures, about .006% result in a complaint and 99.994% do not. That isn't a bad performance.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is starting to equip its 48,000 screeners with 3-inch-by-2-inch, silver-colored, copper and zinc badges that will be worn on new royal-blue police-style shirts. The attire aims to convey an image of authority to passengers, who have harassed, pushed and in a few instances punched screeners. "Some of our officers aren't respected," TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe said.
I went through several airports in the last few weeks. What a circus!! You never can outguess them. The best thing is to act like timid sheep and don’t do anything unless you are told to do so. Take off your shoes (even if they’re flip-flops), no liquids over three ounces (a rolled up tube of toothpaste that USED to hold nine ounces is discarded). Take out the quart size ziplock baggie containing liquids (like aftershave) and it is separate from the luggage in the x-ray tub OR they will dismember your luggage like a banshee. Don’t take your wallet out of your pocket (because the person in front of you had to show ID) unless you are told to do so. There is so much more but . . . alas.
Sorry.
I travel frequently and find that TSA differs depending on the airport. In New Hampshire and even Boston I generally find friendly TSA agents. In Orlando they’re pretty good too but so many people pass through there on their way to the American-Mecca, Disney that the agents are often tired and overworked. However, in Philadelphia, I almost always find nasty jack-booted fascists.
911 would not have happened if profiling were permitted. Similarily, much drug smuggling would decrease if profiling were permitted.
What is so threatening to our liberty by allowing officers of law to ask for ID. Look at the hoops one must o through to get a loan. How about an IRS compliancve audit.
If Big Govt. could run a business better than private industry, Fedex & UPS wouldn't exist.
And who will be doing the profiling? The same TSA agents you and Williams hold in such contempt?
Fly much?
Everytime I fly I get hassled.
I have an artificial knee and immediately show the 'screeners' my medical details and they tell me to move to another area for special attention.
Fifteen minutes later they come and extensively wand my entire body. When they are finished and I move to retrieve my x-rayed bag they shout at me to "Get back on the other side of the yellow line.."
My 90-year-old uncle is pulled aside for special attention. He is groped between the legs by a female screener. He requests a male perform such intimate gropings and is asked by the gum-chewing moron "Do you have a problem with this? Do you want to speak to my supervisor?"
The reason the number of complaints seem miniscule is that many of those who are insulted and invaded by these low-IQ bozos are in a hurry to get where they're going.
There are many more personally observed instances, but perhaps I should include them in a book.
What a whiner Mr. Williams. Who cares if you never enter an airport..Ride a bicycle, drive a car, buy a horse, use a canoe.who cares........
My wife and I and another couple had to go from Columbus, OH to Atlanta, GA this past weekend. It took ten hours to drive including fuel/food/potty stops. $200.00 in fuel at $4.00/gallon for the round trip. Another couple flew the same route. It took 8 hours door to door and $630.00.
Driving is my way to go. Take as much or as little luggage as you want and it never gets lost. Leave when you want and you have your car when you get there.
We have the ability to know about potential terrorists before they get to the airport.
Wasting the time of citizens in the name of political correctness is so ridiculous that it defies all logic.
These 58,000 or so federal employees, whose collective IQ wouldn't approach room temperature, could try to find a job in this convoluted job market. Many would wind up flipping burgers, but my observations have been that that's what they're most qualified to do.
The terrorist who is planning to pass through to glory and 72 virgins in paradise is extremely calm. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing and that in a short while he will receive his reward. This sort of thing will pass the ridiculous “body language and facial cues” test because, in his mind, his intentions are noble.
Instead, the weary traveler who has just put up with delays, missed connections, lost baggage, standing in line for hours while needing to use the rest room, is the one who will fail the ridiculous tests.
Good grief. Flying with two lovebirds???????????????
Since Dr. Williams has a brain, he can read.
It wasn't very long ago that a screener shoved her hands against the breasts of a 58-year-old female passenger roughly handling her looking for a bomb in her boobs, no doubt.
The passenger grew incensed by this and performed the same inspection on the screener stating "How do you like this when someone does this to you?"
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