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My Personal “Pat-Down” Experience
AIPNews.com ^ | November 28, 2010 | Kristia Cavere

Posted on 11/28/2010 8:15:40 PM PST by EternalVigilance

The images on television of children, the elderly, and other individuals who pose zero threat to our aviation security experiencing “pat-downs” by TSA officials at airports is disturbing. This issue became personal to me as I was forced into a pat-down and threatened that I would never get through security until I complied, and I now believe that these demeaning acts are unconstitutional.

At O’Hare airport, returning to the east coast after the Thanksgiving holiday, I purposefully stood in the long line for regular metal detectors rather than the much shorter line of those willing to go through the full-body scanners (which show graphic nude pictures including all private parts). These full-body scanners are an illusion of security, which squanders our time, money, and civil liberties. They do not detect explosives or plastic, only metal, which makes them a very expensive metal detector.

I had read Dr. Jane Orient’s, Executive Director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, latest article, “The Medical Problems of Airport Screening.” She wrote, “The radiation dose is likely the least of the problems with airport screening,” as the airport full-body scanners use low-energy backscatter technology. This kind of scanner is effective for detecting explosives in cargo, but because this radiation doesn’t penetrate far it concentrates in the skin. This effect has not been properly studied, and Dr. Orient warns, “If you had a deadly disease, and the scanner were an FDA-regulated device that might save your life, your doctor wouldn’t be allowed to use it, because of inadequate study.”

I was also aware of the letter written to [Alleged] President Obama by University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) experts in biochemisty, biophysics, imaging, and oncology who warned of “the potential serious health risks” of the whole body scanners at airports. The scientists wrote that “real independent safety data do not exist” on the high doses that the scanners deposit into the skin.

As I was waiting on line and thinking of the many reasons why I would decline to go through a full-body scanner, a TSA official approached me and told me that I had been “randomly selected” for a pat-down. My family next to me was horrified, and the surrounding passengers were dumbfounded. I refused, and strongly pointed out that I was not opting out of the body scanner but that I was on line for the usual metal detector.

My protests were to no avail, and the TSA official grabbed my arms and forced me to walk unto a small carpet where the pat-downs were done. Threats of a lawsuit were ignored as a TSA officer began patting-down my arms and back, and then used their hands over and under my breasts. The most demeaning aspect of this intrusive experience was the pat-down of my groin and buttocks, in which the TSA officer moved their palms up my thigh, warning me that I would feel “tension” as their hands pressed upward against my crotch area.

America is moving toward a police state, under the guise of eliminating the risk of terrorism. But this false feeling of security is resulting in state-sponsored sexual harassment, and is clearly violating the Fourth Amendment’s restriction of “unreasonable searches and seizures.”

Israel has equal, if not more, security threats than America does at airports. Rafi Sela, former chief security officer of the Israel Airport Authority and with more than thirty years of experience, recently stated that body scanning machines are “useless,” which is why they are not in Israeli airports. Mr. Sela advocates the two security systems that are used in the airports in Israel: behavior profiling rather than “randomly selected” searches. And a “trusted traveler” system where pre-approved low-risk passengers go through an expedited process, and passengers with more risk are exposed to more security screenings.

When the September 11th Islamofascist terrorists used box-cutters, sharp objects were banned from carry-on luggage. When a terrorist attempted to use explosives in his sneakers, all passengers had to put their shoes through screening. When terrorists inserted explosives in printer cartridges, ink cartridges were banned. When another Islamofascist terrorist hid explosives in his underwear last December, the use of nude body scanners sharply increased. Last year in Saudi Arabia, a terrorist used their anal cavity for a bomb (albeit, not at an airport). Are body cavity searches next?

Incompetent left leaning politicians and bureaucrats are creating safety profiles to protect themselves from potential lawsuits and the politically correct press, but they are doing little to actually increase our safety. Profiling is done to eliminate crime, but the largest threat to people flying in airplanes, terrorism, is not subject to profiling at airports despite the decades of success such measures have had in countries such as Israel.

At the Dwight Eisenhower Presidential Museum, in the final room marking his legacy and leadership in war and peace, is a quote from Ike: “If all that Americans want is security, they can go to prison.” Americans have always valued freedom above all things. But a randomly generated invasive safety procedure, without concrete evidence that such procedures are correlated to positive safety results, become nothing more than harassment of American citizenry and an infringement upon our personal freedom.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial
KEYWORDS: 4thamendment; bloggers; cavere; fourthamendment; patdown; pimpmyblog; tsa; tsapervs
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1 posted on 11/28/2010 8:15:44 PM PST by EternalVigilance
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To: EternalVigilance
..a TSA official approached me and told me that I had been “randomly selected” for a pat-down.

Random my a**. The pervs at TSA saw a young, slim, good looking blond, and wanted to cop a feel.

2 posted on 11/28/2010 8:23:06 PM PST by mnehring
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To: EternalVigilance
Israel has equal, if not more, security threats than America does at airports. Rafi Sela, former chief security officer of the Israel Airport Authority and with more than thirty years of experience, recently stated that body scanning machines are “useless,” which is why they are not in Israeli airports. Mr. Sela advocates the two security systems that are used in the airports in Israel: behavior profiling rather than “randomly selected” searches. And a “trusted traveler” system where pre-approved low-risk passengers go through an expedited process, and passengers with more risk are exposed to more security screenings.

I have stood in line for 3 hours to get through El Al's security. I'll give you one guess at El Al's trusted list. Hope for and you may get.....

3 posted on 11/28/2010 8:23:15 PM PST by ScreamingFist
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To: EternalVigilance
politicians and bureaucrats are creating safety profiles to protect themselves from potential lawsuits...

You can't sue the federal government unless they allow you to by sovereign immunity. They just want to bully and intimidate.
4 posted on 11/28/2010 8:26:40 PM PST by SpaceBar
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To: EternalVigilance

Control the movement of a population, and you have put handcuffs on freedom. Food is the next target with the bill currently before the lame duck Congress. Take away personal property and the right to earn income and another freedom disappears. Yikes.
Traveling in January. Not going through enhanced screener because they’ll demand frisk anyway. May end up needing legal counsel.


5 posted on 11/28/2010 8:26:58 PM PST by pacpam (action=consequence and applies in all cases - friend of victory)
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To: EternalVigilance

I’ll give you one other clue, American contractors having to call in country contractors, to pass security checks to go BACK to Israel. For some reason no one on FR mentions that Israel is a socialist Jewish State.


6 posted on 11/28/2010 8:28:57 PM PST by ScreamingFist
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To: ScreamingFist

Well, it looks like you just did.


7 posted on 11/28/2010 8:30:06 PM PST by EternalVigilance (There is nothing that Communists do better than winning in a morally relativistic universe.)
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To: ScreamingFist

I’ve seen this lie before, Israel is not Socialist, it is a free market capitalist state.


8 posted on 11/28/2010 8:30:22 PM PST by mnehring
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To: ScreamingFist

I got through very quickly. Even with my big heavy backpack. But I wasn’t on their “trusted” list, at least not the way I think you mean it. I just passed their behavioral profile.


9 posted on 11/28/2010 8:32:50 PM PST by Springfield Reformer (Winston Churchill: No Peace Till Victory!)
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To: mnehring
I’ve seen this lie before, Israel is not Socialist, it is a free market capitalist state.

Yea, and Kibbutz don't exist either....

10 posted on 11/28/2010 8:33:09 PM PST by ScreamingFist
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My Personal Pat Boone Experience

11 posted on 11/28/2010 8:35:17 PM PST by woofie
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To: pacpam

This is a good time to be a gun owner. stock up on shells. stock up on food. make sure you keep your gas tank is near full as much as possible.

drive if possible. pay with cash while it is still worth something.


12 posted on 11/28/2010 8:36:37 PM PST by se_ohio_young_conservative (Palin or 3rd party... no exceptions !)
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To: ScreamingFist
The labor zionist party hasn't had power in decades and Matzpen has always been a extreme minority. Kibbutz is a freely chosen community similar to Catholic monastics- it is not a government required through undue collectivism. These are private communities.

There is a key difference between private groups who freely choose to live in such communal situations and public policy requiring everyone to be as such.

13 posted on 11/28/2010 8:38:54 PM PST by mnehring
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To: EternalVigilance

“America is moving toward a police state”

We have been here for about 10 years. Go to any small town in America where they are desperate for dollars. Small town cops have become revenue generators who they prey upon the public for cash.

To Protect and Serve has become To Harass and Ticket.


14 posted on 11/28/2010 8:38:59 PM PST by alice_in_bubbaland (DeMint/Ryan 2012!!!!!)
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To: ScreamingFist
I have stood in line for 3 hours to get through El Al's security.

I have never been on el Al but it seems to me that they would have to run a somewhat different operation at foreign airports than they do in Israel.

15 posted on 11/28/2010 8:41:01 PM PST by wideminded
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To: alice_in_bubbaland

btt


16 posted on 11/28/2010 8:45:20 PM PST by Ciexyz
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To: mnehring

“There is a key difference between private groups who freely choose to live in such communal situations and public policy requiring everyone to be as such.”

I lived in Israel my friend. When they leave the commie farms, they still expect the state to take care of them......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibbutz


17 posted on 11/28/2010 8:46:49 PM PST by ScreamingFist
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To: mnehring
You could be right.

The author, from her web page:

Does the TSA really think this woman, traveling with her family, could be a terrorist?

What a waste of resources.

18 posted on 11/28/2010 8:58:20 PM PST by BigBobber
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To: EternalVigilance
Threats of a lawsuit were ignored as a TSA officer began patting-down my arms and back, and then used their hands over and under my breasts.

I hope she makes good on her threat.

19 posted on 11/28/2010 9:01:54 PM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: EternalVigilance

Good defense of the Bill of Rights. A small question: where was this person from 2001 to 2009 when all too many conservatives were rationalizing violations of civil liberty with such catch-phrases as “The Constitution is not a suicide pact” and “eveything changed on 9-11?” Those who uphold the Bill of Rights now were largely MIA when Bush was in power. A rare exception is Ron Paul who voted against creation of the TSA when many conservatives were hysterical.


20 posted on 11/28/2010 9:03:56 PM PST by Captain Kirk (Q)
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