Yes, folks, we have our very own body scanner. Now if I get tagged by the TSA I have my choice of being felt up or being photographed naked for posterity.
I do not like this aspect of travel. I do not like it at all.
In fact, I will confess, these two tools have made me extremely mild mannered and well behaved when standing in a security line. I know that it’s very hard to picture me extremely mild mannered and well behaved, but believe it. These tools have served to modify my behavior unlike any I’ve ever encountered. No wit comes from my lips. My liquids are always in a quart bag. I shudder if I happen to forget I have my cell phone in my pocket and set off the alarm.
The TSA scares me more than any dark alley in Morocco. I’m not kidding. And sadly, I can’t say I feel any safer.
Yeah, if one felt safer, it might help a bit. This is just wrong.
See … from a guy’s perspective … depends on who’s doing the feeling up…..
Seriously …. I’ve been wanded and patted down by TSA … had not effect on me except irritated me that I might be late for my flight … some skippy in a shrunken uniform with barely a high school diploma is empowered!
And no … I don’t feel safer with TSA and all this hoohaa security.
I think that security should be administered while in flight … try to light your underpants on fire while flying? Fly at a lower altitude … open the door .. toss the guy out. Close the door. Continue on. Problem solved. Less expense all the way around.
I fly very little. How does the TSA determine who gets their ‘picture’ taken or their bags searched ? Is it random or do they use a set of guidelines ?
Every group does it differently – some times it’s every X number of screening. Sometimes they just say so. I admit, it has been more congenial lately than it was a year or so ago.
Cindy, I’m with you on this one. I hate flying now, the airport rigamarole is just maximally annoying. Milwaukee TSA, especially the females, is the worst I’ve come across in all the airports I’ve been in, US and Europe. The TSA people here are on a power trip. Turn off your brain, ship your luggage ahead of you, and hope for the best. The once over they give to little old ladies is not making it any safer to fly (which is already many times safer than driving across town.)
The overall attitude toward security as justifiable bullying may begin permeating our society.
Today at Health Hut as I walked directly from check-out station 2 after paying, and exited through the door, the piercing sound of the burglar alarm made me jump.
The man in charge immediately turned the alarm off allowing me to hear the loud laughter of several new employees for whose benefit he had demonstrated its use.
It was plain to see that I had been their entertainment, or unwitting guinea pig in an experiment or demonstration the man was presenting to the women.
Now, two hours later, my head and ears still hurt!
Must we get used to these “assaults”? Will they become everyday occurances in the name of security?
I went on a trip from Milwaukee to Orlando Executive Airport. Let me tell you, the TSA agents in Orlando are a lot nicer than Milwaukee’s. I was actually inspected in Orlando by one of the TSA’s new Behavioral Detection Officers, or whatever they are called. He listened in on a conversation I had with my family, then told me that I didn’t need to take off my shoes.
TSA in almost any other place beats Milwaukee. In Chicago, one of the busiest airports in the world, with huge long security lines, TSA dude was actually cordial and trying to engage passengers and made the process entertaining. He also did his job. So they can be customer friendly and security specialists. Profiling is what it’s called in Europe and it’s very effective. They don’t have to remove shoes there either, unless you are headed to the US.