<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by GradGirl:
... Each time I pass a checkpoint I feel ashamed to be an American; I feel angry and violated beyond belief; I want to vomit on the T-SS-A agents who have somehow been deputized to touch all of my belongings and all of my body. We are treated like criminals when we fly, but how can we avoid being sheep? ...</font>
Why such strong reaction? I would agree that current security measures probably won't trap the real criminals or terrorists; however, as a regular traveler, what we submit to inside the U.S. is still nothing much compared to what foreign airport security checks. Sure, I know I'm not a terrorist, but I don't know if someone else on my flight is; so it's better safe than sorry.
Aside from not locking the bags due to potential theft, I travel with easy-off shoes which are more comfortable for the flights anyway. I also think we need to have tighter security around train stations even if it's difficult to implement.