GaryD

Hear, hear!

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewr...es/114134.html

Paul56

TSA also states that a CPAP unit must be removed from the bag.

Last time I flew I left my CPAP in the bag both times through 2
different checkpoints... nothing happened. Perhaps they did not
recognize the unit as a CPAP under the x-ray.

I suppose I should bring my laptop and leave it in the bag as well
and bring a frozen bottle of water... when they claim I'm not allowed
the liquid I will say what liquid? ...the contents of this bottle is a solid.

GaryD

What is a CPAP unit?

I suppose it's controversial to deliberately slow down the checkpoint line, and also controversial to encourage others to do that.

So be it.

lovely15

I'm curious as to the ramifications of leaving it in your bag beyond slowing the line down. Won't people doing this be accused of "interfering with the screening process" and disorderly conduct?

Often1

It's not controversial at all. It's both juvenile and unconscionable. Adults consider the consequences of their actions and why they do what they do.

When a pax slows down a checkpoint line, the only people who lose are fellow pax. They are delayed, maybe miss flights, important meetings, saying goodnight to their kids and so on.

Officers are paid by the hour. Whether they process 1 or 1,000 pax in that shift doesn't affect their compensation one bit. And, Officers aren't TSA. TSA as an organization also isn't affected. Sure, people scream at them, but the answer becomes that they've got a system in place to move the line and pax are jamming it.

This doesn't send a message other than that there are people out there who ought to be "fired" by their air carriers for the benefit of other customers.

Paul56

It was not my intention, nor ever my intention, to deliberately cause
problems;however, on that occasion I simply forgot to remove it from
my carry-on.

CPAP - Continuous Postive Airway Pressure, it is a small machine that
people with sleep apnea use to sleep at night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continu...irway_pressure

The regulations at the TSA site are that the unit should be removed
from the bag for inspection.

I have read with some interest the difficulties others have encountered
at these checkpoints and have to say... some of those difficulties appear
to be self-initiated. It is similar to passing through customs... give them
grief and you can expect some push-back on that and perhaps be labeled
a troublemaker while landing on a list somewhere.

GaryD

So you would disagree with David Burns:

I tend to think, such acts will result, in the medium term, in some "improvements" in the system.

As for the concerns about "interfering with the screening process" or "disorderly conduct," the idea is, apparently, to make the proving of "intent" difficult.

Might seem to be "juvenile" and "unconscionable," but not when larger issues are considered, I suggest.

Just as a frog will jump out of boiling water, but will slowly simmer to death when the water is slowly heated, it may be appropriate now to take some more drastic action.

I do think it is nauseating to take every effort to speed up the screening process by compulsively and closely adhering to each of its rules, no matter how absurd. I don't go as far towards the other extreme as David Burns does, but I like his style.

nachtnebel

What is unconscionable is TSA clerks viewing passengers naked (yes, there are still hundreds of backscatters with perv booths still in operation to this day) and feeling and/or rubbing of passenger sex organs and buttocks, with the extent and force of these feeling and rubbing activities entirely up to the clerk, with no redress possible. All for no reason including random checks. That is unconscionable..

Such actions as the laptop gambit, if successful, would again put an unwelcome spotlight on the TSA. The fact that you get paid by the hour is completely irrelevant. As to inconveniences resulting therefrom, well, if it results in forcing some human decency out of the TSA and some sort of respect for the bill of rights, it's justified.

The concern for people's welfare here is hypocritical, IMO, where you want folks to get to destinations on time, but yet subject these people to genital gropes. The concern for passengers sure seems less than sincere.

UshuaiaHammerfest

As much as I'd love to think that there's some passive resistance technique that will open the collective eyes of the country and energize every American to march on the Capitol and shout "Down With TSA!" while alternately singing "We shall overcome" and "Kumbaya," sadly, this isn't going to do it. Most of the country -- and passengers -- just aren't paying attention enough to notice the occasional gumming up of the line from someone failing to remove their laptop and then tie it back to TSA's silly rules. The fraction of people that choose to do this will be seen as the problem... not TSA.

I predict this will be as successful as National Opt Out Day.

nachtnebel

it's just one layer of the "resistance". there will be no one single solution. as many pressure points as possible...

lovely15

Darn. Boo hoo, too freaking bad. Zero sympathy for people who don't have any appreciation for the sacrifices of people who fought for our freedom.

Yep. It has to start somewhere.

GaryD

This would be different. You don't have to call attention to yourself. Just "forget" about the rule. Oopsie!

You would not "be seen" as "choosing to do this."

You will have expressed your resistance, at the Obedience Conditioning Station itself.

Let them strictly enforce their asinine rule, or remove it. Can be applied to all sorts of asinine rules. Freedom of expression. Even if you want to keep the fact of that "expression" to yourself, for expedience's sake.

Caradoc

Hey, if it gets the TSA to radically change their process for a day - like they did for the "Opt Out Day" so they could fudge their numbers - I'd count it as a win.

Often1

+1 - It will be even less "successful" than NOD! As soon as TSA realizes what's up, all they need to do is kick those who can't get their laptops out of their bag, out of the line and let them recycle from the beginning. Won't delay the other pax and them what enjoy standing in lines can get their wish.

WillCAD

But I thought TSA doesn't ever retaliate against those who are seen to be making trouble? Kicking them out of line instead of simply continuing their screening with the laptop removed certainly seems to be retaliatory to me.