I really do try to be polite to people, and that includes TSOs. I'm sure many of them don't like this job, and let's be charitable, maybe some of them are starting on the mental work of morality, and considering whether they really can go on. I also completely agree with the Nuremberg assessment - sooner or later, there is moral culpability involved.

Nonetheless, for TSOs who feel harassed and abused, I have this suggestion. Be polite and respectful to us, and we'll be polite and respectful back. As I think Chollie (??) suggested elsewhere, even just saying, "I know this isn't fun, and I don't like it any more than you. I'm sorry that it has to be done, but I'll try to make it quick, ok?" would go a long ways. I have doctors that do procedures on me that make me suck in my breath, or even cry out a little in pain or discomfort, and they all respond with, "I know, I'm sorry." I think we'd all get along better if passengers were allowed to ask questions without being interrupted, if we were able to request to stay in view of our belongings or for the TSO to put on clean gloves without being met with rudeness, if we were allowed to opt-out without being mocked. What it comes down to, discussions of Nuremberg aside, is that if TSOs could be reliably counted on to act like professionals (which includes consistency across various airports), I think they would find passengers much more pleasant and compliant.

In other words, if you want to claim that TSOs are professionals, they need to actually act like professionals. This is going to involve training, extensive supervision, and "sure and certain punishment" up to and including termination for agents who mistreat passengers. The average encounter with the average TSO is not (I don't believe) anything approaching what would be termed "professional" in any other field. Fix that, supervisors (clear on up to Sec. Napolitano), and you will fix a lot of the morale issues among your employees.

And look - I worked at Starbucks for 3 years and heard plenty of rude comments directed at me, my coworkers, and my company, and that's without my ever having touched anybody's crotch. Just sayin'.