fendertweed

I would probably just respond to such remarks by suggesting that he/she just "suck my a$$" as I once heard Lou Piniella suggest to an obnoxious fan ... I have no patience for that kind of unprofessional bull$h!t (and happen to have federal LE credentials).

Wimpie

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum...ad.php?t=37756

^

FriendlySkies

I'm surprised that they are performing the illegal pat-down on the pilots. Every time I've seen flight crew go through the checkpoint in DEN, they let them bypass the Nos, carry drinks through, etc..

IslandBased

Pilots joining the "rabid anti-TSA" extremists, who would have thought?

chollie

I think the whole point of the aggressive new frisk is to deflect attention from the WBIs. I think the assumption (probably correct) is that if the public outcry is loud enough (like with the earlier breast gropes), TSA will back off at least some of the aggressive groping.

Then everyone will feel relieved, content in the belief that only someone who has something to hide will actually get groped. Folks will be so relieved to go through the WBI without an accompanying grope and bag search that they will forget about the WBI itself.

Meanwhile, TSA will have succeeded in 1) gaining public 'acceptance' of the WBI and 2) 'acceptance' of their right to grope aggressively on a retaliatory, sorry, random selective basis.

Sadly, only some of the pilots seem concerned about privacy or health issues.

Some of them seem to think the WBI and aggressive groping is fine, as long as they personally don't have to go through it. I wonder if their spouses, children, parents are equally on board with being WBI'd and groped.

I get the point about pilots being screened at all, since they obviously can bring a plane down without outside aids. (Although I wonder...how easy would it be for one pilot to take control of the plane if the other pilot was trying to prevent it?)

I don't quite get why the FAs think they, too, should be exempt from rigorous screening, since as far as I know, an FA isn't generally in a position to take the plane down.

DevilDog438

From past anecdotal news articles and posts here on FT, the US has threatened other countries with refusal of landing/airborne transit privileges if they don't voluntarily meet the DHS security standards. I would guess that arm-twisting is still in play for the surrender monkey countries that have followed the travesty of security theater that DHS/TSA imposes on US-originating flights.

exbayern

I think that the worst example is the US 'requesting' that Canada provide passenger information for flights flying over the US with no intent of landing. Thus passengers who choose not to visit the US are still subject to having their personal information forwarded to the US.

Since the majority of flights from the US to Asia or Europe cross Canadian airspace I do hope that Canada makes the same 'request' in return.

And then there are the WBIs installed at non-US airports at the 'request' of the US...

andymo99

Here is a report from the battlefield...

I flew out of BOS Terminal A this past Monday morning. As per usual, I refused the nude x-ray machine. I do so not because of privacy or health concerns, but because the nude machines require that you don't see your carryon bags for too long a time for my comfort.

I've gone through the "opt out" patdown many times before. When I went through on Monday, I had not heard any news of the "enhanced" patdown. In fact, the first I learned of it was tonight.

That said, the patdown that I endured on Monday was so drastically different from all the prior ones that I took a comment card and filled it out (returning it when I got back to BOS Terminal A yesterday). My comments on the card roughly went like this:



Above is not verbatim, as I turned in my card yesterday with no idea that this discussion existed. However, I can say with certainty that "cupping of testes" appeared as written.

I have not received a reply yet, but I gave my email and phone number and made clear that one was expected.

Now that I read this, I will be much better prepared for the patdown. I am going to insist that the Officer explicitly acknowledge that he will be touching my twig and berries before he proceeds.


***Further interesting thought: It might be really fun and interesting to stimulate oneself to a markedly aroused state (in the bathroom) immediately before going through the screening. Once adequately excited, shove all the junk back in there and then see what the TSO finds when he does his thorough search.***

I'm flying out of BOS tomorrow (Earl permitting), but from Terminal E. Not sure if they have the nude machines. If so, could be interesting.

VegasCableGuy

Please post if they respond. I did not receive any response to my questions regarding undesired/unexpected TSO contact with my genitals; message was sent to TalkToTSA on Aug 15. I emailed the FSD of the airport in question yesterday (not BOS); still no acknowledgment.

andymo99

Will do.

A prior time when I submitted a comment card at BOS, I did indeed receive a reply.

andymo99

One further thought on the patdown...

As a male, can I insist that a female officer perform my patdown? That would make me more comfortable. Whenever I get a massage, it is from a woman. My primary care physician is a woman. Doesn't it stand to reason that I'd prefer a woman TSO patting me down?

I am sure this has been discussed here among those of you who are much more rabid about this stuff than I am.


One further thought to the same idea... what if I claim to "identify" as a woman. I think this is called "transgender," no? Anyhow, this is completely fabricated, but who are they to deny my claim if I say that I identify as a woman and prefer a same-sex patdown? [In a similar vein, I was once in the men's clothing-optional spa in a Vegas hotel, and there was a full-on woman in the sauna, though she was wearing a robe the whole time. It was really weird because her appearance was 100% woman, but I guess she claimed to identify otherwise because there she was!]

exbayern

There is an active thread on this subject which PTravel started earlier this week. In the US it is same gender for pat downs.

andymo99

I understand. It is just that, these days, defining gender is really not straightforward. Many institutions leave it up to the individual to define what gender they are.

RadioGirl

I am not a lawyer (that's the second time today), but I believe that while the US may influence (threaten/bribe/etc) other countries to follow these procedures, your rights as a passenger are still determined by the individual country in question. (By analogy for example, if a US citizen is arrested overseas, they don't necessarily have the same rights that they would have if they were arrested in the US.)

In the US, the TSA are "required" to post signs about the nude-o-scope, "required" to allow you to opt out, required to have the perve in the backroom, etc. Other countries could, if they chose, have no warning about the nude-o-scope*, not allow people to opt out**, or have a 100" monitor on the wall showing your nude-o-scope image to all the other passengers waiting in line***.

* Of course, it appears many US airports conveniently forget to have the signs, too.
** I'm looking at you, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
*** While this would be humiliating for the first two or three people through the line, it would increase the opt-out rate substantially!

Global_Hi_Flyer

Each time I am subject to this kind of sexual assault - and it is assault - I file a complaint with my elected representatives. Each time.