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Old Apr 24, 2015, 7:45 am
  #61  
 
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Originally Posted by NewportGuy
You have NO option but to be subjected to the incompetence of the TSA.
Of course you have a choice: Don't travel. Walk. Drive. Coach. Train.

It's interesting about life choices and attitides to risk. After 9/11, many Americans stopped flying domestically and drive instead. While not a single person lost their life to a terrorist related incident on an aircraft, an additional 1,600 lost their lives in traffic accidents through their choice to drive rather than fly.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 8:03 am
  #62  
 
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Originally Posted by HarryHolden68
Of course you have a choice: Don't travel. Walk. Drive. Coach. Train.
You can't walk, drive, coach or train to most countries.

The only two countries I've been in where security is a joke are the UK and America. And I live in one of them.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 8:06 am
  #63  
 
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"Just doing their job" is a not an excuse

Originally Posted by Schmurrr
I support KDS's decision to not accept the status quo.
+1
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 8:07 am
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Originally Posted by HarryHolden68
Of course you have a choice: Don't travel. Walk. Drive. Coach. Train.

It's interesting about life choices and attitides to risk. After 9/11, many Americans stopped flying domestically and drive instead. While not a single person lost their life to a terrorist related incident on an aircraft, an additional 1,600 lost their lives in traffic accidents through their choice to drive rather than fly.
Many did so because they feared flying. But many of these people chose the riskier option because they believed what TSA was doing to be _______ (insert your own word). It's interesting to me that these people chose a riskier option because they felt their freedom was being infringed.

You seem to have a "anything for security" and an "if you don't like it, don't do ___" outlook. I'm curious, is there anything the TSA could do that crosses YOUR Constitutionally-not-acceptable line? Do you even have a line?

If the federal government imposed a "NOS with a groping secondary" requirement for every possible means of crossing state lines, would you be OK with that? Why or why not?
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 8:09 am
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Originally Posted by WillCAD
Well, I do frequent the TS&S forum, so let me explain it to you: OP acted like a jerk.

...

I despise TSA as an organization. But no matter how disgusted I am with TSA and any individual TSO, I like to keep one thought firmly in mind whenever I deal with them:

I am BETTER than they are.

But I am only better, I am only a superior person ethically and morally, when I act better than they act, which means I am never abusive, condescending, confrontational, or insulting. I treat TSOs with far more respect than they deserve, because to do any less would make me just like them.

And I despise them.
You may despise them, but you hide it because I would suggest you are afraid of the risk of confrontation.

OP was not, IMHO, abusive or insulting. He was simply pointing out the lunacy in a polite way, and when provided with canned responses, he replied in a way that made it clear he wasn't accepting said canned responses.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 8:12 am
  #66  
 
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Originally Posted by nmh1204
You can't walk, drive, coach or train to most countries.

The only two countries I've been in where security is a joke are the UK and America. And I live in one of them.
Sorry. I forgot sail or swim.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 8:18 am
  #67  
 
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Originally Posted by nmh1204
You can't walk, drive, coach or train to most countries.
Literally, probably not from the country one happens to be in, especially not to countries that happen to be islands. But yes, almost all countries can be entered by walking or driving and by coach or by train.

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Old Apr 24, 2015, 8:24 am
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Originally Posted by ScatterX
You seem to have a "anything for security" and an "if you don't like it, don't do ___" outlook. I'm curious, is there anything the TSA could do that crosses YOUR Constitutionally-not-acceptable line? Do you even have a line?

If the federal government imposed a "NOS with a groping secondary" requirement for every possible means of crossing state lines, would you be OK with that? Why or why not?
For me, security is a chore. It is something I have to do and cannot avoid. All I can do is choose the way I respond to the agents actions. I can either get angry or I can just get on with it. I figure the path of least resistance is the best and gets me into the lounge faster. This may explain why I am never abused or groped.

Seeing people going in, all wound up and looking for an argument makes me smile too. I have never seen anyone win an argument in security. I have seen the occasional person walk away with a smug grin after acting all high and mighty.

But they still have the same net result as me, just with elevated stress levels. Arguing with the agents is not going to change anything on the ground, apart from making your own, and the life of those behind you, less pleasant. Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may struggle to tell the difference.

And is there anything that I would feel crosses the line? No, not with all those cameras around. Let them have their fun if that is what they want, because it makes zero difference to the way I enjoy my life.

Last edited by HarryHolden68; Apr 24, 2015 at 8:46 am
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 8:32 am
  #69  
 
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Originally Posted by Section 107
Literally, probably not from the country one happens to be in, especially not to countries that happen to be islands. But yes, almost all countries can be entered by walking or driving and by coach or by train.

I meant from America, which is what the person I quoted was on about.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 8:41 am
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Just discovered this thread.....The OP sounds like a really unpleasant character, I pity everyone that has to deal with him.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 8:43 am
  #71  
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Originally Posted by Carl Johnson
I have my point of focus, OP has his. OP's, I think, is weighted more strongly toward the idea that the TSA is a total waste (which it is) and everything they do is an intrusion (which it is).

Well, we have here people calling the OP "childish" and a "brat," and using other content-free words to disparage him. And we have in this relatively short thread had "do you want there to be no security at all?"
In a way, that's part of the problem: the OP's behavior was so "content-free" in and of itself, I don't even know what his actual policy position is on airport security. Does he want there to be none? Does he want there to be a little? There's no constructive civil disobedience here: it's just a temper tantrum. The TSA won't see the behavior as a protest against some sort of misconduct on their part: they just see it as another jerk being a jerk for no purpose.

Try using words with meaning, rather than "childish" (which says nothing about what is being talked about, only about your feelings), to explain to the OP what's wrong with his views and actions.
His actions are immature. I can only guess at his views, and I might even agree with some of them when it comes to airport security. But that's beside the point; the behavior is so embarrassing that any conversation about views is lost. There's no credibility there.

Originally Posted by jtodd
That's how you interpret it, fine. But you're looking at the small picture, just a small symptom of the bigger problem. The root cause of these feelings that the OP has towards the TSA, is due to the TSA and how they behave and perform.
So connect the dots for me. How does bullying some random TSA agent at a checkpoint area change the "big picture" to the benefit of us travelers? How does that impact their behavior or performance in the general direction of...whatever it is that you guys seek?

Originally Posted by NewportGuy
The TSA continues to offend and violate rights basically because of the attitude of so many like the posters here. So what, what can we do about it, blahblahblah. So the OP did apparently the only thing left to do, since so many people are willing to accept this disgrace of a government agency. He let them know what so many agree with but are afraid to speak out about. We don't respect them even a little bit.
I fundamentally disagree that checkpoint-area d-baggery is the "only thing left to do".

Originally Posted by petaluma1
Had all of us stood up to the TSA, especially in November of 2010, we could have put an end to the theater of the absurd called "security." Instead, most just put their tails between their legs, looked down and marched through the gauntlet of scans and gropes.

I applaud anyone who stands up to the TSA in any way whatsoever.
What was I supposed to do in November 2010 that would have caused Congress to disband the TSA? Vote for Democrats? Vote for even more Republicans than we did?

Originally Posted by Psychocadet
You sound like a typical maladjusted teenager. Which is ok if you are, we were all teenagers at some point in our lives. But a few years from now if you've matured normally, you'll look back at this post and cringe.
+1.

The irony is that this particular tantrum was over the least-invasive and least-controversial of random security checks - the little bag-swab thing that takes 5 seconds and doesn't entail any groping or (real or perceived) loss of privacy.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 9:31 am
  #72  
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Originally Posted by HarryHolden68
Oh that's right. Revolution. Works every time doesn't it. Even better if good old Uncle Sam can kick it off.

To retort...
Well, for a start the Middle East would be a far more stable place.
There wouldn't be a bunch of people running amok beheading innocent people.

Has it ever occured to anyone that if you demonstrated one iota of respect to the poor TSA agents, they may just replicate that? I think the TSA folk are great - never had a problem. But then I take time to talk to them like they are human beings. Ascede to their resonable requests and thank them for their time. You should try it - they are nice people.

They are doing an impossible job. Dammed if they do. Dammed if they don't. You should remember that and if you think you can do better, put your money where your opinions are!
TSA started out with a blank scorecard at a time when people seem to be wanting more security.

It's not the people that screwed up TSA's reputation but TSA and its employees.

Not my responsibility to fix TSA's problems.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 9:37 am
  #73  
 
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Originally Posted by Granitebox
Hassling folks doing their job is just bullying - pure and simple. Life's too short.
I suggest you fly over to Germany and tell all of those busy bodies to leave that poor guard alone, because he was just "doing his job". ^
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 9:42 am
  #74  
 
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Originally Posted by pinniped
In a way, that's part of the problem: the OP's behavior was so "content-free" in and of itself, I don't even know what his actual policy position is on airport security.
Well, then, why don't you ask the OP?

Folks in the TS&S forums know his position, because he states it pretty consistently in other threads. If you're not a frequent reader of TS&S, I'm sure he'd be happy to explain it.

If you ask, of course. If you'd rather just attack, well, then, carry on ...
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 10:02 am
  #75  
 
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Originally Posted by HarryHolden68
Oh that's right. Revolution. Works every time doesn't it. Even better if good old Uncle Sam can kick it off.

To retort...
Well, for a start the Middle East would be a far more stable place.
There wouldn't be a bunch of people running amok beheading innocent people.

Has it ever occured to anyone that if you demonstrated one iota of respect to the poor TSA agents, they may just replicate that? I think the TSA folk are great - never had a problem. But then I take time to talk to them like they are human beings. Ascede to their resonable requests and thank them for their time. You should try it - they are nice people.

They are doing an impossible job. Dammed if they do. Dammed if they don't. You should remember that and if you think you can do better, put your money where your opinions are!
Personally, I demonstrate zero respect for TSA, because I have none.

However, I have enough respect for myself not to sink to the level of childish antics demonstrated by both OP and, in many cases, by the petulant TSOs who retaliate against travelers whom they believe have "disrespected" them or not shown proper obeisance to their shiny plastic badges.

Originally Posted by corbetti
You may despise them, but you hide it because I would suggest you are afraid of the risk of confrontation.

OP was not, IMHO, abusive or insulting. He was simply pointing out the lunacy in a polite way, and when provided with canned responses, he replied in a way that made it clear he wasn't accepting said canned responses.
You certainly bring up a valid point - I do fear retaliation from TSOs if I act like a jerk. But fearing retaliation is not the primary reason why I don't act like a jerk - I mainly don't act like a jerk because I'm not a jerk.

What OP did was legal, but it was in no way polite, nor did it have anything to do with refusal to "accept canned responses." What he did was to act like a jerk, because he wanted to act like a jerk.

No matter how much your target may deserve to be treated badly, each of us is responsible for our own behavior. Acting like a jerk makes you a jerk, and if you think it's acceptable to act like a jerk just because you have a low opinion of someone else's personal or professional choices, you're wrong. Acting like a jerk is acting like a jerk, no matter the reason.

I don't act like a jerk, because I am BETTER than that. I am not a jerk, even when I am confronted by jerks.
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