The Constitution also doesn't tell me I have the right to walk or ride in a bus or car (or on a horse, for that matter). It says I have the right to travel. Does that mean TSA is going to impose stupid, useless, secret rules on all THOSE means of travel, too?

Maybe I left a negative modifier out of a sentence. My point is just as you state. By virtue of possessing a license, you must have known and understood and demonstrated that you had knowledge of the rules of the road. One is on more of a level playing field with a traffic cop because both of you have the same basic understanding of traffic laws. When confronting the TSA at an airport, there isn't even a playing field.

Oh, it was a really cheap one. Most of it seemed to be plastic, and even the stuff that was supposed to be metal was too shiny - like aluminum sticker-plating over plastic, maybe. No lightsaber, either, ForceFX or otherwise. Also, the box on the chest wasn't functional, so it was more like a plastic shell than anything else. Kind of like one of these (not this exact one - this one's too 'colorful' but you get the idea of the cheapness)

The rest of it was probably vinyl, not leather.

Still, it wasn't nearly as bad as the Batman we had come through one time. The mask was the best part of the whole costume, being made out of PVC (most likely, anyway). His utility belt was painted foam, and the "boots" were foam overlays on top of his actual shoes that velcro'd in the back. And tights. In the name of God, tights. All in all, it was nowhere near as awesome as this costume - and I would consider that one to be cheap as hell, too.

The Batman guy was flying out to go meet with some friends somewhere for the opening of The Dark Knight.

I'd actually be willing to bet that, the electronics not at all that too complex in terms of what it's designed to do, a fully-functional voice box wouldn't look too bad on x-ray. Probably about on the same level as those for-the-kids wanna-be computer 'learning tools' you can see in Wal-Mart's toy department, and those things are little more than three wires, a battery, and one PCB in an enormously-oversized plastic housing. IPods are more internally complex than those things.

In other news, here's some pictures of something totally unrelated! Action shots are always better without captions, I think. For the record, these are all publicly-accessable images.
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4
Pic 5

Pic #3 says all we need to know about TSA. How sad!

What's with the hat?

I'd seriously debate keeping my kid home from school that day, or at least remind him to say something similar to what he knows to be true about Kippie ...

Pic One reminds me that almost every one the country wore some sort of a uniform in 1939 in Germany.

(Apologies to Mr. Godwin, I had to use the analogy.)

Is that really a TSA blue smurf in the center wearing shoulder braid and a Smoky Bear hat with white gloves? If so it's obvious The Plan is to have OBL laugh himself to death when he sees the waste of US tax money.

Pic 5 throws off the veil of how information is classified as SSI. You spin the wheel and where it stops determines what security level the info is tagged with.

More and more people every day come to realize how useless and intrusive the TSA is, so the organization tries to indoctrinate the youth. That�s really sick.

HSVTSODean, I really don't understand the point of these pictures. "TSOs like children and puppies"?

Frankly, I do not like indoctrinating children in this fashion. I want children to equate police uniforms with actual police, i.e. a child who finds him or herself alone, lost or in trouble should seek out the uniformed policeman or sheriff. I wouldn't want them to see a TSO in uniform and think that's a LEO who will help them.

I also don't like the idea of training children to trust in the authority of TSOs. Yes, there are many good ones who do their jobs professionally and courteously, but there are far too many bad apples who enjoy playing the petty tyrant. In all my life, I've never had a personal encounter with a "bad cop." I've lost track of the number of abusive and ignorant TSOs that I've encountered.

Rather than concentrating on this kind of cheap and questionable "PR," I'd be much happier if TSA would clean up its own ranks, provide better screening (of TSOs, that is), provide better training, and focus on actually executing its mission of keeping commercial air travel safe rather the engaging in the stupid dog-and-pony show that provides the illusion of security to those who don't know better, but does absolutely nothing to make flying safer.

No real point from me. Just felt like doing something random.

But if you want to know the actual stories behind the images, I'll put them out. Again, this is all information accessable to any member of the public. You just have to know where to look.

It's still more fun for people to make their own subtitles for it, though. I loved the "SSI level spinwheel" from ND Sol. ^

(BTW, just because I dislike people's full names being posted on the Internet, I'm redacting everyone's last names in the stories. Yeah, it's out for public viewing, and put there by the TSA, but I'm the one pushing the submit button so I'm going to redact everyone's name. So there.)


Pic 1:Pic 2:Pic 3:Pic 4:Pic 5:

I hate to sound like I don't approve of most everything that TSA does (I don't, but I hate to sound like it), but here goes:

This seems to me like TSA is presenting itself as a uniformed service equivalent to the military or LEOs. Though I've never served in the military, I honor our members of the armed forces (and LEOs, fireman, EMTs and others who put their life on the line to protect us). I can't speak for how a vet would react to this, but it seems a little . . . well . . . arrogant for TSA to put itself in the same class as those who put themselves in harm's way for the benefit of their fellow citizens.

I think visiting hospitalized vets is a great thing to do. However, with respect to it being done in TSA uniforms raises the same question as in 1, above.

As I said in my previous post, I am absolutely opposed to the idea of children being taught that a TSO is like a policeman or teacher.

Same objection. Teaching kids about the importance of reading is terrific. Coming to class and talking about TSA on a, "This is my daddy's or mommy's job" day is fine, as well. Presenting uniformed TSOs to school children, who are taught to associate uniforms and badges with LEOs is not. And, if TSA was being honest, the book should not have been, "Oh, The Places You'll Go," but, "Do You Want to Fly, Today?"

I asked this question in another thread but didn't get an answer. Maybe you can provide one.

Do TSOs have security clearances? I mentioned that, when I worked in aerospace, I held, at various times, Confidential and Secret security clearances. The former was relatively pro forma, but the latter was not -- I was required to disclose everywhere I'd lived from when I was 16, identify friends and associates, provide banking details and a variety of other personal information that was specifically and expressly investigated and verified by the FBI, who did things like visit my neighbors and make inquiries about me. I also had to sign a statement indicating I was aware of the criminal penalties for disclosing classified information. Even after receiving my Secret clearance, I was only once exposed to information that I would consider remotely related to national security, and that was the result of an accident -- something was delivered to my desk that should not have been (and, though it some 25 years ago, I still won't say what it was because I take the obligations I incurred in connection with the clearance seriously).

What security vetting do TSOs receive before they're exposed to "sensitive security information," whatever that is? What security does SSI carry? Confidential? Secret? Top Secret? Is it even classified? What I don't understand is how it can even be regarded as sensitive. When I ask a TSO, "why do you think you can do this?", and he says, "I can't tell you because it's SSI," wouldn't that imply that procedure is authorized as SSI, and I now know that? Is SSI subject to declassification review in the event of a FOIA request? It should be, by law.

I'd appreciate any illumination you can provide.

TSOs do not have security clearances, and SSI information is not classified. It is protected information, but not up to the point that classified information is. Releasing SSI to people without a legitimate need to know doesn't carry criminal penalties (that I'm aware of, and I might be wrong), but does carry civil penalties.

The procedure itself - the what, as it were; the physical act of what is done - is typically not protected information. You learn that just by being handwanded, for example. The SSI part of the handwanding process (just to stick with that particular line) is the specific steps of what makes us do certain things, and what, in particular, we're looking for. Also, any information that the public would be told when they're at a security checkpoint is, by definition, not protected � which is how I could tell you, back when the information was relevant, that government-issued credential cards weren't acceptable as a sole form of ID (they are now, for the record) even though the exact page that the information was on has an SSI footer on it. Not everything in the SOP is SSI, but TSA doesn't differentiate between SSI information and non-SSI information. So most people, out of that abundance of caution on not wanting to lose their job, just say that every part of it is SSI and call it a day. This is technically incorrect.

Fortunately, I'm fairly good at slicing between protected and non-protected information.

Also, SSI is exempt from FOIA.

Bruce Schneier did a really good piece on SSI back in 2005. Here's a bit:
Here's the whole article.

Interesting. I'll have to read the article later.

Thanks.

At the moment it all comes down to politics and the courts.

At one time slavery was legal. During WWII, Japanese Americans were put into "relocation camps"; there were Jim Crow laws on the books at one time.

Look at some of the wiretapping, including domestic wiretapping that existed under the last administration - and may even still be happening.

Just because the above was legal at one point in time does not make it right.

At the moment, I'd say we're on a slippery slope.