How Close are We to ENOUGH ALREADY! ?
 

First Liquid Logic. No more free water, and (for me) no more carry-on only.

Next, Gate Gropes. Fear and loathing at the boarding gate, for whatever they missed at security.

The final chapter?
Coming soon, to EVERY AIRPORT WITH NO OPT-OUT: The Nude-O-Scope!




That's just about enough for me.




Flew out of LAS on a late Sunday (way off-peak). Ever driven home on a usually-jammed Interstate way late, looking forward to having all five lanes to yourself? Only to find four lanes closed off by the Highway Patrol so they could run the street sweeper? It was like that.

Three Nude-O-Scopes in full swing, with TSA dicks barking at the lambs approaching the rotating knives. Other lanes that appeared to be opt-out, but which actually lead nowhere. That's right, litle TSA cul-de-sacs. Get to the front, TSA guy barks at you to go to the back of the adjacent NOS. Your bags will go on without you.

I said no thank you.

Well, he was going to show me. We know jes how to deal with the likes of you. I had to wait to be groped. And groped I was. Everywhere.

I do mean everywhere.

The opt-out punishment took about twenty minutes, enough to risk missing my flight.

People, I say enough is enough.
I'm not going to bother recycling my reasons for protesting this.
You know them all.

There isn't one single thing about this that's right.

I'd say a little civil disobedience is in order here, but I doubt that would work.
What's needed is a LOT of civil disobedience.

Slow it down, gum it up, grind it to a screeching stop.
Make them dot every i and cross every t.
Every time.
Every airport.
Every city.
Every flight.

Here's an example, from a great post here at Flyertalk:

1. I require a private screening
2. I require that you change your gloves, with a fresh pair from an original package or an EMS/FD-style belt pouch (from a pocket is not acceptable)
3. I require that all of my possessions remain in my direct line of sight at all times, with the only acceptable blockage being the time items are being passed through the X-Ray - any failures on this part will result in a report to my corporate Security Officer for federal reporting compliance
4. You will wait while I note the time of this unconstitutional gate grope for tracking purposes should I miss my original flight despite being in the gatehouse in compliance with the airline's policies


That's what I'm talking about.
Can I hear an amen?

Ok, then how about some more like that?

This is my country too.
At least for now.

I couldn't agree more!!! When will it stop?

I recently thought of another thing but don't know if that's feasible. Do they have pre-printed complaint forms? If so, one could ask for such a form as soon as the ID checker is done with your ID. Every time. Just in case.

After all, they control you every time, too. Just in case. So you ask for the complaint form, too. Psychologically this can go two ways. They get so pissed they will do the full program to you. But the more they do, the more they mess up. Of course, you don't want to tell them to use new gloves because you want to denounce them for not using new gloves in the complaint form. See the system?

The other way this could play out is that they actually get intimidated or don't want to risk backing up the line because of a potential troublemaker and your process will be smooth as butter. In which case you should thank them and compliment them. Positive affirmation after thread of reprimand. Very effective tool psychologically.

Till

Enough already time has already passed.

You can also call TSA and do a complaint by phone. I now carry their little blue card in my pocket and can pull it out and call right there.

Did you ever try to write email to TSA headquarter in Washington, DC yet?

Anybody knows anything about the new security bill just signed by Obama today?

Link: New York Times

Sorry, I don't see it anything more news article published from New York Times.

AMEN, BROTHER!

and thank you!

Agreed. "Enough already" was passed no later than when the war-on-water started.

The shoe carnival was (maybe) tolerable, but banning an entire state of matter is not, let alone banning it over an improbable threat.

The virtual strip search machines are so far beyond the line I can't explain it. In addition to the privacy issues, I hope that people at many levels will lose their careers, all of their assets, and their reputation when these devices are found to increase the risk of some medical issue. And I hope that a few of the leadership are sent to prison, permanently, over the issue. (I consider the identification of a medical threat to be inevitable; you just don't increase ionizing radiation dose across such a large number population with no consequences.)

The no-fly list and Secure Flight are also way beyond the line, but they are more abstract because most people are not directly impacted by them. But for those who are impacted, it sounds like an experience out of the USSR or East Germany, not something that is supposed to happen in the USA.

I have little doubt that the people who originally instituted airport "security" to deter hijackings with WTMDs and x-rays of carry-on would be horrified at what their decisions have led to. I suspect that the judges that originally ruled that such limited administrative searches were OK would be horrified that their rulings are now being used to justify strip searches of thousands of non-suspect American passengers.

I wasn't alive then, but in hindsight, during the hijacking craze of the 60s/70s that led to airport security, I think we would have been better off putting a pair of armed LEOs on every flight until the threat subsided and skipping the searches all together. Without the (fairly harmless) WTMD and x-ray as a way of testing the waters and conditioning the people, nothing else we have today would pass muster. If/when bombing became a threat, a limited screening based entirely on explosives detection (e.g., ETD) could then have been instituted.

Instead we have a risk averse TSA insisting on 100% ban on water, widespread strip searches, and 100% humiliation of anyone who dares have a prosthetic or personal medical device that they would rather not discuss in public.

It was "ENOUGH ALREADY!" back when the Department of Homeland Security (which sounds better in the original German) equated political dissent with terrorism and placed me on the No-Fly List.

As disgusting as it is, it is amazing that we as a whole allow this to happen.

The government has unlimited resources to institute anything that they deem necessary for our safety. In reality it has nothing to do with safety. It is about control, and getting people to conform to a set of standards.

Where can individuals that are truly disgusted with all this nonsense turn for any relief? Probably nowhere, because even minor dissent will invite even more scrutiny of one's self by the very government that claims is there for your safety.

So just what is the breaking point? When will enough people be so disgusted that something happens? I doubt it will happen in our lifetime.

The government has effectively convinced enough people that we must fear the unknown and keep fighting a battle that doesn't exist.

Sad to say this about the USA, but it is no longer "Land of the free, home of the brave".

Amen to the OP.

"The land of sheep and the home of the scared" is more like it.:(:o:td:

Why don't you all stay at home furiously pounding out letters to your elected representatives?

You could call it the Anti-TSA-Triple-WhammyTM:

1. You would cause massive, unsustainable revenue loss to the airlines, causing them to take notice
2. The TSA would not be able to survive the onslaught of fearful politicians, all terrified of losing their seats
3. The airports would be significantly quieter for the rest of us ;)

It seems you would support anything and everything that TSA might wish to do for screening.

Do you have a point that would exceed your acceptance of TSA procedures?

If so what would it be?

:D Far from it. Don't jump to conclusions. Or to be precise - don't mistake pragmatism for support for the TSA and their ridiculous policies. Seriously - there's a big difference.

Please see any number of additional threads on the subject. Repeating myself apparently doesn't work ;) The fact remains though that I have to travel - a lot. At least with this proposal there'll be a bunch of people writing all those extra letters while I'm getting on with my life / job.

Do you know the difference between pragmatism and antagonism?

Clearly I do. Does it affect you, regardless of what it is? Try adopting my advice above - or ignore it and move on. Two perfectly good suggestions that you may want to try.

Can you point to where it is so "clear?" Thanks.


Yes, it affects me, but that is not the point.

It affects the ability of everyone else to read this forum in a civilized manner. Being antagonistic in the guise of sharing similar viewpoints about the TSA does nothing but get other people riled up, and I have a feeling that you know that.


Why don't you try your own advice when you read a post you might disagree with, or shake your head to....you know, like you just said....ignore it and move on? By your own admission, it's a perfectly good suggestion.

"Land of the fee and the home of the slave."

Just to put it in line with our national anthem...

Speaking of fees and slaves, who else got their Final Fantasy SS (Social Security) statement? I find it highly amusing, considering I'll never see a dime.

Enough Already happened a long time ago. And it did nothing to change the traveling public's willingness to grab their ankles. Every time we have one of these threads about "the public's finally pissed off and the TSA will be forced to change," I just shake my head at what we've become. It will change. It will get worse.

Mike

Bolding mine

Sadly, that might be very true.:(

I remember the very frequent hijackings of the 60's and what it ultimately took to put a stop to them. We must have changed as a people and not in a good way.:(

You appear to have a sufficient grasp of the English language to identify that for yourself. Don't be lazy.

So you speak for everyone else now, even putting your own opinion to one side? What a load of nonsense. I have written hundreds of posts on this particular board and I have done nothing but offer a point of view that challenges the blinkered stereotypes that are far too prevalent here, offer advice to questions asked, and shared experiences. Newsflash: that is the purpose of this board.

If that gets you so riled up because it disagrees with your perspective (sorry - everyone else's perspective :rolleyes:) then that really is your issue. People aren't always going to agree with you.

Again, you're missing the whole purpose of this board. It exists to have the constructive debates which have been the subject of the vast majority of my posts. If you want it to be a back-slapping TSA-hate-fest with no challenging points of view interjected, sorry :)

There is a huge difference between offering a challenging point of view, and whining about the fact that I've posted something. If you feel I am writing anything that is in violation of the terms of this board there is a perfectly workable process to deal with that. ^

"I won't see a dime"

They should allow people who are that young to opt out of those statements. If they believe this, they shouldn't be forced to get the statement.

If history is any measure (think civil rights) we've got a long drawn out period ahead of us.:td:

Thanks for putting it so well! ^

I think the suggestion of stopping the security circus and instead placing at least two well-trained air marshalls on board of every aircraft is very good. I suppose it would cost less and be more effective. It might also create more jobs. In any case, it would be less intrusive. Also it would be a good idea to increase specific intelligence effort and then actually COMMUNICATE the intel gathered effectively. This would be much better then just scaring an entire population into accepting the forfeit of their rights.

Till

Early January - before the FBS equipment was announced as being in service - a TSO directed me to be scanned at the RIC checkpoint on a domestic flight to PBI. The TSO didn't tell me the capabilities of the equipment to be used nor did I know, but I suspected it was a FBS machine. I had heard the introduction of FBS capability was imminent, but I had never seen the equipment nor did I expect it would be operated at RIC. I believe the FBS scan to be an intrusive search and a violation of my Fourth Amendment rights so, I refused. I feel the government has no right and I have no obligation to strip – virtually of in reality – in order to take advantage of public transport, a concept which is absurd in the extreme.

I regret my decision. The full body search I was subjected to was humiliating and intrusive to the extent I will not describe it here on the forum. In my opinion, the TSA's search of my person was intended to be humiliating as a punitive response to my refusal to be scanned. In future, I'll endure the FBS in order to avoid the much greater intrusion and humiliation of the full body search.

We've lost our way here in the US. The vast majority of Americans have surrendered civil liberties to a misguided and paranoid government. The problems we face are much greater than the activities of the TSA in our airports. The fight we need should not be waged nor can it be won in airport passenger terminals.

We must however, either regain control of this government or replace it.

I doubt the government is more paranoid than the voters who still think the Patriot Act was a wise decision.

You hit the nail on the head and the conclusion at which you arrived is exactly the same as Deirdre Walker's. DW

It is my belief that, because the pat down is designed to make you change your behavior, i.e., use VSS (Virtual Strip Search) it then constitutes sexual assault. Don't anybody bother to reply that travelers give "implied consent"; consent might be implied but it is definitely not "informed consent." We do not give consent to be humiliated.

I wish someone who goes through such a humiliating procedure would file assault charges against the screener involved and let the courts take it from there.

Enough already was 5 years ago.

It's an election year, and a lot of people are in danger of losing their seats. I think a massive letter writing campaign at incumbents AND their challengers (Regardless of party) could help.

Another thing is local media. They pay attention from their viewers (seriously they do) They pay even more attention if you are the key demo.

How did they stop the hijackings?

The country that the hijacked plane landed in took the hijackers in, arrested them and returned them to their country of origin. Pretty much put a stop to the diversions to Cuba.