A personal terminology change ...
 

When I first flew after 9/11, I was glad to see a much higher level of thoroughness in the screening. Later, when the shoe carnival came along, I tolerated it, and I didn't even complain too much when I was randomly selected to be frisked by some idiot white-shirt at SFO.

For a long time I felt that critics of TSA were overreacting, and to some extent I think some of the objections are taken too far. I tried to be objective about all of this. But I have to draw the line somewhere.

Some of the posts here today and yesterday are really bad. There has been a constant theme about single woman being targeted and groped. There are reports of a 13 year-old girl being groped, women on the air-side of security being groped (having previously cleared security), the disabled being groped.

I have decided that in lieu of Transportation Security Officer, I have decided that every government employee or government contractor employee who lays a hand on any passenger without probable cause will henceforth be called by me a "criminal." Additionally, any touching of any passenger without probable cause will be called by me a "grope".

grope is accurate. I would use "TSA sex offender" instead of criminal, because that is what they are when they perform these actions. more specific.

it will get worse before it gets better. these TSA folks have explicitly stated that terrorists will "use our mores against us" so TSA wants to change our mores, that is, what we consider right and wrong. They are clearly accelerating their impositions in an effort to make more and more impositions "acceptable" as soon as possible.

I think human nature, and the built-in DNA that many Americans have against personal crimes like this will render their efforts unsuccessful in the long run. In the short run, there'll be hell to pay...

Well, I wasn't. I thought it rather ridiculous and knew that one day, in addition to soldiers and guardsmen sticking guns to my back (remember those days folks?), "they" would be curtailing the rights of everyone else too. None of the subsequent incursions on the rights of all passengers surprised me, and I believe there are a few more whoppers on their way pretty soon. Unfortunately, passively agreeing with the concept that signing away one's rights to jackbooted thugs with the thought that they are here to "protect us" is asking for the incremental cascade of rights violations and eventual sexual assault that we now see. I do hope our children will take a more robust and if necessary, when the concept of freedom is well and truly tits up, a physically rebellious stance against the uniformed thugs who take our rights away.

So, TSA no longer means Thousands Standing Around and now means...

The Sexual Assaulters... :cool:

TSA = Theft & Sexual Assault, Terrorism Support Agency, Team Sexual Assault.

It's a pretty sad fact that now a days when traveling instead of looking up foder's or tripadvisor I'm looking up state statues and penal codes for assault, battery, menacing, terrostic threats, sexual assault/battery, as what attachment increase the severity/penalties, etc

I'm flying from New York to Chicago on with my girl friend on Weds.
It's sad when one is more aprehensive of the "security" than the threat.

Precisely. Al Qaeda has not, could not, make me stop flying. The TSA's current response to it has done so. The odds of my being on a flight with a terrorist are slim to none (and Slim has left the room, goes the old line), but the odds of my being assaulted by TSA are 80-100%, depending upon airport of departure.

Submit or don't fly is such an easy choice.

^^^^^ too true

TSA = Touch Someones @ss