Was wondering.........where is the WTMD that the ramp workers go thru ?

Back to the topic folks.
 

We should come up with a universal symbol that expresses our oposition.
Perhaps a wingtip shoe with a nail in it, or a bird with a ball & chain?

Or the food caterers.

Please stay on topic!
 

This thread is about ways to demonstrate our opposition to, and disgust for, the policies of the TSA.
There are plenty of other threads debating their worth.

So far we have talked about:
Purple bra / orange speedo actions.
Buttons / T-shirts / luggage stickers.
Sing-in actions.
Designing a logo / image.
Slogans.
We have agreed that we don't want to slow the line, just get our message heard publicly, to draw attention to the problem, and the fact that people oppose it.
Let's try to consolidate these ideas into something concrete.

Have you been fingerprinted and had your background check, to the extent that the rampers have? When you have, and the airline has your file, then we'll talk. ;)

Personally, I am on the fence. There was some talk at my airline not long ago that cabin and cockpit crews would soon have a seperate security area to go through at our hubs - void of x-ray machines and hand-wanding. It has not come to pass...honestly, while my ego would love the lack of screening every time I enter the property, I still think it's a good idea to search everyone. I may have a forgotten "weapon" in my bag same as anyone else...and that "weapon" could be confiscated by a terrorist same as any other day while I'm busy in the aisles doing the "chicken or beef" routine. ;)

Do I think our rampers should go through the same security? There's less risk in the scenario I cited above, but I absolutely think they should (and at my airport, the majority still do, btw - watch the employee lines at the hub airports around shift change time, you'll see them too!).

Private jets are absolutely permitted to land at commercial airports without security screening. As an example, I don't think Teterboro even has a screening capability - you can drive right up to the plane or chopper onto the helipad. At most commercial airports, private jet passengers enter and leave from the Signature (or whatever vendor) facility without being screened.

Hey, HigherFlyer brought us back to the topic! By the way, there is an existing product that's probably relevant here: the metallic miniature bill of rights. I ordered mine from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Here's the link:
http://shop.eff.org/Merchant2/mercha...ategory_Code=S

You keep it in your pocket and then when you beep going through the checkpoint, you say, "Oh, yeah, I have to give up my constitutional rights in order to board an airplane, sorry!" In fact, although I carry it I haven't done this yet.

I like the idea of the Suspected Terrorist button but I would definitely be too afraid of being denied boarding when I actually had to get somewhere. Is there something slightly less likely to get us blacklisted that still makes that point?

I don't understand what you are expecting by making this "scene" using the Bill of Rights card. All you will most likely get is a "what an a--hole" look or a chuckle. The moment you step away from the checkpoint, you're forgotten. Handing over your rights to a screener will accomplish nothing at all, but if that's what it takes for you to go through security with a smile on your face, then so be it. As long as you're happy, so are we.

I have.

I've been fingerprinted by both the TSA and the Airport who controls the SIDA badges. I've had both a background check with TSA and the Airport. But I'm not personally allowed to bypass the checkpoint to go around it or outside, because I need to be screened.

Kind of funny when I think about it.

I had less checking done when I was in the military moving nuke war heads around in Germany.

How about those Pistons!... What?... Stay on topic?... We have a topic???
 

We could print cards with "your rights under the TSA rules" on it, along with instructions for how to report abuse.
I've used cards like this regarding the 4th ammendment and your rights regarding police searches, and they can be extremely effective.
I also have T-shirts which read...
Notice to law enforcement officers:
I do not consent to a search of my person, property or effects.
On the back is the fourth ammendment.

:eek:

This is a wonderful idea, HigherFlyer! We should definitely print cards that outline all the relevant details, like the fact that the TSA says shoe removal should be optional, that passengers have the right to demand same-gender wanding or private screening, that passengers have the right to keep all their belongings in sight at all times, that passengers can not be threatened with denial of boarding, that wands should never contact any part of the body, that on-the-spot complainers should skip talking to a supervisor and demand a manager, etc. We should outline the mechanisms to report problems. Perhaps the card, or the bottom half of the card, could be a pre-printed postcard to send to the Office of Civil Rights with check-off boxes for the categories of complaints. The mail-in portion would be similar to the sheets you can request at the airport, except that the complaints would get documented at a higher level.

Maybe on the back we could list facts about TSA ineffectiveness, citing the reports from the GAO, FAA, and FBI questioning the ability of existing procedures to secure airports. We could also detail the rights people give up when they enter a checkpoint, printing the 4th amendment with an explanation of why the courts say the bill of rights does not apply to airline passengers.

If we printed such a thing, do you think we'd be within our legal rights to distribute it to people waiting in line?

Ummm, instead of printing up little cards to give to screeners and possibly congressman, why not print up signs that can be placed before the airport checkpoints and ask for persmission to post them there with the said airport.

That way, all passengers know their rights at the checkpoint. I would honestly leave your opinion of the 4th off that sign though if you honestly want to make a difference for your follow passengers. Some airports will see what you view your definitation of the 4th and proably completely ignore the sign.

Use no emotion when writing the signs, but make your points on them and then let the airports know why you want them present.



Or,


On a day off, go to a airport with your cards and present them to passengers before they enter the airport or checkpoint. It might make a difference.

The cards are not for screeners. They are for passengers. So that said passengers may know, and assert, their legal rights.