Are we losing our rights in the name of safety?

[Dog Walker]

This just happened in Ft. Lauderdale today:

TSA to Traveler: Next Time, Leave Your Insulin Pump at Home?

Woman complains about TSA screening at local airport.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010

As we hear from more outraged air travelers about the humiliating procedures they're being forced to endure to pass through airport security checkpoints, comes this doozy out of Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International Airport.


A woman called the South Florida's First News Show on radio station 610am WIOD, this morning (Wed. 11-17-10), horrified about what her daughter had been put through.


The call was with the woman, named Jackie, speaking with 610am WIOD host Jimmy Cefalo & Manny Munoz.

"She is an insuline depended diabetic who has an isuline pump. She travels regularly in the airport. Today, about 25 minutes ago, she was..the alarm went off she told them she had an insuline pump, they physically groped her, went down her pants, her thighs, and advised her not to wear the insuline pump any more going through security. They advised her to take it off in the future if she didn't want to be groped. She was so upset she called me after she got through security hysterically crying"


Fort Lauderdale Airport officials say no formal complaint was filed so they are unaware if the alleged incident ever took place.

[ChriswUfGator]

OK... I see what you are saying.  The "reasonableness" test seems to be two pronged.  On one hand is the intrusiveness of the search which you have addressed.  On the other is...

airport screening searches, like the one at issue here, are constitutionally reasonable administrative searches because they are “conducted as part of a general regulatory scheme in furtherance of an administrative purpose, namely, to prevent the carrying of weapons or explosives aboard aircraft

Yes that's exactly correct.

The constitutionality of the search is determined by weighing its invasiveness against the government's interest in conducting it. Invasiveness is really the determining factor in two ways. It is a weighing factor along with government interest in determining reasonability of the search, but additionally the court will look at whether there are any less invasive means available to achieve the same result. If there are, then the search is likely unconstitutional.

In this case, nothing is really being accomplished with these new nude body search machines that wasn't already being accomplished with metal detectors and puffer machines, and so a less invasive means clearly exists to achieve the same result. The TSA was already forced to admit that the underwear bomber probably wouldn't have been discovered with the new machines either. And when it comes to the second problem here, namely the TSA fondling your nuts in the name of security, I think anyone would be hard pressed to argue that isn't unnecessarily invasive.

So then the question becomes what does this do to enhance security that couldn't be otherwise accomplished with some less invasive means? The answer is little or nothing. And that's the problem.

[KenFSU]

Absolute power corrupts absolutely...

[CS Foltz]

I have a solution..............don't fly! Drive or take the bus.........better yet,ride a train! None of those selections require being groped or patted down..........screw TSA! Barney Fife's with no brains at all or safety nazi's take your pick!

[Dog Walker]

http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=5765176


This captures all the angles of the controversy.  Enjoy!

[ChriswUfGator]

I have a solution..............don't fly! Drive or take the bus.........better yet,ride a train! None of those selections require being groped or patted down..........screw TSA! Barney Fife's with no brains at all or safety nazi's take your pick!

I can honestly say I absolutely would choose not to fly and would instead drive wherever I was going if I was given the choice to either get naked in a body scanner, have my nuts fondled by a government agent, or be denied boarding. And I mean that. I'd happily walk out and drive.

[uptowngirl]

I do just that Chris, spend hours on the road, rather subject myself to that.

[uptowngirl]

According to a news report I just saw it looks like TSA may be on in it's waaaayyyy ooouuuttt!

[Springfielder]

they should be...the government gave into panic and as always, it over reacted...big time. Think about it, how many millions of flights, with how many billions of travelers, and how often were there problems? Then we're stuck with these TSA clowns, fresh from the burger line at Mcdonalds.

[Ernest Street]

What makes me mad is I possibly saw backscatter detectors in place in April and August 2001 at the Newark Airport.
Smokers waiting for a flight have to leave the building ...sending them back through security each time they light up.
I peeked at a screen as they were x-raying a ladies makeup bag and remember being able to clearly see a toothbrush...seeing the bristles through the brush if that makes sense.

How did the Suadi's get through?

[Lunican]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40242420/ns/travel-news/

[uptowngirl]

Instead, TSA anticipates only a small increase in “opt outs” and believe the entire topic is an overblown issue propelled by the media and by Internet chatter


As usual the good old boys in charge are well, OLD. Internet chatter is being dimissed so casually....shows they just don't get it

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/11/17/tsa-screenings-worry-sexual-assault-survivors.html

Imagine....

[Dog Walker]

How did the Suadi's get through?

At that time you could bring small pocket knives and box cutters on board.  The Saudis used box cutters to threaten flight attendants and the pilots.  Air crews at that time were trained to cooperate with hijackers so the Saudis were able to take control of the planes.

[Garden guy]

I"m not sure what everyone is upset about...have you guys completely forgotten that there are bad people out here in the "real world" and they'd like to kill you and me. Once you step out of your home in modern day American you cannot expect any privacy. If you want privacy either drive or stay home. Get use to this as long as the materials to make explosives continue to not be controlled. Anyone complaining or refusing a search should be exited from the building. I'd rather know that everyone on my plane was safe. If your ego is so fragil that a pat down sends you into a fit...."STAY HOME".

[ChriswUfGator]

I"m not sure what everyone is upset about...have you guys completely forgotten that there are bad people out here in the "real world" and they'd like to kill you and me. Once you step out of your home in modern day American you cannot expect any privacy. If you want privacy either drive or stay home. Get use to this as long as the materials to make explosives continue to not be controlled. Anyone complaining or refusing a search should be exited from the building. I'd rather know that everyone on my plane was safe. If your ego is so fragil that a pat down sends you into a fit...."STAY HOME".

None of that is the point.