Speak Out: !@#$ the TSA

Replies (12)

• We traveled with a wheelchair and other accessories many times. While the searches were quite thorough, they were not undignified. If her situation is as described, then it is inexcusable. However, increased scrutiny of passengers traveling with large amounts of equipment and/or liquids is expected. 'Breaking open' the bag of saline solution and contaminating it is not excusable. However, some method of verifying the contents should be in place. The limitation on liquids exists for a reason, and verifying the content of any exemption to the limitation is expected.

  Logically, exclusions of things like prescription medicines and mobility aids would provide an inroad for smuggling of contraband, so it is a likely avenue for those wanting to bring undesired items aboard aircraft. The wheelchair with which we traveled was equipped with padded cushions and other accessories that would have been beneficial to smugglers. Terrorists are not known to be squeemish about exploiting weaknesses in security, to the solution is to minimize those weaknesses.

  Increased security for air travel is a consequence of the events of 9/11/01. One does not have a right to fly, and the government largely funds and maintains oversight of the termininals travelers employ to utilize air travel. Just as we accept the authority of the government to establish rules for the roads and highways they build and maintain, so they establish rules for the air terminals. While the majority of funding for air terminals comes from local government and the airlines that use them, a fair sum of federally-taxed monies supports them. With federal monies comes federal regulations.

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Wed, Oct 10, 2012, at 11:52 AM

• Canadians, however, are traveling to the United States to fly. Not because of the burden of being searched, or because they like being searched, but because punitive taxes in Canada make it much more expensive to fly from Canadian terminals.

  http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Millions+Canadians+flying+airports/6799426/st...

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Wed, Oct 10, 2012, at 1:45 PM

• BC,

  I don't fly. I just returned from a business trip, and could have justified flying, but drove 11.5 hours instead. I don't like being treated like a criminal. Some people do. Guess I'm not the kinky type.

  -- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Wed, Oct 10, 2012, at 2:57 PM

• I don't like being treated like a criminal, either, but I accept as a cost of trimming several hours off my travel time. When I deem that cost to be too high, I won't travel that way.

  I don't like having to have a driver's license, either. But I accept it as a cost of getting to use the public roadways. If I deem that cost too high, I will have to quit using the public roadways.

  -- Posted by Shapley Hunter on Wed, Oct 10, 2012, at 3:53 PM

• SH,

  I view carrying a driver's license as paying off the mob. I can operate a motorized vehicle safely without a license.

  -- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Thu, Oct 11, 2012, at 7:15 AM

• Endure is one thing, acceptance is another.

  -- Posted by voyager on Thu, Oct 11, 2012, at 10:20 AM

• BC,

  Be careful. If the gestapo treats constitutionalists like that you can only imagine how they would treat an anarchist.

  V'ger,

  I can't "endure" it. That is why I don't fly. If I were to be treated like the young lady in the article that I linked to, or witnessed somebody being treated like that, I would react in a way that while perfectly human, would be deemed a terrorist act by our masters.

  I believe that people have a right to self defense. I don't care care if the aggressor that I am defending myself against is a costumed goon or not.

  The airlines can go !@#$ themselves also for allowing the TSA to abuse their customers.

  -- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Thu, Oct 11, 2012, at 12:33 PM

• I have not used the airlines nearly so much as I once did. But my last encounter while not being invasive was still a pain in the you know where.

  I have a chunk of titanium in each knee so guess what that gets you. Move over there, sit down and wait for an agent.... did I mention barefooted. Meanwhile my carry on stuff is over on the table waiting for someone to walk off with it. Fortunately my wife was there to take over the bull dog function on that.

  Finally a guy comes over and waves his magic wand over me and I can board. Mind you, knowing this would present a problem, I wore shorts so the scar on each knee whould be noticeable. And my brand new container of shaving creme could not go, but I could put it in a box at some $30+ and keep it that way. Didn't take much ciphering to figure the answer to that. So an agent probably shaved on me for a month or so.

  Don't have an answer to it, but driving was not an option on this trip. Otherwise that has been what I have mostly been doing for the past 4 or 5 years.

  -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Thu, Oct 11, 2012, at 1:00 PM

• ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺

  -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Thu, Oct 11, 2012, at 1:08 PM

• BC, I am not the most informed on current events but it looks like an incident involving a child's death, A&E cameras and a SWAT team would be hard to miss in the news.

  The article didn't say if there was a meth lab found in the first event described. I thought those were a fire-explosion danger and wouldn't think tossing in gernades would be smart.

  -- Posted by Old John on Fri, Oct 12, 2012, at 11:05 PM

• BC, Sounds like a colorful fellow. His background [what I quickly scanned] doesn't indicate that of an all American type.

  I have heard of police abuse big time in the media when it comes to a Rodney King type story.

  -- Posted by Old John on Sat, Oct 13, 2012, at 1:28 AM

• John, What is an all American type?

  -- Posted by BCStoned

  BC, I read that rather quickly. May I recall that remark after re-reading? I'll let the colorful fellow part stand though.

  -- Posted by Old John on Sat, Oct 13, 2012, at 12:47 PM