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Those freedoms you enjoy in this "pitiful country" are being taken away by Muslim extremists (or at least they're trying). To keep our airways safe, I have no problem submitting my own self to a full body scanner or a pat-down if everyone else has to do it, too, i.e., the would-be terrorists. This should not be a problem unless you're hiding something. While I do have a big problem with the gov't infringing upon personal rights and intruding into our lives, this is one thing I am willing to sacrifice for the sake of keeping Americans safe.
If you don't like living in a "pitiful country," you're free to leave.
Andrea, we haven't caught one single Muslim extremist via submitting to a pat-down.
Don't you find it especially ironic that Muslim terrorists would have little to no problems just walking into our country from our southern borders?
I think before we start becoming focused on 'patting down granny' & playing along with 'the fear card' that we should begin making our politicians remember they work for US because I think THEY love when they can divert our attentions.
I think that we have become a nation of sheeple who never argue or protest when our rights are being trampled upon by an increasingly obtrusive Federal government. If they do this to me, I will protest loudly and defend my right to be free of harassment as a citizen of this pitiful country. Would any of you do the same or join in some sort of protest against this treatment?
My protest has been in effect for a couple of years and continues today. I refuse to fly anywhere. Amtrak comes right thru town here.
for all those whining about having to go through airport security, there is another option, other than driving or taking the train or bus, and that is learn to fly, get your private license, and rent a plane to fly yourself where ever you need to go.
Go for it rogerbacon ! We're behind you..figuratively though as we don't want to get groped
"May the Force be with you"
Well, I'm back from Miami. They don't have the back-scatter machinese at Houston or Miami it seems. They just had regular x-ray machines. At the boarding gate I did see some people getting pulled aside by TSA for individual patdowns but it didn't look like the enhanced ones, just the plain out ones.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbohm
for all those whining about having to go through airport security, there is another option, other than driving or taking the train or bus, and that is learn to fly, get your private license, and rent a plane to fly yourself where ever you need to go.
I've got a license and a plane. However time was a factor for this weekend trip and a 2 hour flight vs 6 hours was a no brainer. Also, flying commercially is often cheaper than flying my plane unless there are two of us going which, this time, there wasn't.
"By buying the ticket you gave up a lot of your rights."
- TSA official at San Diego, CA (8:34) [1]
"I'm not letting them feel me up as a condition to get on the plane." (9:33)
- John (passenger with ticket)
Succinctly, a person going through airport security refused to have their genitals touched, in consequence denied the flight, and promised civil prosecution with a fine of $10,000.
All details might be found from the reference below, where the (non) passenger provides a written account of his experience, as well as video/audio from his phone. Note that the video is presented in three concurrent segments due technical reasons. Also that most of the video is of ceilings, etc., but the audio quite clear.
John, the person denied his flight, was trying to fly with his father-in-law out of San Diego, CA on Saturday, November 13, 2010, about 5:30am, for a family gathering. At security there were lines for both traditional metal detectors, and also the new AIT scanner machine (which uses ionized radiation to reveal a full naked picture of the body). Apparently the majority of passengers were passing through the traditional metal detectors. As apparently some others, John was selected from random from the metal detector line and asked to pass through the AIT scanner. He did not wish to, and opted instead for a physical pat down. When the TSA agent described the new rules for pat downs, and that he would be running his hands all the way up the leg, four times, all the way fully up to groin, as far as possible, this is when John jokingly, but seriously, said 'fine,' but the TSA agent had better not touch his "junk." That is when the TSA agent called over his supervisor, and this all began.
If taking the time to listen to the full video, all this will become apparent. In brief, John offered a number of times to pass through the traditional metal detectors, which most passengers were, with no further search, but adamantly refused to have his genitals touched. The TSA refused, saying that since he had been singled out, he must either: a) pass through the AIT scanner, b) submit to being felt up, or, c) not fly, and depart the airport.
With at last no recourse, John opted to forsake his flight, and depart the airport. He was escorted by law enforcement and TSA to the airline counter, where American Airlines did as last agree to refund his ticket. However at that point senior TSA interceded, and told John that he could not leave the airport, that he must return to the screening area and submit to screening, since he had begun it. That the TSA agents at screening had been remiss in allowing him to leave without undergoing screening.
Discussion ensued. If listening to the video one will note that this passenger's demeanor fairly calm and polite throughout this ordeal, but he does begin to lose it towards the end. He claims in writing that he was threatened with civil penalties and a $10,000 fine if not subjecting himself to screening before leaving the airport. There seems to be a gap between the second and third video, and this discussion possibly lost. Although it is alluded to in the third video. However one will note that the senior TSA official plainly promises him that a case will be brought against him, this plainly audible in the third video. Please also note that this excerpt of discussion from the third video is largely accurate, but does not include a brief interjection (difficult in two talking at once) by the (non) passenger.
John: "I would like to leave now. If I am free to go, I would like to leave."
Official: "If, if that is your choice. What I am trying to do is have you cooperate, so like as I said, when..."
John: "To what end?"
Official: "To the end, to end that it would look better for you when we bring the case against you that we are going to bring, okay, that you cooperated, that is all."
I read about this earlier today.
I won't travel by air to anywhere that has a landing point in the United States. They can shove the X-ray machines you-know-where as far as I'm concerned.
It seems like everyone who enters an airport these days is considered guilty until proven innocent.
This could be why they are doing these searches now. To prevent something like this from happening again. If they just do a regular pat down without going into the groin area future terrorist will realize this and take advantage of it in the future like this event that happened in the past.
Also I will wait until this is reported more to find out exactly why he is being prosecuted now. That wasn't clear and if he is being prosecuted solely because he didn't choose to be patted down I don't agree with or support that.
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TSA: $10,000 or your groin
