In this post The great comments set the wheels turning in my head:
Watch what happens the first time one of those screening monkeys inappropriately touches a child. I would end up being tased and cuffed, possibly shot, if it were my kid.
I say tell your kid to scream “Mommy, he touched my pee pee!!” at the top of his lungs.
I hadn’t thought about kids. WOW. Ok, while the full body scanners are gross, weird, and a 4th Amendment violation, as well as wrought with abuses, I have showered in a locker room before, and I suspect that I will do it again without hesitation. That’s also wrought with abuse (like people with cellphone cameras ect) and it totally allows anybody creepy to ogle my Hog. But really that isn’t a huge deal.
But if this was my KID?? That’s a HUGE deal. Do you want a goofy TSA grunt touching your young son’s penis? How about your 13 year old daughter’s newly budding breasts?
Would it make you feel any better if instead of laying of hands, instead a computer generated image of these nude loved-ones make you feel any better?
We need new elected officials, and we need to tell them about this bullshit!
Unfortunately, we have the “Well, if it makes us safer, I guess it is ok” meme to compete against. Which joins “I’m against abortion, but I support a woman’s right to choose.” and “Don’t ask, don’t tell” in the spineless lackwit middle-ground bullshit-of-the-week category.
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Ok- let me tell you how the Israelis do it without an X-ray that makes you naked or firm pat downs.
They profile- big time. And every fucking piece of luggage get searched- by hand- in front of you. And they have security guards that question you endlessly to see if you trip up.
I have been in and out of Ben Gurion 4 times for work. EL Al security doesnt not fuck around. Every piece comes out of our luggage- dirty underwear, vibrators, etc. Every jar is opened, every case looked into- got a wrapped present for the kids? not anymore- that puppy is unwrapped and box opened, battery compartment checked, etc.
Every- EVERY- surface of your now empty suitcase is wiped for explosive residue. Not some fuck nuts handle wipe- I mean they wipe the entire suitcase inside and out, open every pocket and zipper, etc. Every suitcase gets its own residue wipe.
The questioning- you are questioned constantly by El Al security and they are trained in behaviorial clues. If you start getting pissed at answering the same question the questioning becomes “why are you angry?” “why do you have a problem with this”. I saw some dipshit from the Bronx try the “I plead the 5th as I’m an American and I know my rights”. Two burly El Al peeps came out fo nowhere and she was escorted down a corridor. She did not make the flight to NYC.
ANd they profile- if you are of Arab descent or even look Arab you get put in a special line for increased scrutiny. If EL Al feels you are a threat you are issued a refund and escorted off the premises. And to get to this area you had to pass one ring of security. This is the second. There are two more inner security rings to go through before you get to your flight.
EL Al recommends you be there 4 hours ahead of time if you are not an Israeli citizen as the search, etc easily take 2-3 hours.
However- Americans are used to being inconvenienced as little as possible – they want everything at fast food speeds with no invasion of privacy but you damned well better make sure I’m safe. Safe, Civil Liberty, Speed – pick any two.
AMericans will never stand for a full on search of their luggage and mention the word “profiling” and the ACLU will shut that down right quick. And can you imagine every traveler being peppered with questions?
The Israelis think the TSA is a joke- when you board an EL Al flight to Israel at Kennedy you DO go through El Al security and they use their own X-rays as they dont believe our TSA monkeys could find their own ass using a map and pack of hunting dogs never mind a bomb.
Why is it always a thousand times worse to people if “ZOMG A CHYYYYYYYYYYYYLD!!!!” has something happen to them?!
I’m 28 years old, am in the process of going through virtual medical hell regarding certain unmentionable areas, and have NO desire to get patted down by some jackass at the airport on top of all of it. And people keep asking me why I don’t want to fly down to Anchorage for my specialist appointment. Yeah, I loose time driving, but at least my car doesn’t feel it necessary to either try and snap nekked pictures of me or feel me up.
Yes, I am getting crankier as time goes on. Besides all of that, we all ready practically have to set up house at the damn airport to go anywhere. This is getting crazy. If it keeps getting worse and worse both health wise and forced travel wise, I’m tempted to be the next piss off the Muslims chick (like the draw Muhammad day girl) and refuse to go into hiding.
Short answer, it isn’t.
Nobody should man-handle you or gawk at your naked body without your permission, ever. Certainly not to get on a magical bus in the sky, and certainly not the bunch of shambling drunks they have as TSA screeners.
That being said, we can speak out for ourselves, and we can make a scene. Children don’t have the life experience, nor the legal power to do that.
So while in some senses its no different a violated right, in the other, it really is, IMHO.