What's the big deal?

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Before this week haven't flown for 10 years. I was a bit nervous about the stricter security but now I'm asking what's everyone's problem? Checked into KCI and had absolutely no problems. Charlotte no problems and Boston with no issues. Sure I had to go through the scanner and they had to pat down my cargo pants but didn't feel violated in anyway. Granted I work in security maybe that's it... but seriously I think a few select people just like to complain!
 
Actually you need to have flown before, for comparison. To have a small fingernail clipper or a disposable razor confiscated, and then have your manhood cupped, it can be a bit....degrading.
The big deal is sometimes the airport TSA lackeys don't exactly know or follow the rules and just get a little too friendly. I've had flights just like yours and I've been fondled.
 
Security is normally not too bad.
What's bad is when you need to get out to a gate quickly and there is a huge line of people being passed through the minority of check lanes actually staffed and open.
Even being selected for special screening isn't usually too bad and you can pretty well count on being a selectee if you had to get re-booked due to a flight cancellation or mis-connect and did not remain airside.
It isn't just security that makes things worse than they used to be, either.
If you miss a flight due to a cancellation, a missed connection or just running late, your re-book chances are not nearly as good as they once were, due to fewer flights flying fuller.
In a day of 85%+ load factors, your chances of getting a confirmed seat on another fight aren't all that great, although you can enhance your chances by using one of the legacy carriers, who can at least interline you, and will if you ask.
Fly a Southwest or an Airtran, and you ain't going anywhere on anyone else's metal unless you buy another ticket at a horrendous walk-up fare.
I suspect that many infrequent travelers are unaware of this.
 
Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
Before this week haven't flown for 10 years. I was a bit nervous about the stricter security but now I'm asking what's everyone's problem? Checked into KCI and had absolutely no problems. Charlotte no problems and Boston with no issues. Sure I had to go through the scanner and they had to pat down my cargo pants but didn't feel violated in anyway. Granted I work in security maybe that's it... but seriously I think a few select people just like to complain!

It's not a few people. It's an abuse of government as well. Extra pat downs and security searches are often applied to passengers that make ZERO common sense. I've had my luggage separated and searched twice....not a good feeling especially when you consider the airlines are a private business and yet the TSA has authority to do just about anything it wants.
If you're not bothered by any of it and don't have any issues with the whole thing...then I guess that's good for you. I find it all to be a very intrusive and borderline illegal. I try to drive when ever possible....of course I'm sure that random traffic stops and vehicle searches will someday be common as well (Arizona comes to mind). But you'd probably think that's no big deal either, right?
 
It's apparent that's very few people have worked in security. You might be amazed why they're not doing more. I have no problem with searches except my home. On the street it's public property and if there's a problem with crime etc I have nothing to hide. I guess you guys forget the guy that dressed up as a old lady and got away with it.. humans are fairly and sometimes surprisingly intelligent. That also begs to ask the question if you know you're going to be patted down why bring it? Seriously there's Wal-Mart/CVS/Walgreen's on every corner in America. Either check it in like I did or re-buy common sense. If I was in charge I'd pat everyone down.. you may not be a terrorist but that person next to you could be. What do you think they'll do with the safety razor.
 
I'd rather not go through an x-ray scanner's radiation in addition to the radiation absorb in flight. And I don't want to be patted down since I don't fit the profile of a terrorist
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. Although I understand the need for security, I think it is being done in an inefficient manner.
 
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I'd rather not go through an x-ray scanner's radiation in addition to the radiation absorb in flight.

That's about the same amount of radiation you get every 5 minutes on earth.
 
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT

No thanks Al, especially for people that fly on a very regular basis. Some people are going through these things several times a week on business trips.

If its 20 times higher than speculated than you will get less than 2 hours worth of radiation.

I'm unimpressed. Gamma radiation has absolutely no effect on anything but whole body. Only beta radiation affects the skin. This guy must have been in the sun too long.
 
Remember, the airline you fly is a company, unrelated to the government. You have a contract with them to provide transportation. It's not constitutional for the government to involve themselves by warrant-less searches for this, a private transaction. The airline can, however, have all sorts of requirements. You don't have to fly any particular airline or airplane.

I've had my 12 year old daughter scanned and felt up by TSA. I have got to say, this annoys me to no end. I almost came unglued when the TSA,,, Edit: she was wearing a skirt and you can guess the rest. I don't care if it's another woman doing the feeling up.. That's wrong and we know it instinctively.
 
Originally Posted By: Cujet
Remember, the airline you fly is a company, unrelated to the government. You have a contract with them to provide transportation. It's not constitutional for the government to involve themselves by warrant-less searches for this, a private transaction. The airline can, however, have all sorts of requirements. You don't have to fly any particular airline or airplane.

I've had my 12 year old daughter scanned and felt up by TSA. I have got to say, this annoys me to no end. I almost came unglued when the TSA,,, Edit: she was wearing a skirt and you can guess the rest. I don't care if it's another woman doing the feeling up.. That's wrong and we know it instinctively.

I agree 100% with your post. I don't care what the government tries to tell us...it's illegal. There is no border being crossed here that constitutes a search and we are indeed talking about private commerce. The TSA are doing exactly what many other groups have done under the guise of 'protection' and 'security'....while we lose our freedoms.
 
Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
It's apparent that's very few people have worked in security. You might be amazed why they're not doing more. I have no problem with searches except my home. On the street it's public property and if there's a problem with crime etc I have nothing to hide. I guess you guys forget the guy that dressed up as a old lady and got away with it.. humans are fairly and sometimes surprisingly intelligent. That also begs to ask the question if you know you're going to be patted down why bring it? Seriously there's Wal-Mart/CVS/Walgreen's on every corner in America. Either check it in like I did or re-buy common sense. If I was in charge I'd pat everyone down.. you may not be a terrorist but that person next to you could be. What do you think they'll do with the safety razor.

So....you have NO problem with government searches and pat-downs....unless they come into your home? Wow. I'm stunned. You must be very young and not very well versed in world history (nor our Constitution and the importance of it).
Seriously, you need to do some reading and stop focusing on 'security' to the point that you exclude freedom.
 
Pablo, if you feel violated by this, try flying with a bicycle. Then you'll really feel some $$pain$$.

There are a ton of things that outrage me about flying, but this isn't really at the top of the list: getting on the flight for which I actually paid, outrages $250.00 bike fees, overweight people sitting next to me in incredibly shrinking seats, crying babies... This is about number 9 on my list. I find the whole experience distasteful.

I'm not a safety nut, and I'll trade some risk for convenience and generally being left alone--since the risk is so infinitesimally small of getting on a hijacked plane. Though I do wonder how the people working on those planes feel about my cavalier attitude. They should probably have a big say in all of this.

I'm not sure what are the alternatives? You're either going to have to deal with aggressive patdowns, scanners or higher risk. I'm OK with higher risk, but let's realize that's what we're getting.

I guess we could be more selective about who we search, but if that's the case I'm betting a lot more terrorists will look like this guy:

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Originally Posted By: JOD
I'm OK with higher risk, but let's realize that's what we're getting.


Privatize airline security and make it a responsibility of the airlines, like it's done in other countries. Unfortunately in this bastion of corruption called the USA, it can never happen because the costs incurred in ticket prices would never be reduced in taxation. Not to mention all the lawsuits that would be filed by the ACLU for "profiling".
 
Originally Posted By: JOD
Pablo, if you feel violated by this, try flying with a bicycle.


I thought it bonkers last year when better half and I went. I thought I was getting some special treatment, here and there, until I saw them lifting my partner's breasts (she didn't want a bra for a 16 hour flight), and feel under them...yeah, it was a woman, but it seemed only to be a time filler while I was getting something else looked at/shaken...but it was in public, and up shirt.

Then my sister went...

Try being a 40 year old paraplegic in a wheelchair, with a Harrington's Rod, pinned and screwed hips, and a urostomy bag.

She asked one very attentive attendant if she had a cigarette at one stage.

And her experiences after that demonstrate that it has nothing to do with security, and everything to do with shaping opinion and intimidation.

Being wheeled through a guardless, passless door that says "Authorised Personnel only" isn't security.
 
The big deal is that, compared to 30 years ago people are treated like cattle on a cattle truck rather than paying passengers on a flight.

After deregulation prices dropped and more people could afford to fly. In addition, airlines were forced to shrink the size of seats and pack as many people in as possible, during a time when Americans are becoming more and more obese. The last time I flew I had the joy to be packed in next to a stinky, sweaty 300# person who took up his seat, along with a good share of the seat on either side.

Even for myself, I'm 6'4" and there simply isn't enough legroom, especially when some buffoon in the seat in front thinks they need to lay their seat back.

Then, to top it off we now have the theatrics of the TSA before we even board the plane. I have not committed any crime, and getting on a plane is not probable cause that I will. I do not approve of a government official forcing a child with cancer to remove her wig in order to check it for weapons. I also don't approve of the TSA telling children that their pat downs are "a game".

While not all the TSA antics apply to me, I believe that no one deserves to be treated in such a manner, and I refuse to support a system that does so.
 
I can't help wondering how many of the TSA/Patdown haters will cry and moan when some plane goes down because patdowns and inspections were outlawed or shutdown because of "rights violations".. Think that outrage won't happen? It already did on Sept 12th..
 
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