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Sexual assault in airports

and here I was getting all excited because I thought this was going to be a Larry Craig thread. :2bigcry:
 
I don't think I'm gonna fly any more.

As a business traveler who hates being bogged down by infrequent travelers in TSA lines, and who enjoys having empty middle seats, I can only applaud your decision.
 
I would have an easier time believing this if it wasn't on the Alex Jones show. From what I've seen of that guy, he's kind of a freak.
 
I'm kind of put out. I've flown almost 60k miles this year and NO ONE has fondled me. Not even once. And you would think that since airfares to some of the places I've had to go have been $800+, I should have been entitled to a little fondling before Delta bent me over and financially raped me.
Have you flown out of Denver lately? The woman in the video clip said she was okay getting from Austin to Denver, but the hassle came on the return trip.

A friend of mine reports:
This actually happened to me two weeks ago. I was flying home from
Pittsburgh and they had just installed the new full body scanners. I did
not know that I was supposed to empty my pants pockets before walking
through them. So, when I went through, they pulled me aside because of the
cash that I had in my front pants pocket and the wallet in my back pocket.
Without saying a word to me, one of the TSA guys came up to me and put his
hand in my back pocket and started to remove my wallet! I had a completely
visceral reaction. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand that was in my
pocket with my right hand and grabbed the front of his shirt with my left.
Then I started to cuss him out (loudly) and push him back at the same time.

Like I said, it was a completely visceral reaction, like if I caught
somebody trying to pickpocket me. I do not know who was more startled, him
or me. They did threaten to arrest me, but eventually let me go.

All in all, it was a REALLY bad experience!
Maybe the answer is to dress like a Muslim and carry a Koran; then TSA might leave you alone for fear of a profiling lawsuit from CAIR.
 
Have you flown out of Denver lately? The woman in the video clip said she was okay getting from Austin to Denver, but the hassle came on the return trip.

A friend of mine reports:

Maybe the answer is to dress like a Muslim and carry a Koran; then TSA might leave you alone for fear of a profiling lawsuit from CAIR.

Oh good grief, hyperbole much? First off, I've never had an interaction with TSA where a TSA officer put his/her hands on my body without asking first. In fact, they are trained to be scrupulous about it. They usually say something like,

"Ma'am, I need to pat you down and check for something we saw on the machine. Do I have your permission to search you, or would you prefer a private search with a female officer?"

I've been search 3 or 4 times this year, for a variety of reasons. I've gone through security checkpoints about 50 times or more, in almost every region of the U.S. Zero problems.

If your "friend's" description was accurate, she should have asked for a supervisor, IMMEDIATELY, and reported the officer's behavior. There is almost always a supervisor on duty at any checkpoint.
 
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TSA

Thousands Standing Around
 
I've been search 3 or 4 times this year, for a variety of reasons. I've gone through security checkpoints about 50 times or more, in almost every region of the U.S. Zero problems.

.

Doesn't mean that things don't happen though - not that I'm intentionally implying that you take the "It never happened to me,. thus it doesn't happen" attitude, but the TSA's infamous incompetence, and power tripping isn't secret. Its just the apathy both from the public, and media outlets.
 
Doesn't mean that things don't happen though - not that I'm intentionally implying that you take the "It never happened to me,. thus it doesn't happen" attitude, but the TSA's infamous incompetence, and power tripping isn't secret. Its just the apathy both from the public, and media outlets.

I hear a lot of stories about TSA's famous incompetence, and yet, I've interacted with hundreds of TSA employees since 2001. None of them have been incompetent or rude.

Maybe you're allowing your opinions on the subject to be set by a small minority of people and a few axe grinders...

I fly from a small city and I know the local TSA employees by first name at this point. I like them. They're decent people doing a job, and they frequently deal with rudeness and stupidity.

It kind of reminds me of a trip I took to LA. My daughter, her friend and I stayed at The Standard downtown, which is kind a hipster hotel. The reviews of this hotel were very mixed. According to the reviews, the staff at the hotel were difficult to deal with, had bad attitudes, and were nasty and surly.

When we got to the hotel, and were waiting to check in, I watched an extremely rude and drunken young man abuse the staff at the front desk. Seriously, it was unbelievable the crap that these people put up with. On the other hand, we stayed there for five nights, and we had a wonderful experience at that hotel, and we loved every single staff member we encountered there, from the valets to the restaurant servers to the front desk staff.

I see a lot of rudeness at the TSA stations. But 99% of the time, it is the passengers doing it to the TSA staff, and not vice versa. People who don't fly a lot don't bother to research the rules, don't pay attention, don't follow instructions, and then get pissed at the TSA personnel when they can't bring their liter of water on the plane. :shrug:
 
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I am aware that smaller airports usually have the politer TSA agents - most of my traveling - especially after 9-11 - has been out of major airports [god I wish the small airport near me had more destinations]. The major airports, however, have much more incidents of rudeness, etc. The people on the FlyerTalk forums can attest to this. For all the airports I've been through, in the U.S [LGA, LAX, DFW, ORD, MCO, MIA, TPA, SNA, STL, JFK, DFW, HOG, HNL, BWI, SAN, HPN] only HPN has had extrordinarily friendly TSA agents.
 
I'm kind of put out. I've flown almost 60k miles this year and NO ONE has fondled me. Not even once. And you would think that since airfares to some of the places I've had to go have been $800+, I should have been entitled to a little fondling before Delta bent me over and financially raped me.

What are you talking about? Don't you know every TSA employee goes through a "How to grope, fondle, and molest the passengers" course?

:roll:

Doesn't mean that things don't happen though - not that I'm intentionally implying that you take the "It never happened to me,. thus it doesn't happen" attitude, but the TSA's infamous incompetence, and power tripping isn't secret. Its just the apathy both from the public, and media outlets.

No, what isn't secret is the media and publics attempt to glom onto any random negative acts due to a dislike for the agency and what they do and thus negative things about them give good ratings/buys.

There are over 350 airports in the United States. Even just thinking of the 26 Cat X ones, the largest, would give a good indication though. You're looking at thousands upon thousands of TSA employees, and I say that because not only do you have many working but continual turnout at the larger airports due to the typically poor pay, hours, and working conditions in some of the places. Yet you hear of a handful of CREDIBLE stories that come out a year and it gets used to judge what must be somehow "rampant" amongst all of TSA.

Now I won't doubt one bit you'll find rude TSA people, or unfriendly ones, at the big airports. I dare say working with people where the large amount of them hate your very existance and their attitude tells you that wouldn't wear on many of you greatly either. But there's a difference between unfriendly and criminal.
 
I am aware that smaller airports usually have the politer TSA agents - most of my traveling - especially after 9-11 - has been out of major airports [god I wish the small airport near me had more destinations]. The major airports, however, have much more incidents of rudeness, etc. The people on the FlyerTalk forums can attest to this. For all the airports I've been through, in the U.S [LGA, LAX, DFW, ORD, MCO, MIA, TPA, SNA, STL, JFK, DFW, HOG, HNL, BWI, SAN, HPN] only HPN has had extrordinarily friendly TSA agents.

A cyclical thing sadly. Smaller airports tend to be less stressful for passengers checking in, shorter lines, etc. This puts passengers in a better mood. Passengers in a good mood are easy to work with thus putting employees in a good mood. Employees in a good mood reenforce passengers good attitudes. And it goes back and forth.

Meanwhile, waiting 45 minutes in a check in line, to then have to wait in the TSA line, to have to deal with these "idiots" whose job a "monkey" could do while you have to ridiculously take off your shoes and god damn you just wanted to bring a coke with you, generally puts a lot of people in a ****ty and rude mood. ****ty and rude moods get reflected in your actions and words which rub off on those employees dealing with you. That messes up their mood which then hits the next passenger, and so on.

Now yes, its their "job", but their job is actually first and foremost the security part of it...the "being friendly" is secondary. And, for many the jobs not worth taking crap from people that somehow thing Jimmy waving the metal detecting wand somehow personally decided you can't bring your lighter with you on board.

This isn't an attempt to excuse rudeness, there's no "excuse" for it, but more to explain why you're seeing it and why likely smaller airports don't experience it.
 
I am aware that smaller airports usually have the politer TSA agents - most of my traveling - especially after 9-11 - has been out of major airports [god I wish the small airport near me had more destinations]. The major airports, however, have much more incidents of rudeness, etc. The people on the FlyerTalk forums can attest to this. For all the airports I've been through, in the U.S [LGA, LAX, DFW, ORD, MCO, MIA, TPA, SNA, STL, JFK, DFW, HOG, HNL, BWI, SAN, HPN] only HPN has had extrordinarily friendly TSA agents.

I'm sure this wouldn't be because they numerically handle a hundred times more people, right? Thus, dealing with a hundred times more fliers who don't know how to pack, don't follow rules, and don't prepare in advance for their flight. :roll:

I see you attempting to dismiss my post, but for every flight I take OUT OF my small city, I have multiple connections and I take a return flight home out of a large city...LAX, DFW, MIA, DET, DCA, RDU, MIL, SAN...the list goes on, this year alone.
 
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Doesn't mean that things don't happen though

Also, this is a strawman. Rudeness from TSA occurs with the same frequency that it occurs in other professions. Actually, I bet TSA is considerably less rude than a lot of professions in that they are constantly dealing with adults who won't hesitate to report them and publicize these occurrances. They also get a ton of training in customer interactions.
 
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I have had bad experiences with TSA, but it was more inconvenient than rude. In actuality it was not even the TSA but the rules they had to follow depending on the airport.

At O'Hare having an insulin pump I was treated like a terrorist. It was almost like the state was made because I could not be compelled by law to take it off. So I had to go through an extra 20 to 30 Min's of searching everything I had and wiping it down for bomb testing. Now at Ft Lauderdale airport, nothing at all. Wore it through the scanner and it did not set it off so they said go ahead.

So it really depends on the rules and airport not the TSA who is just trying to do their job.
 
Also, this is a strawman. QUOTE]

Not really - a response to using travel out of a small airport to extrapolate how the TSA operates, frequency or lack therefore of rudeness, etc overall is not in of itself a strawman. If you travel out of big and small airports alike with some frequency you see a wider attitude variety than just going in or out of small airports, or just going in or out of large airports.

Regardless of how frequent or not it is, why should that matter at all? The fact that it is occurring in the way it is nowwithout any real means of stopping it is inherently, IMO, disgusting. If it is indeed true that they are patting genitalia in the manner spoken of in a few recently publishedarticles , it needs to be addressed, as I'm sure the limited administrative right to search granted to the TSA doesn't include patdowns that //seem// to be made with the intent of making passengers choose the body scanner from then on.

If they were doing their job, they wouldn't feel the need to add all these measures, to make the news as frequently as they do now. Black Dog, you should NOT have to take that - in fact, the treatment by those agenst should have resulted in summoning a supervisor, as 20-30 minutes over an insulin pump is hardly reasonable, and I'm sure that regulations control the inspection of medical devices.


[I'll address the other posts later - I've got work to do, linked list projects for class. >_<]
 
Not really - a response to using travel out of a small airport to extrapolate how the TSA operates, frequency or lack therefore of rudeness, etc overall is not in of itself a strawman. If you travel out of big and small airports alike with some frequency you see a wider attitude variety than just going in or out of small airports, or just going in or out of large airports.

You think I fly 60k miles a year, and only go in and out of small airports? You should have your flux capacitor checked out...that isn't even remotely logical. :roll:

What I think happened here is that you have some kind of axe to grind, for reasons I'm not really clear on, and you're just looking for an excuse to do it. Your posts aren't even rational.

Whenever an agency has thousands of employees who have daily contact with millions of people, someone is bound to get their panties in a wad. In no way am I excusing rudeness. I'm just suggesting that it's normal for people to get disgruntled in airport security check lines for reasons that have zero to do with the behavior of the TSA staff. If TSA staff act unprofessionally, that should be dealt with. However, it is my opinion that most of the unpleasantness tends to revolve around infrequent travelers who don't understand the rules or follow instructions.
 
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Black Dog, you should NOT have to take that - in fact, the treatment by those agenst should have resulted in summoning a supervisor, as 20-30 minutes over an insulin pump is hardly reasonable, and I'm sure that regulations control the inspection of medical devices.

It is the regulations...

“Good morning,” I say, standing still, “just want you to know I am wearing an insulin pump – so the alarm may sound.”

“Hmmm, hey Carla,” says agent 1, “we got something here. Not sure what we do. Think it’s a secondary. Need a full check.”

“What’s a secondary?” asks Carla.

“Just do it.” says Agent 1.

Carla leads me to the suspect chair with the white-lined feet on the mat next to it. I place my feet inside the two white spaces. She asks me if I would like to accompany her to a private room and I say no. So far, it feels very standard and I happily cooperate. She asks me to show her the pump again and to touch it with both my hands. I remove it from my chest and lay it in my lap doing as she says. She then rubs white circular pieces of paper against my hands and inserts these into a machine detector of some sort. She does this twice just to be sure. After this, she screens my entire body with a wand, but I do not have to undress. The she asks me to sit still while she looks through my bag. Without turning around, she asks me if there is anything sharp and I tell her that it is safe for her to touch, nothing is open. Without my being able to see what she is doing, she removes everything from my computer bag and my purse and throws it on the counter. I lean a little forward and watch as she carries on. She rifles through my wallet, diabetes kit, zippered make-up pouch, book, magazines, eyeglass case and so on. I carry a small leather travel photo frame case of my daughter. I can see her opening that too. I consider that it has been at least 15 minutes since I sat down and probably 25 minutes since I got into the line. My belongings are now splayed on the table, and after one last glance, she throws everything back into my bags and tells me I am OK. I have one question before I leave.

“What does secondary mean?” I am not daring her to say suspect, I earnestly want to know how I am defined.


She shrugs her shoulders and tells the supervisor to come see me. I ask again.

“All it means that anyone with an insulin pump or a medical device needs a full screen. It’s just procedure. We haven’t done anything wrong.”


That story is almost word for word what happened to me. Over zealous law? Yes. TSA fault? No. They were kind and not overbearing. Even tried not to mess up my stuff.
 
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