Stay Classy, TSA

Apparently there is no screenings of TSA agents.

Oh, Rusty…Rusty. Terrorists, who? Hatred, what?
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http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11780.shtml

I don’t travel near as much as you, Amy. But be assured of this. If I am behind you in the security line, I will be cursing you the whole time you make a scene and extend the time for me. Know it. I will be cursing you.

Appreciate your concern, but I actually made it quicker for those behind me because they didn’t have to wait for me to take my turn in the back-scatter machine. (Not that that was my main concern, but still.) You want me in your security line–I’ve got the flip flops off, the laptop out, the plastic bag ready, and the suitcase hoisted inside of ten seconds.

I hope that jerk you encountered reads swampland.

ok, thanks. As long as the shoes are off, metal objects removed, etc., etc. ready for inspection, you are allowed to get up in the face of the TSA whom we all despise.

“You want me in your security line–I’ve got the flip flops off, the laptop out, the plastic bag ready, and the suitcase hoisted inside of ten seconds.”
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Hell, that ain’t nothing. I check everything and traipse through naked, well, minus the thong and pasties. Hmm, did I just type that aloud?

Yeah, I know of more than a few here who would gladly bare something “for his inspection”.

Wow, that’s really offensive. Sorry that happened to you.

Wow. Now, what I want to know is did you turn to the guy, or the agent you were with and say that? I sure as h3ll would have. But I’m like that. Or you could pull a George Kellerman and take down badge numbers. Pretty stupid, considering the media stink. Seriously, I really hope you said something snarky at the very least.

This people are given a little power…and viola instant A holes.
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http://upgrd.com/matthew/93-year-old-arrested-for-assaulting-tsa-agent-at-burbank-over-applesauce.html
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Arrested for applesauce? Read the first comment from someone that used to work with the airport SS.

“Seriously, I really hope you said something snarky at the very least.”
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That’s why I refuse to fly. I can’t control either the snarks or my mouth. I’d either wind up with a date or a fine. The last time they sent me for a full physical at work we had to drop trou and cough. I had my hands behind my head, my eyes closed and was running my tongue over my lips while moaning and rotating my hips. I got my ass seriously chewed when I got back to work..

sacred, don’t forget option 3, that they’d beg you to get on the plane and out of their hair.

afguy, I think my problem is that I don’t take anything very seriously. I’m not even sure if I’m trying to make other people or only myself laugh. I don’t see any Grand Design or sacred mission to life. To me, it’s just one pratfall, slip on a banana peel and mistake after mistake until we quit breathing. Do a little good and make someone else’s life a little better while you’re alive and then say Ta Da when it’s over.

Nah, they play the no sense of humor cop roles on Dragnet. They take themselves way too seriously considering how inept and ridiculous they are. They’d throw you in jail for trying to be funny. And, don’t say bomb.

And just imagine what it will be like if Democrats get their way and TSA goons get to unionize. They will then have lifetime job security despite their thuggery.

Try going through the line in a wheelchair — opt out is the only option. They go through the chair, touch you everywhere, and run the stupid pieces of paper over you and the chair, that tell them if you’ve been around explosives — takes about 1/2 and hour. (Hawaii was the worse, followed by Dallas)

Or the man with the colostomy bag that was broken by a search, or folks who for medical reasons can’t go through the machine… It is time for the ADA to put a couple of lawsuits through, flying with a disability is 100% painful every time, uncomfortable, and very embarrassing — so the handicapped shouldn’t fly anymore? Your story is cute, flying with a disability, one that involves metal in the body, or medical equipment is a nightmare — and no the people held up in line behind you are not understanding.

This is not ok, and it is not a joke.

i have a highly provocative dance prepared for my first encounter with this technology

I can only imagine. It’s a damn travesty that we treat our people this way. And they want a union.

We need to fix this. The TSA is humiliating people; it is torturing handicapped people. Imagine having a TSA personal disconnect a catheter bag in a crowded airport, testing every inch of a wheel car and its occupant. Then there are the searches of children…and God forbid that you have any applesauce.

Amy, I hope you reported the a$$. By the way, you don’t have to be a union member to be a pig.

I have epilepsy and in the course of time have acquired an implant and four or five plates in my head. Plus a big empty spot in there too, right temporal lobe out in 01/07. Oh, and there’s the part where I’m on a medical diet for my seizures, and the thing where I need to have my prescribed food with me which includes liquids. Guess who doesn’t fly? I use Amtrak, less hassle and if it’s a longer trip you can always get a sleeper. Also, they give me 10% off for having a reduced fare transit pass, which is about enough to pay for the business class upgrade. Big seats, you can get up and walk around, hang out in the lounge, or just stay put in your seat and read.

Was the male agent “well-dressed”, Ms. Sullivan?

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/points-of-failure/

shhh…apr.
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They’re on their “it’s all the unions’ fault” rant.
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Even when it isn’t.

When I flew back from San Diego last month it was the first place with a body scanner. I have a hip replacement so I’ve been patted and patted and had made up my mind that I’d deal with the scanner. I went into the line I was sent to and ding, ding, the bell went off. I said, I have a hip replacement.

The woman there said you should have said that ahead of time and gone through this one. You can’t do it now since you set off the alarm and must have the patdown. That patdown was more intrusive than the ones I have grown used to. However, there was nothing to tell me I should have chosen the scanner first. Grrr. Now I know.

At least some airports have reset their machines so I don’t always set it off.

Are you sure it was an TSA agent and not an employee of the airport security team?

One of the main concerns about security is that airports contract it out and the government doesn’t have controll of what security firm each airport uses.

You, sir, are why we have the garbage taking place in all our airports. Nothing matters to you but getting to your gate 30 seconds sooner.

I hope you miss all your flights for the next year.

Yeah! Cause that’s the whole problem with the TSA, not the fascist thuggery encapsulated in the regulations themselves, but that the workers might unionize.

Sick.

kahamono@8.1,

Sure, mono. Let’s unionize the TSA so that we can’t fire them. That should work out just a well as the “rubber rooms” in NYC where teachers not fit for the classroom pass here time doing nothing useful at taxpayer expense,

Yes, mono. That is undoubtedly the solution. More public employee’s union members because they have such a record of stellar work.

I fly with my service animal which is a pain as it is. I haven’t flown through with the new screening options in place. I have no idea what kind of nightmare I am in for now.

TSA is an out of control organization… they’re Obama’s personal civilian force answerable to him. Put the TSA on the southern border where they’ll do some good.

formerlyjames, you have some real issues you need to deal with.

Terrorists stopped by TSA agents: ZERO
Suspects created out of thin air by TSA agents: 330 million.

As if the terrorists weren’t bad enough now we’re being subjected to federally employed sexual predators.

But they DO. The TSA uses failed 7/11 applicants.

Surprised?!?! YGTBSM !

What would one expect when a troop of baboons wearing a badge and picking their nose has the authority to search ones bags without probable cause??

Disband TSA, it’s a Joke and a total waste of valuable funds!

Not to mention a VIOLATION OF OUR RIGHTS !!

“One of the main concerns about security is that airports contract it out and the government doesn’t have controll of what security firm each airport uses.”

Wow, you’ve really bought into the BS from Gestapo Nepolitano haven’t you?

The truth is that while not necessarily better, investigations of the private firms running airport security (done by independent firms) show they were just as good as federal security.

That fact alone should make you wonder why they are so eager to bring in their own guys that they are willing to lie?

Kinda speaks for itself, no?

I am no fan of TSA, but I think this is a BS story. Made up, manufactured, a lie. I’d like to hear a recording, before I believe anything Time Mag says…

The 4 that did make it through were rejected by McDonalds and Burger King though….so, if you have a pulse and clean record and decent finger counting skills you’re in….

Quite simply, it is hard to conceive that the American people would stand for this degree of degradation. Have we no pride? Do we bow this low to incompetence and political correctness? If so, we do not deserve freedom.

Look at the author’s picture. Didn’t happen.

Whoa here.

He was just speaking in TSA jargon.

“Hey, I thought she was mine [because I haven't patted down anyone in the last 4 days)! I was gonna do her [thorough security pat down]!”

And he could have been gay.

This is what I think of the TSA

http://roostertree.com/opinionation/?webcomic_post=2010-11-28-2bring-the-kids-unto-the-airport

Exactly. Poorly paid people with trumped up authority and minimal training never act badly. This must be fabricated.

Especially as this is the first story ever of the TSA acting in an inappropriate manner.

Oh sorry, I was remembering my time in an alternate universe where the above was real; however in this world the story as presented is not only plausible, but relatively likely.

Of course eberwein would require video proof if I said I hit bad traffic at a light last week too. How could such a thing happen?

http://www.airsafe.com/issues/security/tsa-sop-not-redacted.pdf

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2.2.3. HHMD OR PAT-DOWN SCREENING OF INDIVIDUALS
The HHMD TSO is responsible for HHMD screening and pat-down inspections in accordance with the Screening Checkpoint SOP. All HHMD and pat-down searches must be conducted by TSOs of the same gender as the individual presents him or herself to be. Extraordinary circumstances may occur where a TSO of the same gender is not available, including staffing shortage emergencies at any airport or limited staffing at category II, III, and IV airports. Under these circumstances, TSOs of the opposite gender may be allowed to screen individuals in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 4.3.14 of this SOP. During opposite gender screening an STSO or LTSO, if possible, should be present. This rule applies to all references of same gender screening in the Screening Checkpoint SOP.

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Revision: 3
Date: May 28, 2008
Implementation Date: June 30, 2008 Screening Management SOP

4.3.14. OPPOSITE GENDER SCREENING
Extraordinary circumstances may occur where a TSO of the same gender as the individual being screened (the gender of an individual is determined by who he or she presents themselves to be) is not available to complete HHMD and/or pat-down screening procedures (for example, staffing shortage emergencies at any airport or limited staffing at Category II, III, and IV airports). Under these staffing shortage emergencies, screening procedures for individuals of the opposite gender, as provided for in this Section, are authorized and STSOs must apply the following procedures.

A. The following notifications must be made within 24 hours of each new staffing shortage event:
1) The STSO must notify the FSD, specifying the anticipated duration of the staffing shortage. The STSO must provide subsequent updates to the FSD if the reported duration is exceeded.
2) The STSO must maintain a count of the number of passengers affected during the staffing shortage and report these numbers to the FSD after the shortage is resolved. No personal or identifying information must be taken from the passenger for purposes of this report. For example, “three female passengers underwent opposite gender screening at Airport X” is an adequate count; however, including the names of the three female passengers in the count would be inappropriate. [my note: Do Touch; Don't Tell]
3) The FSD must in turn notify the Area Director, who must monitor such reports and consider how the patterns of staffing shortages, if any, can be addressed. The Area Director or his or her designee must notify the Office of Civil Rights of the staffing shortage and provide a copy of the report indicating the number of passengers subjected to opposite gender screening at each affected airport.

B. The STSO must ensure that the following notice is provided to an individual of the opposite gender before the individual enters the WTMD:
1) A TSO of the same gender as the individual presents him or herself to be is not available.
2) A TSO of the opposite gender will be required to complete the screening process, which may include physical contact between the TSO and the individual.
3) An LTSO or STSO, if possible, will be present.
4) Once the individual enters the WTMD, the individual must complete the screening process.

[I repeat: "4) Once the individual enters the WTMD, the individual must complete the screening process." Sorry high school girl!]

And this was worth a TIME article? I am sure its all fabricated too,

Oh, fer crying out loud! This is another example of a column written by someone with either an axe to grind or looking to beat a deadline to write something for the editors.

I have flown in over 40 airports in the last 30 days and seen or heard NOTHING improper. I have gone to the trouble of asking fellow passengers, especially women, if they are offended by anything and they have ALL said “no”.

This was an agent who thought he (or she) was the one doing the examination and simply said they thought it was their charge. I’ve heard this EXACT thing said by several agents and no one batted an eyelash.

Also, as a news columnist, allow me to say you should be ashamed of yourself for writing such a misleading article filled with innuendo and incorrect assumptions.

Get a new job or think twice the next time before you write such slanderous trash.

Hey, isn’t TIME one of the all-out shill publications for the Obama admin and leftist “ruling class” power-crazed Democrats under which a veritable police state — with the blatant and callous mistreatment of US citizens and disregard for their liberties — is expanding by leaps and bounds, under the pretext of “for your own safety”?

Suck it up! Take one for “the team!” It’s all good! Hope and change! Yes we can! Corpse-men! 57 states! Laser-like focus!

I love this article because it’s like great fantasy writing where the author takes a familiar experience to most of us and then let’s the imagination run loose! First of all, some of you who travel regularly may have noticed by now that passenger screening is conducted by TSA officers based on gender: men are screened by male officers and women are screened by female officers. This has NEVER changed and won’t anytime soon. I did detect some attempts at humor in the article but I have doubts as to the credibility of the author’s claim that a male officer uttered the remark that was quoted. It’s absurd to suggest a TSA officer would make this remark due to the screening policy aforementioned. I work at the 5th busiest airport in the country and I fly frequently. If this author heard something offensive she should’ve spent her time more wisely and filed a complaint at the checkpoint and asked to speak to a TSA security manager. When I read these types of blogs/articles I really question the integrity and intentions of the author and accompanying commentators. Instead of calling out the whole TSA you folks should call out the individual.

To those angry commentators: so, you’ve had 1 bad experience with TSA, well, that’s all it takes to add another cheap shot to the litany that are volleyed continuously. So then, every single TSA employee is rude, ignorant and wastes good taxpayer money?! What about the thousands of decent, hard-working professional TSA officers that show up each day to keep America’s transportation systems safe? Because someone’s job involves screening your property and your person does that make them your enemy? How do you think they feel when they read these hateful comments? How would you feel if someone came to your workplace and then blogged dishonest, slanderous remarks about you and your co-workers? Do you care? How many of you haters actually have customer service experience or even have the slightest interpersonal skills to associate with other human beings? I have little tolerance for whining misanthropes and it’s shameful that so many have internet access to share their drivel. So I say adieu and get a life; better yet-do us a favor and DON’T FLY! Thanks~~~~

Amy Sullivan, with a little innovation, your techie fans might be able to download your backscatter image, and create a room full of art based on your digital xray.

Please stop opting out. Now that you write for Time against TSA x-ray images, your backscatter images now might be in huge demand! keep playing hard-to-get so that TSA can make you famous!

I appreciate this article for its truthfulness.

Here’s some more truth:

1. Two-time Pulitzer prize winner Andrew Schneider wrote an investigative article called “No Proof TSA Scanners Are Safe.” Read it.

2. “After the Press” interviewed two scientists who have studied radiation longer than most of us have been alive, and they won’t go through the airport x-ray scanners. Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS0UxXDNs4w

Then check out one of the few politicians willing to do something about the patdowns/scanners:

http://www.senatenj.com/index.php/doherty/tsa-petition/sign-the-petition-help-stop-invasive-tsa-screening/7149

Ironically,

Me, who has 20 years airline experience, past security clearances, worked in sensitive areas, labs, warehouses, factories and negotiated multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts was deemed ineligible for this job, because of a blemish on my credit history.

Who knew? If only I was some HS dropout looser I’m sure I would have been a shoo-in.

Phew! What a lot of masterbatoryin’ going on in this thread. Some of you aren’t nearly as witty as you may think,.

Wouldn’t mind being behind you in line, Amy; I like yor style.

No, there aren’t. Just a desire to intimidate.

Where is the NOW organization? No where to be found. I can’t fly because if I did, someone would probably get their lights punched out when they grabbed me. These judicial and human rights hypocrites would arrest me for protecting my dignity. Everything Obama says, does, or orders is for a specific political purpose. People with respect for liberty and freedom better wake up and put an end to this nonsense. Some have become such hypocrites; they sit around for 18 days as Egypt convulses about ‘freedom’ and ‘rights’ and the far left wing nuts celebrate with them claiming ‘victory’. But personal freedom and civil rights for ALL (not only some) American citizens is not of any interest to them. The hypocrisy is glaring and dangerous.

I am surprised that they let you opt-out!

In order to punish you for opting-out of the X-ray, they subject you to the most gross and disgusting process with the hope that next time around you’ll gladly run to the X-ray.

Along with the gov’t. approved sexual assault, they hire these pigs who should be in jail in the first place to feel up your wife, daughter, and you.

The ‘Shoe bomber’ caused us all to take our shoes off. ‘Underwear bomber’ caused us all to be groped. What will happen when some idiot has a bomb inside a bodily cavity? Where will TSA search next? Full body x-rays?

In the near future if things continue going the way of an ever more intrusive and controlling government the TSA will require a search of bodily orifices for “contraband”! So what will happen is that a large male “TSA” agent will approach a potential terrorist (young attractive female of course) and inform her that she has been selected for a more “thorough” search? So then she will be sequestered in a “private” screening area and will be told to disrobe, then informed that she will be “probed” to establish that she has not concealed any contraband in her bodily orifices and that any drip she notices afterward is just some excess lube?

I doubt that it would be done by a human. I’m guessing a robot would do something similar to a colonoscopy, competely steril, with a camera cavity search. There’s no need to turn this into a gross sexual topic when it can be completely high-tech science surveillance of the inside of the human body without any groping.

So Amy, you feel that it’s all right for someone to grope you? I personally am NOT happy with either choice.

There are better and more accurate ways of ensuring the safety of the public without feeding into the fantasy of a TSA agent.

http://www.unmitigated-truth.com/2010/01/terrorists-say-jump-do-we-say-how-high.html

http://www.unmitigated-truth.com/2010/11/tsa-protection-or-perversion.html

To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin – Those who are willing to give up Freedom for Security, deserve neither, and will lose both.

And did you get his name or badge number and did you file an “official demeanor complaint” with TSA and did you write and send a registered letter of complaint to Napolitano the useless, or is it all for a web post? Please say you filed complaint.

okay. i’m irish. live in seattle AND i’ve tuned into a right wing wacko (which in the usa means ‘i don’t care to fund providing 75″ flat screen tv’s to the offspring of 13 year old unwed girls with more than 3 children’). and pretty much, us whackos don’t like any gov’t involved.

but please: opt for the scan if you don’t want to feel violated or otherwise groped. your privates are not seen by the folks in your immediacy and the folks who can see your privates aren’t privy to the person/face that they are connected to.

i’m coming to wonder if you might think a wee bit to highly of yourself. that, or you had a deadline fast approaching in which you had to churn out a story, or something.

yeah, you’re right. ‘to’ shoulda been ‘too’.

never claimed to have any intelligence; just an opinion.

Thanks for validating what I have suspected and have been hearing from other people. It seems the “Lowest Bidder-Affirmative Action-Minority” is the hiring practice used by the TSA. Yes, 7/11 does have higher standards than the TSA.

3 words: smell my fingers

enough said.

MY TWO COMMENTS SUPPORTING AMY are still “waiting moderation” after two days — meaning they are (way?) too long (see my TSA memo above) — you may view both by clicking below — lots and lots of upsetting links:

http://ontodayspage.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-support-for-amy-sullivans-time-mag.html

http://ontodayspage.blogspot.com/2010/12/tsa-extends-sexually-abusive-searches.html

The TSA makes their own laws and own rules and despite the fact, they are not elected by the people. Searches should be conducted only when there is propable cause. The public is guaranteed rights by the fourth amendment.
Only the govt. could get away with molestation. Anyone else and they’d have jail time. This is harrassment,pure and simple. That’s why many call govt. and specifically the U.S. govt.”Legalized Mafia,” . We need to get rid of and outlaw these large federal agencies who threaten our freedom and way of life.

Well, who is to say the robot won’t get his kicks.

Exciting story to the very end, like an intriguing spy novel…I was on the edge of my seat as I read it, wondering what new spin this reporter would put on an otherwise bland topic.

And in the end, after waiting for that opportune moment, she got her wish and one shot at fame to write this piece she’s anxiously waited for since her idolized buddy Jeff Goldberg ran a similar non-sensical scam on the minds of his readers.

Expose’? Everything was as expected! Interesting, hardly. Amy you missed the boat on this story, but now you have your first class liberal ticket punched…you did your part to STAND UP for what’s important in your meager mind and used your position to promote an issue that we had all hoped was otherwise dead.

Congrats, keep up the spine tingling cutting edge reporting.

Having seen Amy Sullivan, I would suspect the guy was trying to be kind by throwing out the inappropriate comment more as a compliment or sarcasm. I don’t see people standing in line to pat Ms. Sullivan down any time soon.

I thought, the pat downs had to be conducted by an agent of the same sex?

See comment #25 above — a cut and paste from a TSA internal memo.

Not only may a pat down be conducted by a member of the opposite sex, but it MUST be conducted by a member of the opposite sex if no same sex agent if available (more often at small airports) — and you are supposedly barred from leaving once you enter the TSA area (rarely if ever enforce I would presume).

“4) Once the individual enters the WTMD, the individual must complete the screening process.” As long as …
… (This part actually comes first in the memo) “B. The STSO must ensure that the following notice is provided to an individual of the opposite gender before the individual enters the WTMD:
1) A TSO of the same gender as the individual presents him or herself to be is not available.”

Someone sneaks a bomb in their underwear on a plane and the TSA response is to make us stand in front of scanners that (by their own admission), cannot detect explosives. But they can see your fun parts.

Islamic radicals take over airplanes on 9/11 with improvised weapons consisting of mainly cheap dollar store razor knives, and as a result the TSA spends hundreds of millions of dollars on explosive detection machines. Oh yeah, and nothing on razor blade detection machines, which they pretty much had already (thanks to the FAA).

I’ve never understood the schizophrenic approach to aviation security that TSA has. Bombs in sports drinks? Ban all liquids, except of course, those that you can have your friendly airport worker bring to work in their lunch pail. Guns in bags? Absolutely forbidden. Unless, it’s checked, and then, not stolen by the thieving TSA workers who steal everything in sight. What happens to the firearm(s) that get stolen from the checked bag area? Can the TSA agent be trusted to simply take it home and not hide it on an airplane? Do thieves have honor?

TSA says we all have to submit to “enhanced” pat downs, except those who don’t have to. Like VIP’s, politicians, or passengers transitioning inside the US transport system from a foreign country which doesn’t use enhanced screening methods but we still allow their passengers to mingle with us, we the groped and violated.

Note to terrorists: Do not under any circumstances start your flight from a country that is not the USA, and under no circumstances, exploit the dozens of security holes that still exist today in Airport Security because all we can obsess about is the Israeli system…”best in the world” which has as many flights a day as Dubuque, Iowa.

And if you get the grand idea of “Hey, Let’s not use the TSA and try to Opt-out by using a private security service that the TSA still has management oversight of, guess what, no joy there. TSA says “Nah, we don’t like competition, those opt-out airports still make us look bad, so, no more of those.”

Airport Security. Coming soon to a train station, bus station, Metro System, Courthouse, and Cruise Terminal Dock courtesy of the “We ain’t thieves” TSA. When the government does nothing well, it still wants to do it all.

Egypt is one our biggest allies.

Egypt has a suddenly purposeless police force looking for work. They are organized, ruthless, intimidating, great at block parties and fun for the whole family.

I see a possible match here.

This woman is arrogant and missing the point. These people are just doing their job. Her whole article just seems a little bit like a rant. An annoying one.