Update (Nov 22, 2010 / 3:12pm CST):  I just saw this quote from Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security:

“I think we all understand the concerns Americans have,” Napolitano is quoted as saying by The Associated Press. “It’s something new. Most Americans are not used to a real law enforcement pat-down like that.”

Yes, please.  Insult our intelligence a bit more for the holiday season.  More to the point, let me point out that even if that were similar to a “real law enforcement pat-down” (it’s not and, yes, I know), no one in a line for security at an airport is under arrest or under suspicion and aren’t subject to such overstepping anywhere else in their lives.

Original Entry:

I don’t know if I would recommend “joining” the “boycott” being suggested for Wednesday, November 24th, where people are suggesting that all passengers opt out for being scanned in favor of the pat down as a form of protest. 

It’s a poor choice of day because many do have something to lose in being either late or exceptionally inconvenienced traveling someplace for the holiday.  It would feel more smart if it were on another day.  On the other hand, I can’t actually discourage it either because this needs attention and quickly. 

Take a look at what the Denver Post photographed at the local airport HERE.  In particular, I think this photo HERE represents all that is wrong w/ these procedures.    I’m not sure where exactly the line is but I’m certain that the line has been crossed by a good margin at this point. 

TSA chief, Joe Pistole, keeps saying that relatively few people object.  I say that this is too new for us to know how everyone feels.  In fact, every time I see interviews of people on the street asking if they would subject themselves to this kind of patdown, I believe their “yes” answers come before experiencing this process. 

Let’s put it another way.  If you saw your family being put through this, would you stand for it anywhere else?  I wouldn’t.   Take a look at this video:

The father removed the shirt because the boy was too shy to lift his arms for the patdown.  Regardless, this is getting more offensive as time goes by and it still happened because of invasive search requirements by the TSA.

And I’ll reiterate my own feelings that whatever a passenger is required to go through, the same should be applied to everyone including flight crews regardless of background checks, etc.  If this really is about security, then it should be applied with no holes.  I’ll include the President should he ever fly commercially during his tenure in office. 

In addition, there is too much evidence that how these procedures are being applied at various airports is inconsistent and indicates, at the least, poor training for TSA agents although I’ll continue to maintain that the people I’ve encountered in the TSA uniform continue to appear to be doing their jobs without real vigilence and seem to be following a policy rather than acting in real concern for security.  Read this ABS news story for the latest example (and at an airport where policy just should be flat out known) HERE. If that isn’t enough, see Scott McCartney’s Middle Seat Terminal blog entry about TSA training and an audit on it that was performed recently. 

I would suggest writing your congressmen and senators.  They are easy to find and easy to email and it is well known that they pay attention to trends in communications they receive from their constituents.  In addition, I would suggest sending an email to the ACLU and to your local newspapers.  And do it multiple times.  These communications go farther in the long run.

Filed under: Airports by ajax