PSA- The Rest of the Story…

To grope or not to grope… That was the Option at Tulsa today, as they ONLY have the millimeter wave porn machines at the airport. When the person in front of me was told to take their belts and shoes off and empty everything out I’d their pockets, including MONEY, WALLETS, and take off ALL JEWELRY and put it in the bin, which they could not see during the scanning, I opted out.


This was immediately called out in a loud voice and three TSAers segregated me, so the rest of the herd would go passively… I was then told I had to remove everything and I would be “patted” down. When the TSAer started to walk off with the tub with my money, watch and cell phones; I told him to stop, that I wanted everything to remain in my view. That didn’t go over well either…

I was then groped, just flat NO other word for it… sigh… I need a new career that DOESN’T involve flying…

I will be filing a complaint when I get back to DC, but I’ll bet nothing happens.

The other interesting thing is that they put THREE of these units at Tulsa, where I doubt they EVER get a politician or high official that will ever transit through the airport. If they were decent leaders, the first units would have been at Reagan National and the congresscritters and high administration officials would have been the first users…

Comments

PSA- The Rest of the Story… — 17 Comments

  1. Not being able to keep my eyes on my stuff has always been a problem with me. I’ve been known to refuse to go through the metal detector when the xray has a backup until I see my carry on go through.

    Sounds like it’s just getting worse.

  2. My guess is that the congresscritters get a pass on all of this garbage.

    I remember couriering stuff via civilian airlines a few times and the consternation they had with being told to keep my briefcase where I could see it. My guess is they haven’t gotten any less surly about it.

  3. DIA is starting to use them. They are slow. Last trip TSA was moving people over to the older metal detectors.

    I cannot understand why metal must be removed when you are being scanned.

    What really pisses me is the time I waste. Two hours before the flight now just to be safe and that is with my boarding pass printed before I even get to the airport.

    I imagine you fly enough to qualify for elite status; at least your line is a lot shorter than mine.

  4. Yeah, but The Ruling Elite (aka our congress critters) are FAR too important and trustworthy to be subjected to the same treatment the serfs get@

  5. Olf NFO I have often thought about the fact that I waste alot of my time also getting to the airport 2 hours early, striping down to no shoes, belt, sweater, etc, going through a line where my things are going through without me in front of them. A what if scenerio – the TSA Agent is the bad guy, slips the “stuff” into my bag, which then passes through, etc….. and they worry about my Cape Cod bracelet and underwire bra? Jeesh…. the least of their worries in my book, waste of money and time… you must be a saint to travel so frequently and have to do that all the time…….
    Gia

  6. I had my first experience with the new transporters/scanners a few weeks ago to board a return flight to Dallas down in Harlingen, TX of all places. No such scanners for boarding the flight TO Harlingen out of Dallas’ Love Field. 700+ miles from home doesn’t leave you with many options but to comply. Resistance would have been futile and would have resulted in a 10+ hour drive home in a rental car. It’s be nice if there was a little warning about that sort of thing before you left your point of origin so that you could make alternate arrangements if you didn’t like the idea of being fondled.

  7. Of course congesscritters get a “by”.
    How would anyone want to be a TSAer that has to..um..pat one of them down.

    Side note Re: Gia’s spot.
    That happened to me a couple years ago.
    Went to Brisbane for ANZAC, and upon arrival, found a TSA box cutter under the little note they leave, telling you they searched your luggage.

    Skul

  8. Go read about “The Stanford Prison Experiment”, 1971 and “The Milgram Experiment”, 1961 and then tell me you don’t get a creepy feeling about the Blue Shirts.

  9. Alan- yeah same here, it IS getting worse!

    DB- I think so too… and yeah, they DON’T like couriers!

    WSF- Guess I’ll be marking DIA off my list… sigh…

    drjim- no shit!

    Newbius- Not quite!

    Gia- It’s NOT fun anymore… And I don’t envy y’all with the bras, etc.

    Julie- It did, barely…

    Linda- I envy you!

    KE- I don’t but my job ‘requires’ multiple trips world wide… sigh…

    Jenn- Good point!

    Skul- They are also putting dope in to test the dogs… REAL good if you’re going INTL and they miss it…

    PE- You just made the hair on the back of my neck stand up… You’re right!

  10. I think it’s time to retire…I still need a pool boy & I promise not to grope. Ogle maybe, grope never. 😀

  11. Penn of Penn & Teller fame has a writeup on his blog about his experience coming home to LV. They groped him and he called the cops and filed, IIRC, an assault claim against the TSA agent.

    It’s a start but I’d rather have the entire TSA abolished.

  12. Snigs- don’t tempt me…

    Crucis- I remember that, the case was dismissed…

    Ev- well, my cousin got arrested for dropping trou in San Diego a couple of years ago…