Travel musings

[belmikey]

The more I hear about the body-scanner/enhanced pat-down crap that is gradually being imposed by the TSA as the body scanners come on line, the more irritated I become

Comments

[liadan_m]

And all this ran through my head last night as I thought about traveling north in January.

And I had to make the decision that I wanted to be there, and if I had to drive, I wasn't going to be able to be there.

[elliesam]

I've been wondering about this as well. When I traveled while pregnant, my OB said the metal detectors were Ok. But you are supposed to avoid being x-rayed while pregnant. So what are pregnant women supposed to do now if they fly? If I can't go through these machines, is my only option to be groped every time? My OB office doesn't have an official word on this yet.

[disheveledhair]

As a rape and sexual abuse survivor, I neither want people ogling me naked, nor groping my fat rolls. I don't even like people hugging me half of the time, nevermind a stranger violating my danger zones. Which means I can never fly again, and the thought that my only choices are not flying or being molested by a TSA monkey gives me panic attacks. Stupid terrorists ruin everything for everyone.

Mom and I were talking the other day that there must be an easier way, like clothing with a mesh down the side from the armpit to the upper thigh on both sides to make sure you're not wearing anything underneath, but keeps you covered up otherwise. Ted also thought of flight suits. But I don't know. Will this really deter them? They'll just come up with clothing made out of explosives next so we'll all have to travel naked.

[belmikey]

The easiest way would be to acknowledge that the actual probability of a terrorist blowing up a plane is as unbelievably tiny today as it was ten years ago. It has neither improved nor worsened. And having no screening at all would probably not change that probability to any significant degree.

Or, more briefly: There is nothing the TSA is currently doing that actually makes us even a little bit safer. All it does is get us used to being treated like government property.

[aryanhwy]

Robin Gallowglass posted an interesting link earlier -- http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/744199---israelification-high-security-little-bother. FWIW, the ideas described in there sounded interesting.

[spookyevilone]

After the brain explody incident, I've been told not to subject myself to unnecessary radiation because I'm already being exposed to significantly high doses of necessary radiation. I'm not going through a backscatter scanner. I am also not about to put up with the indignity of having someone penalize me with a grope-down in public for not going through the scanner.

Which means that until this shit is stomped, I'm not flying. Thankfully, I don't have to fly for work.

Thank you so much for posting about this...

[opalsprite]

"Or, more briefly: There is nothing the TSA is currently doing that actually makes us even a little bit safer. All it does is get us used to being treated like government property."
I SO agree with this.

I don't think the seriousness of the "grope-down" in public (or in private) can be stressed enough. This is not a "grope-down". From what I've read, it is assault and is tatamount to rape.
I believe it should be treated as such.
It is also repulsive that these assaults are used to cow others into walking through scanners that are not proven safe.