Way to go, TSA

[Alyeska]

TSA forces honor guard for fallen soldier to strip from their uniforms in order to be searched because their medals set off the metal detector

[General Zod]

It seems that having "suspicious tattoos" can get you questioned as well. Fuck knows what they would have done if he had a tatt of an actual bomb.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Ok, where's the pitchforks and torches?

and the FOX mouth breathers will still say "Do you want to land safly or do you want the terrorists to blow you up"

[ShadowOfMadness]

Ok, where's the pitchforks and torches?
...

Honestly?

I think far too many People (Not just Americans are stupid, folks. Sorry.) are too stupid to understand the very, very small benefit these additional measures actually provide. So they say "THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING SOMETHING! WTF ARE YOU COMPLAINING YOU IDIOTS!!!" as if that is a valid position.

The terrorists already realize putting bombs inside people will get them past *any of TSAs security measures* if done properly. I just hope they don't figure out the very, very obvious application for a small explosive in a human body on a plane directed downward that could punch a hole in concrete.

The cost for penetrating these security measures is technical and medical expertise which they already possess.

Yes, it increases the cost of the attack significantly. But compared to the social, political, and financial cost of the pornscan/groping security measures?

I'd say the terrorists are getting the better deal by a huge margin.

[Elfdart]

Bastard! You beat me to it!

[mr friendly guy]

If we're worried about explosives, why not train more explosive-sniffing dogs? Everyone but the caniphobic are going to be more or less okay with it, and people who don't like dogs or who have religious objections to it can be searched by a handheld explosives detector! Holy shit, we don't have to expose people to possible sexual assault or degrading procedures and we can still be protected to a high extent. And, to catch people with such fun things as knives and guns with traditional metal detectors.

We do that in Australia. A few times I have been stopped and they held out a sign which basically reads, "you have been selected at random to participate in detection of bombs blah blah." Each time I have complied and 1-2 minute tops I was on my way. Seriously.

[Broomstick]

See, that's the neat thing about sniffer dogs - no matter what they find out about you, you know they ain't gonna be talking about it with their buddies or passing around pictures of your private bits on the internet. Much less invasive than anything involving humans. Even if they're sniffing your crotch, it's not the same thing as getting grouped by a human agent.

[mr friendly guy]

And the sniffer dogs are soooo cute. IIRC they literally have the dogs wearing "vests" sometimes saying don't pat the dog.

[Lusankya]

Isn't the dogs' primary purpose to stop Asian students from smuggling noodles into the country anyway, rather than terror attack prevention, though? That's the impression that I got from watching Border Control anyway.

[aerius]

Check out what Adam Savage claims to have carried through TSA security. Boy do I feel safe now.

[mr friendly guy]

Isn't the dogs' primary purpose to stop Asian students from smuggling noodles into the country anyway, rather than terror attack prevention, though? That's the impression that I got from watching Border Control anyway.

Well on one trip I was on, they were looking for drugs. It said so on the dogs vest.

[Chardok]

Isn't the dogs' primary purpose to stop Asian students from smuggling noodles into the country anyway, rather than terror attack prevention, though? That's the impression that I got from watching Border Control anyway.

Well on one trip I was on, they were looking for drugs. It said so on the dogs vest.

...And how, pray, do you know that wasn't the dog's name?

[Keevan_Colton]

Following the publication of my article titled “Gate Rape of America,” I was contacted by a source within the DHS who is troubled by the terminology and content of an internal memo reportedly issued yesterday at the hand of DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. Indeed, both the terminology and content contained in the document are troubling. The dissemination of the document itself is restricted by virtue of its classification, which prohibits any manner of public release. While the document cannot be posted or published, the more salient points are revealed here.
The memo, which actually takes the form of an administrative directive, appears to be the product of undated but recent high level meetings between Napolitano, John Pistole, head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA),and one or more of Obama’s national security advisors. This document officially addresses those who are opposed to, or engaged in the disruption of the implementation of the enhanced airport screening procedures as “domestic extremists.”

The introductory paragraph of the multi-page document states that it is issued “in response to the growing public backlash against enhanced TSA security screening procedures and the agents conducting the screening process.” Implicit within the same section is that the recently enhanced security screening procedures implemented at U.S. airports, and the measures to be taken in response to the negative public backlash as detailed [in this directive], have the full support of the President. In other words, Obama not only endorses the enhanced security screening, but the measures outlined in this directive to be taken in response to public objections.

The terminology contained within the reported memo is indeed troubling. It labels any person who “interferes” with TSA airport security screening procedure protocol and operations by actively objecting to the established screening process, “including but not limited to the anticipated national opt-out day” as a “domestic extremist.” The label is then broadened to include “any person, group or alternative media source” that actively objects to, causes others to object to, supports and/or elicits support for anyone who engages in such travel disruptions at U.S. airports in response to the enhanced security procedures.

For individuals who engaged in such activity at screening points, it instructs TSA operations to obtain the identities of those individuals and other applicable information and submit the same electronically to the Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division, the Extremism and Radicalization branch of the Office of Intelligence & Analysis (IA) division of the Department of Homeland Security.

For “any person, group or domestic alternative media source” that actively objects to, causes others to object to, supports and/or elicits support for anyone who engages in such travel “disruptions” at U.S. airports (as defined above) in response to the enhanced security procedures, the [applicable DHS administrative branch] is instructed to identify and collect information about the persons or entities, and submit such information in the manner outlined [within this directive].

It would appear that the Department of Homeland Security is not only prepared to enforce the enhanced security procedures at airports, but is involved in gathering intelligence about those who don’t. They’re making a list and most certainly will be checking it twice. Meanwhile, legitimate threats to our air travel security (and they DO exist) seem to be taking a back seat to the larger threat of the multitude of non-criminal American citizens who object to having their Constitutional rights violated.

As I have written before, it has nothing to do with security and everything to do with control.

link

[Alyeska]

Wow, I am a Domestic Extremist.

[Jeremy]

the FOX mouth breathers will still say "Do you want to land safly or do you want the terrorists to blow you up"

I think you are wrong on this issue, and am fairly certain that the TSA has managed to find common ground where only the Phelps Baptist and 9/11 did before. I think most of the country is in agreement that we have gone too far.

[General Zod]

Well, shit. . . I might actually be forced to vote Republican in 2012.

[Alyeska]

Well, shit. . . I might actually be forced to vote Republican in 2012.

*shakes head*

TSA started under Bush and half the bullshit we gripe about are Bush era TSA policies.

This is nothing to do with political parties at the moment.

[General Zod]

Well, shit. . . I might actually be forced to vote Republican in 2012.

*shakes head*

TSA started under Bush and half the bullshit we gripe about are Bush era TSA policies.

This is nothing to do with political parties at the moment.

The TSA has been a nuisance, but up until this point you at least weren't branded as an extremist for disagreeing with their procedures.

[Simon_Jester]

Yeah, but I have trouble believing that would stop happening under a Republican administration.

[Alyeska]

The TSA has been a nuisance, but up until this point you at least weren't branded as an extremist for disagreeing with their procedures.

This has nothing to do with political parties. Seriously. Can't you understand that?

We had "Free Speech Zones" under Bush for gods sake.

[Lord Relvenous]

After talking about the woman with Breast Cancer, and the guy with the urine bag, the ADA, etc, I am now convinced that the only way the TSA could possibly piss off more people is if they got on a disabled Vet's case for having a titanium cheeta leg to replace the one he lost in Iraq or Afganistan....

Fox reporter: But he had recently been in the middle east....

The TSA has already caused trouble for troops.

TSA confiscates nail clippers from an armed soldier

I love it how the TSA official insists that he could use nail clippers to take over the plane, but the firearms they carried could not be used as weapons because they had no bullets for them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't soldiers receive training on using rifles as weapons in the case of no ammunition? Isn't a butt stroke from an M-16 more dangerous than stabbing by nail clippers?

[General Zod]

After talking about the woman with Breast Cancer, and the guy with the urine bag, the ADA, etc, I am now convinced that the only way the TSA could possibly piss off more people is if they got on a disabled Vet's case for having a titanium cheeta leg to replace the one he lost in Iraq or Afganistan....

Fox reporter: But he had recently been in the middle east....

The TSA has already caused trouble for troops.

TSA confiscates nail clippers from an armed soldier

I love it how the TSA official insists that he could use nail clippers to take over the plane, but the firearms they carried could not be used as weapons because they had no bullets for them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't soldiers receive training on using rifles as weapons in the case of no ammunition? Isn't a butt stroke from an M-16 more dangerous than stabbing by nail clippers?

Actually, what's worse is that the TSA agent assumes passengers would somehow know the difference between a weapon that's loaded and not. If you see a gun pointed at you you're not going to waste time thinking about whether or not he has ammo, any rational person will assume it's loaded.

[Chardok]

By far it's more dangerous and yes, all soldiers are trained to use their weapons in melee combat.

[Elfdart]

<snip>

So this person is making claims based on the word of an unnamed source who describes a document he cannot produce? Did you switch off your bullshit detector this morning?

Oh, and the author of this article is a birther, meaning he's a lying racist fucktard, so unless he can produce the document or this unnamed source, I'm calling bullshit on this one.

[Maj]

I love it how the TSA official insists that he could use nail clippers to take over the plane

On two separate occasions, I've managed to get knives through security (accidentally). Probably, if you attached your clippers to your key chain and put them in the basket, they wouldn't even notice.