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Comment by sstone | Hacker News Reader

Almost no politician would ever vote for removing this awful "security" measure. They would risk being blamed when another incompetent terrorist mastermind passes security and hopefully gets stopped by, now much more vigilant passengers. Going to the courts seems like a good way around that - sue the TSA.

If someone with experience on these types of issues could comment I would be very interested to learn if this has any chance of removing those damn machines from airports.

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Make a list of congressmen and senators that require you to let nude photos of your children to be taken by government employees. It's all about how you frame the argument

That's good for the thin end of the wedge, but it might suggest that if the children are exempted from this nonsense, then the problem is solved.

Also it sets up what could be spun as a bargaining chip. Exempt the kids and they can scan the adults.

It depends on how you position the wedge. You start by asking officials why they want to take naked pictures of innocent children. Once they are sufficiently embarrassed about the notion of taking naked pictures of children, you ask why they want to take naked pictures of innocent adults. Every time a TSA or DHS official talks about how they don't store the pictures, bring up the US Marshals Service storing naked pictures of children and adults (http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20012583-281.html) using the same technology, despite providing the /exact/ same assurances the TSA is providing now.

When the TSA officials talk about the opt-out process and the subsequent genital groping, ask about the TSA agent that was charged with raping a kid (http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20100310child...) and wanting to keep that child as a sex slave. Do parents really want strangers feeling up the breasts and genitals of their underage children? What type of person applies for a job where they are allowed to grope children? Is it any better when those same agents want to grope adults?

It's not advanced screening technology, it's a machine that takes naked pictures of children and stores them.

It's not a thorough pat down, it's having your genitals groped by strangers.

Control the language and you control the discussion.

What age? 11, 16, 18 ,21 ?

Better still - post the backscatter photos of those congressmen and senators online. I just hope I don't see them!

I suppose so, but such blatantly manipulative tactics make me feel unclean.

"They" aren't similarly so squeamish about waving fear and flags around to force body scans and invasive pat downs on us. This is an issue that is important and we must use tools that work to get it to stop.

A good first step would be to eliminate separate security lines for First Class/VIP and everyone else. I suspect security lines would end up being shorter if our elected officials had to go through exactly the same process as the rest of us.

As a hack, just go through the first class line regardless of the class you're flying in. I know several people who do this, and none have been questioned about it. The obvious response is: "Why should paying the airline more money get people better treatment from the Federal government?".

Presumably because the airlines fund the priority lines.

Quite possibly, but since that isn't made clear, a bit of civil disobedience seems in order to me.

In my experience this works every time at Dulles international (IAD) but never works at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL). At ATL you get sent to the back of the normal line.

The hack is to print FIRST on your boarding pass. The person checking whether or not you are allowed in the priority line does not have access to the reservation system to check that you are actually in first class. You keep your real boarding pass in your pocket and show that to the TSA and gate agent.

Note: untested. I get to use the first-class lines anyway :P

And, hey, worst case you get detained by security and charged with a felony.

An easy one to talk yourself out of, though: "Oh, something must have happened to my upgrade since I printed my boarding pass last night."

The 1950s-era reservation system isn't going to refute your story.

When some congressman's 14 year old grandchild gets felt up by a perv things would change very fast

Apparently Congressman Jason Chaffetz introduced a bill against the full-body scanners[1].

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Chaffetz

His intention is to make them secondary. I'm sure the TSA would have none of that - it would just be magnetometer set to the highest sensitivity first - scanner second - for everyone.

Help us grellas, you're our only hope ...

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