It's amazing the kind of shit people put up with in the US.
I'll remember to stare them in the face the next time a TSA agent touches my genitalia as a precursor to being allowed to board an aircraft.
I'll remember to stare them in the face the next time a TSA agent touches my genitalia as a precursor to being allowed to board an aircraft.
The sad thing is that in many airports you have the choice between putting yourself in a useless, but possibly carcinogenic x-ray device, or being groped. It's really infuriating that elevators are subject to stricter inspections than these backscatter machines are. Would anyone know if it was throwing out 1000x the usual dose of radiation? Probably not.
I've had it a dozen times. I opt-out of the naked scanner every time I fly. As you say, I've never been harassed by the gropers. And if everybody in line opted out, they'd be overwhelmed and forced to change their policies.
Just say No.
Surely "pleasant" is too strong an adjective.
If you've never had a pat down, then it should not be surprising that they have never overstepped any boundaries during a pat down...
disclaimer: i do think the TSA is useless
Why is that hilarious? The simplest explanation is that they simply don't know; why do the people running the show get to be angry? Because they know something experienced travelers don't? Isn't informing people of the crazy rules part of the TSA's job? Maybe they should do it professionally?
The next simplest explanation is that the arbitrary security rules are unimportant to those travelers. Which makes sense, because they are unimportant. Again, I'm not sure what's funny or angering here.
come on now ....
1) There are videos and signs everywhere saying what is and is not allowed
2) TSA officers are verbally telling you what is and is not allowed
3) You need to walk through a metal detector, so figuring that out requires zero intelligence
4) If you cant get 1-3, watch the person ahead of you take off his/her shoes, watch, belt etc. and do the same thing.
In my experience, the people running the show (TSA) get angry when they tell the "inexperienced travelers" they are not following procedures, after which the traveler becomes rude.
It sounds like I am defending the TSA here, but that is not what I am trying to do. I am just saying that I can see how they could get frustrated with the public.
Nobody wants you in the way of their plane ticket. Everyone wants special exceptions because they are late. Loads of people (myself included) view you as an agent of tyranny, and visibly control themselves from snarling at you as you ask for Photo ID.
Get paid like you are working at McDonald's, deal with annoying people, and abuse administrative search everyday.
I too understand why the TSA workers could get frustrated. The very existance of the TSA is frustrating and creates frustrating situations. Anti-TSA folks are frustrated by the TSA, Pro-TSA folks are frustrated by the anti-TSA folks. It's a perfect circle of abuse.
Its a small gesture that has the potential to lower their job satisfaction. If it became a trend for passengers to do anything reasonably within their power to make the lives of TSA agents more uncomfortable, we could hopefully influence the TSAs retention rates.
It's a long shot, but in the individual case at least you get the momentary satisfaction of making them squirm. (And they do.)
Good luck with that. Most people at TSA would have quit if they could find a better job to work at.
It absolutely is a long shot of course. The personal satisfaction is sufficient though.
Acting like a dick to TSA employees just makes them treat you with even more contempt, thus the vicious cycle continues since they now have disdain for you as a customer.
Do you treat all car salesmen like crap, or people at the BMV, just because they have a general "bad" reputation?
Also do you object to a pat down when you go to a sporting event or concert? What about a courthouse?
You might as well tell me that your Ford Pinto never caught fire. What is your point?
Your post isn't even self-consistent. Right after you get done telling me that they are perfect gentlemen you tell me that they have disdain for me as a customer and that by making them feel uncomfortable as they grope me, I am making it worse? Huh? I thought they were perfect gentlemen...
If you are going to approach them out of the gate and treat them like shit, well guess what, expect to not be treated with a warm fuzzy. It's human nature.
Do you doubt that they grope others? Do you think we're making this up?
The assertion is not that the TSA has treated you, res0nat0r, like shit. Telling us that you have not been treated like shit is a refutation of approximately fuck all.
Currently its way more than 0 times. It can only be made lower if people push to make it lower, rather than your stance of "its never happened to me".
PS: all my interactions with the TSA have been fine. There was a moment at LAX when I had to explain why there would be liquid inside my juggling balls..... but we got through it.
I make it a point to smile during my pat downs, ask if they'd like me to bend over, and shift my privates. When they invariably mention that they use the "back of their gloved hand". I ask if they wouldn't mind using the front of their hand - a shocking number of TSA agents are homophobic, and whilst straight, I play into that.
There's nothing I enjoy more than making agents of the security theatre uncomfortable. It brightens up the traveling experience.
My last experience with a stadium was several years ago, 2006 or so. I managed to get a 6-pack through security by approaching security without it and having my back checked, then realizing I had to go to will-call (outside of security). On the way back in they recognized me and waved me through security with my ticket and "already checked" bag (now with beer). No idea how reproducible that is, and it was during a sports event instead of a concert (I think both probably contract the same venue security though?)
"It's amazing the kind of shit people put up with in the US."
My problem is whenever we have any issues with our government here in the states, you see all of these comments from other countries about how we are such pussies and that it would never fly in their countries. Yet whenever those same countries follow in the USs steps or the US totally shits on another countries rights (grounding planes, imposing their own laws, etc...) all they can do is bitch and moan about it on the internet.
It doesn't make any of us pussies, the people wanted security, and they got security. We let these NSA/TSA beasts grow to such ridiculous sizes. Now if we don't like it, we have to start taking steps to defund/remove all of these privacy invading programs. And from what I have seen in the last couple years, it really seems like we are slowly starting to get somewhere. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe this is the beginning of the Brave New World.
Aside from that, it should be second nature for us as Americans to forego being offended at insults levied out of others' national pride, and instead move straight away into doing exactly what you've suggested.
The reason I consider us pussies isn't because we let the government fondle our privates, but because depending on the poll, more than half the population considers that to be just fine. While each of us as individuals might not be pussies, collectively, we tend to be.
And yes, obviously, I do sincerely hope that we are making progress, and I don't disagree that we are at least getting more people to give a damn. And yes, that is a good thing. But that we've had such draconian policies in place for so long, and been so content to let it be that way? There's the problem, exactly.