Somebody, somewhere, needs to shake us from this stupor of blind policy and blind obedience. I’m beginning to wonder if this isn’t some test — a test of just how stupid Americans are. If TSA said that from now on we had to hop on one foot while humming “God Bless America,” would we do that too?
That’d be ludicrous, certainly, but how much more ludicrous is it, really, than asking people to remove their belts for purposes of walking through a nonexistent body scanner?
Patrick Smith
November 4, 2010
Airport security reaches new levels of absurdity–Here’s what happens when you refuse to comply with TSA’s “new rule.” Blue-glove groping, anyone?
[Smith, a pilot, attempts to go through A Security Theater. They tell him he must take off his belt. The following then occurred:
“But … What if I don’t?”
“Then you’ll have to go through secondary screening and a full pat-down.”
And so I opted for the secondary screening. Not that a pat-down is reasonable, either, but I did not want to submit to something that I felt was excessive and ridiculous without a reason or explanation.
I was asked to stand in a cordoned-off area, where I waited for several minutes as guards stood around looking at me. Finally a supervisor came over, wearing disposable blue gloves, to administer my secondary screening.
“Sir,” he said, “um, you still need to remove your belt.”
“What do you mean? I chose this so I could leave the belt on.”
“No, either way the belt has to come off.”
“What? And if it doesn’t come off?”
“Then I cannot let you through.”
So, it would seem, secondary screening isn’t really “secondary” at all. Instead of simply taking off my belt, I get a full, blue-glove groping and I have to take off my belt. Either that or I’m not allowed to fly the plane.
I could be wrong but I’m sensing that A Security Theater has almost reached the point where they are going to get slapped down a notch or two. They should be wiped off the face of the planet but that isn’t going to happen anytime soon.—Joe]
And some people wonder why I choose not to fly. Airport security is a joke (I know people who have mistakenly carried knives onto planes without being caught), and anyone with a modicum of training can bring wepons onto a plane without ever being caught.
I’m sorry. I must have missed the Constitutional Amendment which expanded Congress’ enumerated powers to include Harassing Travelers to No Good End. When did that pass?
M
I’ve definitely gotten to the point that I avoid flying like the plague. I have flown on a plane one time in the last 2 years and 10 months, and it was enough to prompt me to tell my boss that I don’t want to travel anywhere for work that requires going to the airport.
I’ve definitely gotten to the point that I avoid flying like the plague. I have flown on a plane one time in the last 2 years and 10 months, and it was enough to prompt me to tell my boss that I don’t want to travel anywhere for work that requires going to the airport.
@Tim Covington:
The funny thing is, if you discover that you accidentally took a knife or a gun on the plane, and you don’t get caught, you are better off not telling anyone: otherwise, you could get your weapon confiscated, you could be arrested, and your concealed carry permit can be revoked.
Because we all know that terrorists, once they get their guns past security, are just itching to tell Security about it and apologize.
I prefer to stay armed when I fly.
Also nevermind the fact that requiring the flight crew to go through the same preflight screening as passengers is just mind-blowingly stupid. If you don’t trust the pilots to board the plane with a weapon, why the frell are you letting them fly the plane in the first place?!?!