There have been times during the course of our country’s history when the federal government has put on colossal displays of stupidity and ignorance. Idiocy at levels only people at the federal government could not comprehend as something other than ridiculous. Bureaucratic bumbling that would deserve a gold medal if there was such a competition at the Olympics. Of course I’m referring to the organization known as the Transportation and Safety Administration (TSA).
The job of the TSA is to make certain nobody takes weapons or even anything that could be used as a weapon on an airplane. After the terror of 9/11 the public was understandably upset. Many people were quite disturbed with the airport screeners at that time who let the terrorists get on a plane with box cutters. Everyone seems to forget that box cutters were permitted on flights so the screeners did nothing but follow the policy that was in place at that time. The flying public wanted to feel safe and cried out to the federal government to provide safety. Politicians saw a golden opportunity to increase the federal bureaucracy and provide the illusion they were doing something about flying safety. The Transportation and Safety Administration was created to administer airport safety.
At first dealing with the TSA and airport security was okay. You had to take off your shoes, belt and takeout your computer for the screenings but it wasn’t bad. If you got beeped when going through the metal detector they usually ran a metal wand around you and found the source of the problem. It was annoying but most of us could live with it. Then the TSA went the way of most federal organizations. They wanted to feel extra important. I guess the metal wands didn’t give them the real sense of power over the flying public they desired.
In order to draw attention and satisfy their need for control the TSA installed something called a full body image scanner. This enabled them to view nude x-ray-type images of the flying public. There were many conflicting reports about the levels of radiation a person receives from such a machine. If you don’t like the body scanner you also have the option of getting a full body pat down. The two choices currently offered to the flying public are to be radiated or molested. You can either permit the government to have a nude picture of you, your children, and spouse while being treated like a microwave meal or have a strange person run their hands all over your body. The flying experience has now moved from annoying to intolerable. The TSA has handled this situation like the federal government handles all similar situations, like a blind person driving a bus.
At first we heard the TSA would not store images of the full body image scans. Unfortunately TSA screeners have come forward and stated such images are stored. I wonder why the federal government would want to store naked images of the flying public. There are many stories on the web of such images being distributed.
The pat downs performed by the TSA at airports have been done with reckless abandon and in many instances displayed the stupidity and ignorance of TSA agents. Disgusting sights of TSA agents touching children and old people alike are all over YouTube. It’s difficult to watch a three-year-old child sobbing and pleading with a TSA worker to stop touching her. There was the bladder cancer survivor who tried to explain he had a urostomy bag and the pat down would make the bag break. The ever-so-sensitive TSA agent continued the pat down and left this poor man covered in his own urine. They also have displayed their ignorance to breast cancer survivors. One woman was asked to remove her prosthetic breast from her bra and show it to the TSA agent. I’m sure an actual list of these types of occurrences is too long to mention. I wonder if degrading the flying public is part of their training or they just have a talent for it.
Someone needs to let the TSA airport screeners know their jobs only exist only because ARAB men hijacked flights on 9/11 and they are the ones responsible for killing thousands of innocent Americans. It wasn’t 3-year-old girls, cancer survivors, nuns, old people or disabled people. Since they don’t understand that maybe their organization should be changed to the TSOA – Transportation Safety and Obtuse Administration.
Unfortunately Arab men seem to get past TSA screenings. Paul Brown is a representative from Georgia. During a recent flight he was patted down by the TSA as well as a little girl and her grandmother while a man in Arabian dress walked right past the screeners. Huh? Does this mean to avoid the screening process we should just wear Arabian dress?
I would like to see an article that could tell us if the TSA has ever prevented a terrorist attack by using their full body image scanner or pat down techniques. I’ve not seen one. The TSA seems too busy upsetting the flying public to focus on real threats. I have seen stories about politicians with investments in the companies that make the airport full body image scanners. I’m not surprised. The entire situation begs the question of what exactly is our tax money being used for when it comes to the TSA. We used to believe in this country that you were innocent of a crime until you were proven guilty. Now the TSA treats the flying public as if they’re guilty of a crime with no easy way to prove their innocence.
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