More TSA Fun:
There has been another episode regarding the AIT Scanners AKA Pornoscanners and opting out. This time in San Diego a man refused the pat down and the backscanner after being pulled out of line to go through it. He taped the incident and published it. What strikes me is the response after they escorted him out though. He was actually threatened with a lawsuit and fines if he did not comply with the screening process. Thing is opting out and then being escorted out is complying with the rules I thought?
A supervisor tried to use scare tactics to get him to be screened even though he was not going on the plane. The quote regarding “you may have an incendiary device” really struck me because if he did have one, why would you want him to go back into the crowded area? It is almost like insane bureaucracy of the worst sort. ”Fill out form A, you are not eligible to fill out form A so fill out form B, for filling out form B and not A you are fined.”
The range of responses we are seeing from the TSA regarding this says to me a number of things. There is no consistent response, the information out there is not correct, and it’s haphazard at best. Also these kinds of responses seem intended to scare, harass, and bully people into complying. If they think they need to do that it says a lot more about how these are really viewed by the TSA.
I encourage everyone who can to view this person’s post. I also encourage you to let your representatives know that this is ridiculous and in the end vote with your dollar. Don’t fly when you can go another way. Perhaps even letting the airlines know you won’t fly because of this. That might get some industry pushback.
Twitter + Ping = Twing?
Looks like Apple and Twitter are buddy buddy for some ping + twitter integration. Thankfully no facebook yet!
http://blog.twitter.com/2010/11/twitter-ping-discovering-more-music.html
TSA likes to handcuff questioners now?
The latest part of the TSA story has a young woman being harrassed, having her ticket torn up, and being stranded in Flordia for the audacity of questioning a TSA employee after being singled out for the pornoscanner that they are starting to roll out nationwide.
The TSA has released some footage which doesn’t really support them all that much. You can hear her side of the story from a radio interview she did.
From what I gather she was randomly selected (the only person) for the pornoscanner but declined, as is her right. They were then going to pat her down, with their renewed vigor. She had further questions and then things spiraled out of control. It ended up with her being handcuffed to a chair and then escorted out by twelve police officers.
Taking the story at face value it just reinforces the notion that the TSA is seriously broken, that as a whole it lacks respect for Americans, and that it needs to be seriously reigned in. These people have been given a lot of power, and they are showing they cannot manage it very well.
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