Comments:"Why It's Time to Break the Code of Silence at the Airport | LinkedIn"
Hielke van Oostrum,Manuel Christoffel,Michael Whitehurst,Arthur Coddington,Harvinder Dhillon,Daryl Morse,Roy Lindhardt,Yossel Ayarzagoitia Riesenfeld,Gerald Clark and Patti Johlke like this
Yvonne F. Brown I travel often and when they want to pat me down I tell them it's the most exciting thing that has happened to me in a long time. They can't pass me through fast enough. Their intention is not for you to enjoy it. They want to upset you. Don't give it to them and they will move quickly along.38m
Shireen Fernandez I am not a big fan of posting my two cents worth, usually I like to appreciate a good article silently, which probably explains why I put up with a lot of things I shouldn't such as this. During one of my international trips crossing the US, I was subjected to this disgraceful full body scanner episodes. It was when it has been first introduced. Not everyone was subjected to it at that time, but for some reason, they picked me out of the crowd, which was already quite unnerving to have been singled out like that. The customs officials then instructed me what to do with too much of body contact I wanted to recoil at the touch and then subjected me to a 20 minute body scan. I think I would have survived that experience much better, if that is what it was about-a genuine body scan in the interest of the safety of everyone onboard. But that's the point-it wasn't. The customs officials made it quite a spectacle, they gathered about 5 colleagues, pointed at the screen, made comments, giggled and laughed. It was an experience I never forgot. I was angry, surprised, alone, afraid and violated. I have never travelled to the States again. It wasnt the lack of professionalism and the lack of sensitivity to how violated the passengers would have felt, but this was something else. This had crossed the line not by inches but by light years. I am not that young girl anymore who was once afraid and afford authorities the blind respect my culture has taught me to do. While culture has taught me many good things, life has taught me to be wise and vigilant. It is time to speak out, and I am taking my time now. Thank you Christopher Elliot for sharing. Vicki Burton, I am sorry for what you had to go through and I hope that by sharing your story and mine, change can happen. Damn the culprits who put us in this position. To the airport authorities, a 5 year old can argue why we need to tighten airport security. But everytime you 'misbehave' this way, you magnify the problem and dishonour your badge, and each time it erodes our respect for you. I have never known distrust to serve anyone well.41m
Josh Marcum Don't fly. Pretty simple. It's not a right.47m
Matthew Bugna Interesting comment from a TSA officer "This is the second time this family has done this" [around 3:30]. It's one thing if it happens, it's another to create the scene which makes me suspicious of their reactions & motives. In general I have not had issues with TSA when traveling by myself or with my family. They have done some exaggerated screening of strollers, formula & breast milk. But overall, where I have flown, it has been pretty 'normal'.51m
Gordon Hirsch Back in the USSA ... this is a glimpse of our future, only its not tomorrow. It's now.1h
Bernard Robertson-Dunn From what I read, it seems that the TSA is protecting itself, not America, or Americans.1h
Jon Shapiro I travel a lot on business and they tried to run me through the screening and pat me down and I told them that it is one or the other but not both. We need to push back somewhat and even though I am a firm believer in making sure that passenger airlines are safe, I also believe that this can be carried too far. I cannot believe that 1/3 of the Americans polled during a survey would stand for a cavity search! I guess I will need to start driving or take the train.1h
D. Keith Casey Jr. Some of us have been fighting the TSA since day one. I opt out, ask questions applying their own logic, and get the police involved as often as possible. Out of the literally 10+ times the local PD has gotten involved, the cops have pointed out to the TSA "that is absurd." My favorite thing a few months back was the woman behind me asking why 2.5oz of liquid in a 5oz container was more dangerous than the same in a 3oz container. The best thing was when the TSA *Lead* Officer admitted that they weren't sure how big 3oz was and just went by whatever was on the label.1h
Fabio Barbieri, MBA I always ask to get a pat-down, preferably by an attractive woman, although I never get one. I follow by asking for their phone number when they are done with me.1h
Shaykh Ahmed 'You are either with US, or with them'1h
Michael Herrera The first airline that opts out of the TSA screening system will receive my lifetime loyalty.1h
Valentina Smirnova On some occasions you could see, it is just random check, while on others - it is definitely NOT. I travel internationally at least once a month and most of the time I face random checks. But some agents, it looks like they simply enjoy that smell of power, and can't be bothered with being decent. I tend to agree one needs to say something, but on many occasions, it is not the option going through your mind, especially when you are on connecting flights... arriving on international and hopping further on domestic flight... you need to pick up your luggage, get into different terminal most of times and one chooses to go along with border control agents (whatever one could feel inside...) rather than missing next flight and enter into new ocean of problems... Border control agents are fully aware of it and use it to full! I don't think we would see much of a change coming there...1h
Philip Carrillo I sent the following letter to the State Department, addressed to Secretary Clinton: First, please accept my deepest gratitude for your work on gay rights around the globe, for your tireless peace efforts, for your unflinching American values - for everything. I'm so proud to call you my Secretary of State. I hope to one day call you my President. I just returned from an international trip, where I felt insulted, offended, disgusted by what is nothing less than political theatre, manifested in the institution of the TSA. I thought about why the experience is so violating - everytime I fly - and it boils down to the basic erosion of trust in our society. Starting with the government. The Patriot Act and other such egregious acts of legislation passed in the last 12-15 years, are nothing short of violations of our Constitution, a disgrace to the decency of the average US citizen, and grossly dramatized in positive effect. I have watched numerous people be touched, prodded, and violated by random TSA employees, whom you must admit are no more qualified to make judgments about a person's penchant for adverse behavior than a blind child. I have personally been rubbed down because I neglected a paper movie stub in my back pocket. Moreover, that everyone has to remove his / her shoes is disgusting. The floors are ill-maintained, the lines are insufferably long, and it serves only the purpose of making people disgusted with government. No other country mandates such a deplorable procedure. No other country experiences the resentment of government that is the current average state of things in the US. Meanwhile, nothing substantive gets done in the highest houses of legislation in our nation. Does this strike you as unacceptable? I certainly hope so. I'm repulsed by the dysfunction of our laws and legislators. Please do something. Thank you, Philip Carrillo We should all send letters and make calls. I do, everytime I find myself as enraged as I was after watching the video above.1h
Jody Gnant Thank you for writing this. It's a long overdue, very necessary conversation.1h
Randall Stephens Welcome to a new NAZI world. I'll drive whenever possible.1h
Briana Majcher I am a young, single, woman and I travel internationally very often. A screen would be nice, but pat downs don't bother me. What bothers me is I am always patted down, but the blonde 10 people ahead or behind isn't. I think everyone should be patted down for security purposes. What truely bothers me is being questioned by several different agents and taken into small rooms. It's almost like they're trying to intimidate me for whatever reason, especially since they are asking me the same questions over and over. It happend to me just a few weeks ago, I had been traveling all day and very tired and they kept me for at least an hour for absolutely no reason. Finally I asked, "Is there a reason why I've been stopped and questioned by 4 different agents and am now in a small room being searched? I would like to go home". The officer's response was "because you don't just go to 'chill' somewhere for a few days alone" and another's response was "it's random". Well, I was unaware I am not allowed to travel for leisure by myself and apparently it's not random since I have this problem 90% of the time I pass through US customs.2h
Paul Muller Everyone's just trying to do their jobs, although the idea that someone might have exploding breasts had never occurred to me...2h