The TSA in Chicago.

[Beverley Sims]

Giong through Airport Security it was a full body scan,
hold your hands up and stand still.
I was not set free but had to wait.
Checked my arm and there is that glitz watch from Ross.
Comment, "Nice watch." Reply, "It keeps good time and only cost four bucks."
I wonder if I had been wearing bras. under dressed?

[docrobbysherry]

I got busted for an all plastic Chapstick in my pocket! I wondered, what if I had been wearing forms?

[Vanessa Storrs]

Santa knows who has been good or bad, the TSA knows what underwear you have on.

[Eryn]

That's what happens when the transportation authorities hire part-time workers for $15 an hour, then give them the authority to throw their weight around and humiliate people. Conditions like that attract perverts, not professionals.

[Cheryl T]

Can you imagine going thru security and they tell you to remove everything from your person.
Off comes the wig, then the forms, then the padded panty, the false eyelashes, and on and on....
Kinda like all those clowns coming out of one VW Beetle.....LOL.

Would serve them right if we did that and really held things up....all for nothing.
Then again...who knows, maybe the terrorists are CD'ing and using C4 for forms....what a "bust" that would be.

[BritneyLynn]

That's what happens when the transportation authorities hire part-time workers for $15 an hour, then give them the authority to throw their weight around and humiliate people. Conditions like that attract perverts, not professionals.If any of the screeners were some sort of voyeur, do you really think higher wages would discourage them from applying? Just how stimulating do you think those ghostly black and white images would be? Besides, the scans are supposed to be only viewed by personnel matching the gender presentation of the passengers (and plane crew, gate personnel etc). I propose most screeners dread that assignment.

The theory that there are "Pervert" screeners is just an excuse. The complainers are really offended by having to choose between pat downs and the machine's ability to "see" through their outerwear. I guess they would prefer some terrorist smuggling explosives under their clothes.

[AllieSF]

Sorry to disagree with you Eryn, but they are not perverts, unless you personally know some of them very well and can then make that comment. They and everyone else can say the same about us, and sometimes do, and they are wrong too. What they do is what they are trained to do. I have flown en femme and had the complete through pat down when they just started that last year, and I was treated with the utmost respect. Yes, they sometimes need to use their own judgment and can really mess up, like checking baby's diapers and 90 year old women. But those few instances are few and far between when compared to the millions that have passed through their checking points. What they get for what they pay, is definitely not the cream of the crop, but they all try. Just cut them some slack, they are human too.

[SANDRA MICHELLE]

I have been through Chicago Ohare airport several times en femme and never had any problems. The TSA agents have been totally professional and never too agressive about anything. I usually don't wear forms but do wear underwire bras and it has never been a problem. I think if you have a problem going through any airport security it would be a surprise since they do have better things to do with there time than to hassle a CD'er.

[IamSara]

Same here Doc! chapsick and 2 cough drops!! Oh well they are trying to keep us safe and since I travel for a living just got to deal with it. i have gone through with a bra on before but nothing was ever said. So don't sweat the little stuff.
Eryn,
I tend to agree with Allie on this one. They are only doing their jobs. Most are doing a pretty decent job considering a lot of the people traveling have very short tempers and the crap that comes through those lines is unbelievable!!

[TxKimberly]

Sorry to disagree with you Eryn, but they are not perverts, unless you personally know some of them very well and can then make that comment. They and everyone else can say the same about us, and sometimes do, and they are wrong too. What they do is what they are trained to do. I have flown en femme and had the complete through pat down when they just started that last year, and I was treated with the utmost respect. Yes, they sometimes need to use their own judgment and can really mess up, like checking baby's diapers and 90 year old women. But those few instances are few and far between when compared to the millions that have passed through their checking points. What they get for what they pay, is definitely not the cream of the crop, but they all try. Just cut them some slack, they are human too.


As someone who lives in airports and on airplanes, I couldn't agree more! While the very nature of their job and responsibility makes it a certainty that they are a bit of a hassle, I've never felt abused by the TSA. They have a job to do, and all i have interacted with have done it with respect.

[Beverley Sims]

I agree they have a tough job using discretion with all the bad tempers, same old name calling etc.
I have a bag of tangled wires,4 or 5 power supplies,6 to 8 camera batteries (Solid black blocks here) locks, power cords and distribution boards for the various battery chargers, I open the bag and point out the problems the scanner will have and they are usually pretty cool, sometimes I have to separate it a bit, but all with a cheery smile.
Once I had a pair of bras and other lingerie that I had stuffed in a hurry, they remarked when I pulled them out, my reply, The bras keep the camera warm in the snow.
If you have used batteries in freezing conditions you will realize how feasible this statement is.
So, top marks to airport security and remember use original humor, they are sick of the old.
Do NOT say "I only have a couple of bombs in there". This guarantees you will not travel that day, you WILL help them with their inquiries and they have to UNLOAD your bag off the aircraft.

[Loni]

i never did like to get into a bus that fly's.
and now with this pervert squad the government puts us in front of i will never go in to a airport again. and there are lots of us out here that believe this and it shows as the airlines are hurting for money now. they need to remember who pays there bills.
here are far better ways to know who has a bomb that a scanner that sees under your clothing.
simple metal detector's and bomb sniffing machines and dogs. but then most any one could take over a airplane with using what is already on board the plane.
a program in your laptop (maybe even a smart phone) could take control of the airplane.

[AllieSF]

It is very good that you and others do not fly. More space and less crowds for the rest of us. I sure do not plan on driving cross country to visit family, spending way too much for gasoline, hotels and food en route, let alone the extra time it takes. I will also try to not let others deter me from living my life. Greyhound can use the passengers and hopefully modernize their busses and teach their drivers better safety procedures to attract more customers. A "T" friend of mine was seriously injured in one of those bus accidents that also killed a few passengers. The TSA is here to stay and they are actually trying, slowly unfortunately, to improve their processes. What works in some countries, may or may not work here when considering the sheer volume of passengers every single day. They are worth the try though at a few airports to see what also works. They have changed the display screen that the full body scanners produce from somewhat detailed to a more graphic display to try to remove some of the invasiveness of that system and make it more user friendly. These are inconveniences for sure. But I prefer to fly safe from potential terrorists and live to enjoy my family and friends at the other end of the flight.

So, are they all perverts, or just some of them, kinda like us (thank you Karren)? How can you tell they are perverts? Is a doctor a pervert and gets a special thrill out of physical exams? How can we tell? Watch out for the SA's who just love to help others with their bra fittings Yep, maybe the sky is falling.

[Kathleen]

I think it's clear the terrorists have won. The goal wasn't to kill us all, merely to disrupt our entire way of life. Take a look around, compared to ten years ago -- Q.E.D.. I am 3/4 of the way to a million-miler -- all air miles only, no credit card points in there -- and I am thrilled to say I will never fly again if I can possibly help it. Life is too short to hurry so much and surrender so much dignity and privacy for the privilege of being crammed into ever smaller seats on ever-fuller aircraft on ever-more-delayed flights with ever-more carry-on steamer trunks packed in overhead with ever-more surcharges for the most routine of services -- only to then fly over and miss seeing the incredibly beautiful landscapes on this planet. There is a marvelous zen to taking the long way home -- with the added plus that no one is going to bother about my underwire bras at Amtrak or in the trunk of my car.

[AllieSF]

Yes, Kathleen, I respect what you have said and also appreciate looking down from above at all the wonderful sites to see. I just wish I could take more train rides cross state and cross country. I got up to around 700,000 miles/points before leaving that work. I also enjoy that slower life that I now have. I do love to travel though and prefer to get to my destination sooner so that I can enjoy my time with family and friends. To me, the TSA is just another of life's newer obstacles that would be better if we did not have to have them.

[TxKimberly]

Yes, Kathleen, I respect what you have said and also appreciate looking down from above at all the wonderful sites to see. I just wish I could take more train rides cross state and cross country. I got up to around 700,000 miles/points before leaving that work. I also enjoy that slower life that I now have. I do love to travel though and prefer to get to my destination sooner so that I can enjoy my time with family and friends. To me, the TSA is just another of life's newer obstacles that would be better if we did not have to have them.

Very early in our marriage, my wife and I took a train from the top of WA state to the bottom of California, and then on from there to Louisiana. It was one of the very few truly romantic things that we have ever done. I would recommend that everyone take a long trip by train with someone that they love. Now having said that - it was a ONCE in a lifetime experience and I DON'T want to repeat it. LOL

[Eryn]

Kathleen has it right.

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." [Benjamin Franklin]

The possibility of anyone successful hijacking an airplane ended when those Saudis flew the jets into the twin towers. From that moment on, passengers realized that their best chance of survival is in fighting back. That is what is keeping flights safe, not the gropings of the TSA.

[Shawna13]

I personally have no issues with the TSA I fly underdressed all the time. And I also witness those of us that are fully dressed. From my encounters they have been professional. When I pull off my belt and co travelers and TSA see my panties when I am bending over and stuff I could care less. It probably adds a little excitement to their day.

[Starr]

Eryn, how often do you fly?? You may be right hijacking isn't a problem any more... but someone can still blow up a plane in mid air...

[Beverley Sims]

Very early in our marriage, my wife and I took a train from the top of WA state to the bottom of California, and then on from there to Louisiana. It was one of the very few truly romantic things that we have ever done. I would recommend that everyone take a long trip by train with someone that they love. Now having said that - it was a ONCE in a lifetime experience and I DON'T want to repeat it. LOL

Yes I did that trip last week. I went the other way though.
Chicago to Chicago via NY, DC, New Orleans, LA, SFX Seattle and back to Chicago.
It became a long trip as we had already visited LA, Seattle, SFX and Chicago.

[Eryn]

Eryn, how often do you fly?? You may be right hijacking isn't a problem any more... but someone can still blow up a plane in mid air...

Really? That's the TSA mantra whenever anyone questions their practices, but the fact is that the TSA, despite having thousands of screeners and talking ominously about the "iminent threat" has never actually found a bomb on a passenger in the millions of flights they have screened.

They're not very good, however, at finding their own simulated bombs in tests. They claim that their results are "classified" but leaked information shows that between 20% and 75% of the fake devices make it past the TSA, depending upon the airport.

The terrorists are laughing at us. They haven't had to do a thing in a decade to cause the US to spend billions and stamp on the rights of its own people.

[TxKimberly]

. . . but the fact is that the TSA, despite having thousands of screeners and talking ominously about the "iminent threat" has never actually found a bomb on a passenger in the millions of flights they have screened.
. . . .

Well, it's kind of hard to prove, but how many weapons didn't make it on to planes because the person or organization considering doing it rejected the idea because they thought it likely they would be caught?
That would be like saying that the US Military served no purpose from the mid 70's to the mid 80's because no one attacked us. I'm reasonably comfortable in my opinion that it DID do its job because it acted as a deterrent even if it wasn't called upon for a war.
Regardless of if it has caught anyone or not, the TSA DOES serve the purpose of being a deterrent.

[renee99]

Does Airport Security Really Make Us Safer?
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/12/tsa-insanity-201112

TSA Report: Every Test Gun, Bomb Part Or Knife Got Past Screeners At Some Airport
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101217/13193112323/new-tsa-report-every-test-gun-bomb-part-knife-got-past-screeners-some-airport.shtml

[Eryn]

Just because someone carries something onto an airplane doesn't mean that they intend to use it in a hijacking. I've carried knives, screwdrivers, and (gad!) bottles of hand lotion and shampoo onto airplanes many times prior to the current TSA madness and didn't hijack one airplane with them. Counting every "prohibited item" found as a hijacking averted is ridiculous.

I don't buy the deterrent argument either, as the security expert said more eloquently in the article cited above:


From an airplane-hijacking point of view, Schneier said, al-Qaeda had used up its luck. Passengers on the first three 9/11 flights didn’t resist their captors, because in the past the typical consequence of a plane seizure had been “a week in Havana.” When the people on the fourth hijacked plane learned by cell phone that the previous flights had been turned into airborne bombs, they attacked their attackers. The hijackers were forced to crash Flight 93 into a field. “No big plane will ever be taken that way again, because the passengers will fight back,” Schneier said. Events have borne him out. The instigators of the two most serious post-9/11 incidents involving airplanes— the “shoe bomber” in 2001 and the “underwear bomber” in 2009, both of whom managed to get onto an airplane with explosives—were subdued by angry passengers.

I think that the average person now understands that hijacking is impossible, which led to the TSA's current scare scenario of supposed suicide bombers.

What scares me most is the indifference that people are showing to the tremendous escalation in police powers that has occurred in the last decade. Doesn't anyone study history? The Schutzstaffel (Nazi SS) was originally called the Saal-Schutz (Hall Protection) and was a volunteer organization created solely to provide security at meeting halls. Over the years its powers grew incrementally until the organization was the most fearsome force in the country, holding life-and-death powers over every person. They created the Reichssicherheitshauptamt, or Reich Main Security Office which consolidated many police and security organizations under its umbrella, much as the Department of Homeland Security has now consolidated the TSA, INS, Customs, Border Patrol, FEMA, Coast Guard, Secret Service, etc. under its own and is reaching out to other local and state agencies.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" [George Santayana]