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TSA agents will soon conduct a more invasive patdown at U.S. airports:
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has declined to say exactly where—and how—employees will be touching air travelers as part of the more invasive physical pat-down procedure it recently ordered. But the agency does expect some passengers to consider the examination unusual. In fact, the TSA decided to inform local police in case anyone calls to report an "abnormal" federal frisking, according to a memo from an airport trade association obtained by Bloomberg News. The physical search, for those selected to have one, is what the agency described as a more "comprehensive" screening, replacing five separate kinds of pat-downs it previously used.
The decision to alert local and airport police raises a question of just how intimate the agency's employees may get. On its website, the TSA says employees "use the back of the hands for pat-downs over sensitive areas of the body. In limited cases, additional screening involving a sensitive area pat-down with the front of the hand may be needed to determine that a threat does not exist."
[...] The TSA's calls to police were an effort to provide local law enforcement "situational awareness" about the new pat-down method, Christopher Bidwell, ACI-NA's vice president of security, said in an interview Saturday. U.S. airports have not expressed any reservations or concerns about the pat-down change, the association said.
Also at Boing Boing, The Consumerist, NBC, and LA Times.
(Score: 4, Informative) by stormreaver on Tuesday March 07 2017, @01:01PM (3 children)
The TSA is why I haven't boarded a plane in over a decade, and why I will never fly again.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday March 07 2017, @01:38PM
I flew once since the TSA was created. I will only fly once more when I emigrate.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by DavePolaschek on Tuesday March 07 2017, @02:05PM
Note that people like you (and me) are why the TSA was also going after Amtrak (haven't taken a train for over five years, so I don't know the current situation) http://railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20775 [railroadfan.com]
Also be careful of the 100-mile constitution-free-zone in which CBP has relatively free reign. https://www.aclu.org/other/constitution-100-mile-border-zone [aclu.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 08 2017, @01:53AM
Some of us aren't traumatized by being touched on any point of our bodies, except maybe the eyes, but the TSA doesn't check under your eyelids so I'm still ok. IF they're going to be doing any screening they should at least be doing it right. The pat-downs check for anything firm hidden on you and for that they need to check your belt-line and the majority of your skin's external surface area (they don't shove their hand up your ass crack despite some beliefs). People who were mentally abused by their parents and society and thus believe random sections of skin are evil or somehow different from other sections should rightfully hide away inside where no one might accidentally look at them for too long.
No longer flying will do nothing to stop TSA from spreading. What you're actually doing is passively accepting the TSA. No one knows you're protesting unless you actually tell someone who matters. Have you hand written any letters to any agencies, politicians, or airlines? No? Then you're just whining at something you're too immature and weak to handle. Someone brushing over your dick shouldn't be any different from someone brushing by your fingers when you're handing someone something. Intent matters. Even if the TSA agent grabbed you you should still have the self fortitude to not completely breakdown anytime another person looked at you. Getting poked at any point on your body shouldn't be a life shattering, long term incident. Stop being a professional victim.
What I've never seen anyone talk about, what are trans-people doing when flying? Certainly the trans-females should be getting awkward fondling by the female TSA who aren't expecting to find a penis and testicles on a female.