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Passengers on a United Express flight from Chicago to Louisville, Ky., were horrified when a man was forcibly removed--violently wrenched from his seat and physically dragged down the aisle. [...] Videos of the scene have prompted calls to boycott United Airlines.
[...] The Chicago Department of Aviation [...] says the actions of the security officers were "not condoned by the Department" and that one individual has been placed on leave pending a review.
[...] Passengers had already boarded on Sunday evening [April 10] at O'Hare International Airport when United asked for volunteers to take another flight the next day to make room for four United staff members who needed seats.
The airline offered $400 and a free hotel, passenger Audra D. Bridges told the Louisville Courier-Journal. When no one volunteered, the offer was doubled to $800. When there were still no bites, the airline selected four passengers to leave the flight--including the man in the video and his wife.
"They told him he had been selected randomly to be taken off the flight", Bridges said.
[...] The man said he was a doctor and that he "needed to work at the hospital the next day", passenger Jayse D. Anspach said.
[...] Both Bridges and Anspach posted videos of three security officers, who appear to be wearing the uniforms of Chicago aviation police, wrenching the man out of his seat, prompting wails. His face appeared to strike an armrest. Then they dragged his limp body down the aisle.
Footage shows the man was bleeding from the mouth as they dragged him away. His glasses were askew and his shirt was riding up over his belly.
"It looked like he was knocked out, because he went limp and quiet and they dragged him out of the plane like a rag doll", Anspach wrote.
Previous: Days After United Settlement, Baggage Handler Locked in Cargo Hold on NC-to-DC Flight
(Score: 5, Insightful) by mcgrew on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:41PM (30 children)
I swore off air travel when they instituted the TSA. Sure, trains, cars, and boats take longer but you don't have to put up with bureaucracy, either government or corporate.
I'm starting to wonder--are all cops in Chicago heartless thugs? Are thuggish cops the cause of the murder rate?
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:54PM (2 children)
Isn't Chicago one of the cities that Trump explicitly called out for its rampant crime wave? I'll guess it has turned into a shithole. And of course people that work as police or security guards will adapt..
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @04:08PM (1 child)
Wow, that is the worst bit of rationalizing I've seen in a while. Cause a doctor sitting peacefully on a plane really sets off their PTSD.
This is a good indicator of the Police State we are now living in. We've kinda lived in a police state for a long time, but generally the corruption and bad police culture were more isolated. Now we have increasing numbers of police officers and various security personnel who want to bust heads and "lay down the law". It is the perfect job for a psychopath, from their point of view. They get to assault people and enjoy a level of unprecedented power, all legally sanctioned so that they can fall back on "Just following orders".
Of course this is also a shining example of a corporation getting government to do their dirty work. Expect this type of scenario to become increasingly more common with the excuse: "they're a private corporation if you don't like what they're doing vote with your wallet!" Lawl. Never truly thought I'd see the US turn into this post 9/11 nightmare, I miss the "freedom" of the 90s.
At this point I'm thinking we bump up the pay for police officers and take away their guns. Maybe it will improve their public relations when officers can't rely on basic intimidation to get cooperation.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:16PM
> Never truly thought I'd see the US turn into this post 9/11 nightmare, I miss the "freedom" of the 90s.
9/11, Dubya, 2008 crisis...
A trifecta that will be dissected by many history books.
The US has known many crises before, but the rest of the world is very different from what it was then.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Whoever on Wednesday April 12 2017, @04:17PM (1 child)
Probably [theintercept.com]
Almost certainly. [theguardian.com]
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday April 12 2017, @06:43PM
Of [nytimes.com] course [revelist.com]
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by goody on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:13PM (24 children)
I've never quite understood the general aversion to the TSA, and I'm a very frequent flyer, like almost weekly. They do some stupid things once in awhile, but once you know the security process and what not to take in your carry on bags it's a fairly smooth and trouble free thing. Occasionally I get the baggage swab explosives test which is a five or ten minute delay. If you pay for TSA Precheck it's a breeze going through security.
(Score: 5, Informative) by bradley13 on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:22PM (10 children)
...is that they exist.
It's pure security theater, adding zero actual security. A cost of billions of dollars and millions of passenger hours - for nothing.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 5, Informative) by mhajicek on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:45PM (4 children)
Not to mention the constitutional right to not be searched without a warrant.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday April 12 2017, @08:10PM (3 children)
I suggest you re-read your constitution. Its quite evident you haven't read it lately.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by insanumingenium on Wednesday April 12 2017, @08:25PM (2 children)
Are you joking? I can't tell.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @10:01PM
I ran a 8 year experiment back in the 80s when one of the TLAs was singing the praises of their constitutional searches. Tacked a couple to the sunny side of a shed, and staked a couple more on the ground. Ten years later my wife took them down and threw them in the recycle when we moved out of that house.
Statute of limitations on false advertising had already expired.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday April 14 2017, @03:26AM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_and_seizure#United_States [wikipedia.org]
It all depends on what is reasonable. We use to just walk in from the curb directly to the departure gate, remember. Seemed perfectly reasonable at the time.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Kromagv0 on Wednesday April 12 2017, @08:06PM
In my view their existence makes you less safe. They create choke points full of targets to be attacked because they do dumb things like decrease the number of checkpoints in an airport from 6 spread out to 2 giant ones. Add in that it seems like they like to pilfer items out of checked luggage and ones overall safety is decreased. It doesn't help that they seem to be the most incompetent people that could possibly be employed. If you have old film camera gear they have no idea what it is or that it isn't some weapon and they really don't like it when you rightfully request that they not send your film through their x-ray machine.
T-Shirts and bumper stickers [zazzle.com] to offend someone
(Score: 2) by goody on Thursday April 13 2017, @12:35AM (3 children)
I don't think it's accurate to say it's pure theatre, and the mere fact that they check IDs, tickets, and carry on items does add security. There needs to be some sort of filter for bad stuff and bad people getting on planes. Before the TSA was formed it seemed security screening varied greatly. I remember flying out of some NFL cities that had just plain lousy, lazy, and clearly incompetent staff. The quality and consistency of the staff and processes went up immensely after the TSA was formed. I won't argue that they haven't done ineffective things. The 3-1-1 liquid rule has been very questionable. TSA is far from perfect, but I'll take it over what we had before, and certainly over no security screening at all, which would be insane.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday April 13 2017, @12:52PM (2 children)
That MIGHT be a valid line of argument if the TSA actually performed that role...I mean I'd still say you're wrong, but you'd have a valid argument at least.
Unfortunately, they don't. [huffingtonpost.com]
The vast majority of attempted attacks on airplanes since the creation of the TSA have been stopped by the passengers...after the terrorist and his weapons already managed to get onto the plane. As far as we know, the TSA hasn't stopped anyone. Ever. [slate.com]
Even the US Federal Government themselves (through the GAO) can't find evidence [washingtonpost.com] of TSA programs being successful:
(Score: 2) by goody on Thursday April 13 2017, @04:28PM (1 child)
I didn't intend on getting sucked into a discussion defending TSA. I'm not a TSA fan, far from it. But I would ask you, what alternative would you propose? For the sake of discussion, if you went to one extreme and fully removed TSA and had no screening, air travel would once again be a huge terrorism attack vector. If you removed the TSA and replaced it with something, it would probably end up looking a lot like the TSA. The old system prior to the TSA was arguably an inconsistent mess from airport to airport. The mere fact that we have some stats showing problems with the TSA screening speaks to a quality assurance process that is looking for vulnerabilities. Of course, the trick now is to fix those problems. It's easy to say "eliminate the TSA", in practice that's a disaster.
For an alternative, I would propose we should have something like the TSA Precheck program across the board, that is required of all travelers. The screening they doing in Precheck is minimal and fast, faster and less thorough than screening in pre-TSA days. You would have to get registered and cleared ahead of time, something which may be difficult with infrequent travelers like little old ladies and families going to Disneyworld once in a lifetime. I'm sure plenty of people would complain about the inconvenience of having to get Precheck certified and armchair constitutionalists will scream bloody murder and threaten insurrection. I get the feeling TSA is heading in this direction anyways. They've been really promoting Precheck and reducing the number of agents, to the point where a few months ago their cuts to agent numbers outpaced Precheck adoption and regular (non-Precheck) screening wait times increased.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday April 13 2017, @06:18PM
First of all, how exactly do you conclude that it is necessary? If damn near any prohibited item gets through their screening right now, what exactly are they doing that's so necessary? Locking the cockpit doors was a great step, passengers knowing the risks and not expecting the hijacker to just take them to some remote airport and let them go also helps a lot. THOSE are what have stopped the terrorist attacks since 9/11, not the TSA. And not only does the TSA not stop the attacks, they also *create new ones* -- there have been terrorist attacks at the now centralized and congested TSA checkpoints too. Not stopping attacks while also creating new targets sure sounds like a step backward to me.
So, what should we do? First, basic passive security like the locked cockpit doors. That alone may be enough, but if you want to go further I wouldn't necessarily disagree as long as it's done with some basic level of intelligence and thought, which the entire TSA currently seems to lack. When I take a train, they sometimes have bomb/drug sniffing dogs roaming the station...and maybe a uniformed cop or two nearby...but that's about it. Those dogs tend to be far more effective than the overpriced scanner machines purchased from those friends of the TSA bosses. But they aren't basing their security techniques on any kind of scientific evidence or proven track records, they're basing it on corruption, bribery, and cosmetic appearance (ie, "Security Theater".) Instead of the cuddly friendly thing that can smell the drugs up your...body cavities...they go with the big high tech nudie scanners that get fooled by wrinkled fabric -- looks scarier, but it's garbage. You could maybe argue about allergies or phobias for dogs, but if it works at a train station it ought to work at an airport. And the TSA doesn't exactly hire skilled, intelligent, law-abiding agents either. We've got TSA agents molesting children, smuggling weapons, engaging in acts of terrorism, sexually assaulting people...and of course that's because the job sucks and the pay sucks and that may legitimately be the best they can hire...and the pay sucks because apparently nobody thinks the job is all that important. And they seem to be right about that. I really don't think there would be much risk in disbanding the entire organization today, but if we DO actually need security, then we need PROVEN and EFFECTIVE security, not just some low wage clown in a uniform trying to look intimidating.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by SDRefugee on Wednesday April 12 2017, @07:27PM (2 children)
Congrats.. You've become a sheep... Which is the EXACT thing the TSA was created to achieve.. I'd pretty much given up flying, and until last October, the last time I'd flown was back in 2004. What changed is I volunteer with the Redcross and they asked me to deploy to Baton Rouge to assist in the flood recovery. My first real personal look at the cancer that is the TSA was during my TWO FUCKING hour wait to get thru the security theater at McCarran airport on my way to Baton Rouge. The TSA agents were very surly, which from what I've read, is how they're trained to behave. Frankly after that AND negotiating the maze that is Atlanta airport to get to my "puddlejumper" flight from Atlanta to BR, I don't think theres gonna be ANYthing that convinces me that an airplane trip is worth my time anymore. As far as I'm concerned, anybody who travels a LOT and puts up with that shit from TSA has become a well-trained sheep... Just my .0000000001BTC
America should be proud of Edward Snowden, the hero, whether they know it or not..
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday April 12 2017, @08:00PM (1 child)
Almost seems like a train ticket is faster?
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday April 12 2017, @08:15PM
Even driving would be faster.
And Driving their crew, to their needed destination rather than bumping paid passengers would have also been cheaper, even if they had to hire a limo. Because this is going to end up costing them millions when all the dust settles.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1, Troll) by art guerrilla on Wednesday April 12 2017, @07:30PM (4 children)
@ that fucktard goody no shoes -
it is cowardly, authoritarian pukes like you who REALLY piss me off... so because you are an ineffectual pantywaist who would nebber ebber DARE to traduce ANY laws, regs, or even vague orders from rent-a-kops, and has no use for actual, real, effective civil rights (because a wormtongue like you would never get close to the limits of 'acceptable behavior'), ALL the rest of us who refuse to live on our knees should just suck it up and take the anal probing with no lube, too, just like you do ? ? ?
fuck you sideways with a pineapple...
maybe you dont mind the USELESS shit sandwiches you are forced to eat everyday, and even smile while chewing it, but i am letting the shit sandwich hit the floor and glaring at a nazi creep serving it...
urine idjit...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @08:18PM
In the (meta)thread, there have been several examples of rogue cops on the public payroll.
Clearly, the answer is privatized cops.
All hail Neoliberalism/Libertarianism!
cowardly, authoritarian pukes like you
[...]
fuck you sideways with a pineapple
Keep posting. I enjoy reading your anti-Authoritarian stuff.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @11:56PM (2 children)
Internet Tough Guy on the loose! Watch out everybody! This guy plays by his own rules! Nobody tells him what to do!
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Thursday April 13 2017, @01:55AM
He does what he wants!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z0-KZS1dDyw [youtube.com]
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 13 2017, @01:59AM
Howdy, toady! Are you a paid government shill, or just a volunteer?
(Score: 2) by epitaxial on Wednesday April 12 2017, @07:39PM
Well their 95% failure rate of finding weapons or explosives is a good start.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @07:47PM
Just because you're OK with illegal search and seizure, doesn't mean the rest of us are. What's more, why should any of us have to consent to sexual assault before being allowed to board a plane?
If you don't understand what the fuss is, then you haven't been paying attention. They regularly steal and molest children.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @09:05PM
"aversion"? are you serious? only dumb whores like you fly at all! aversion, give me a fucking break. it's either kill these stupid fucks or don't fly. i chose not to fly.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 13 2017, @12:02AM
> I've never quite understood the general aversion to the TSA, and I'm a very frequent flyer, like almost weekly
So far all the response have been knee-jerk because FREEDOM! type answers.
But that kind of argument is just preaching to the choir and it seems like you are not in the choir so I will try to convince you why you should join the choir.
There are quite a few problems with the TSA, but most directly applicable to you as a flier are two-fold:
(1) low standards for training which results in arbitrary decisions
(2) low levels of accountability which means little recourse for people affected by #1
Your experience with the TSA is the common experience. If they screwed up so often that even just a significant minority of people were adversely affected the outcry would be crazy.
But that is no comfort for the people who do experience a screw-up. And because they can be so arbitrary each trip to the airport is a gamble that something random won't escalate into a hassle for you today. That sense of powerlessness in the face of unaccountable and capricious authority is demoralizing.
BTW, PreCheck is not what it seems. At $85 for five years its obviously an insufficient background check, getting fingerprinted can cost $50 on its own. Its really about reducing risk to the TSA from people with political clout - i.e. people rich enough to fly on a regular basis. PreCheck reduces the chance that they will be hassled so badly that they call their senator. In fact all members of congress are enrolled in PreCheck themselves so they are unlikely to ever personally experience the mistreatment that the plebs risk when they fly.
PreCheck is kind of a gamble on the TSA's part. They have never once apprehended a person who was then convicted on terrorism charges. Literally not once in the entire history of the agency. So letting people board with only a cursory security check does not really increase the chance of an attack but it does significantly decrease the chance of the TSA having to answer to congress (aka the people who control their budget).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 13 2017, @12:34AM
No problems? Obviously you are not on oxygen.