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Wednesday, March 07, 2012

But hey, it made Michael Chertoff rich
Posted by Jill | 6:58 PM
I don't know if you've ever refused to go through a body scanner at an airport. I have, and it's not a fun experience. If you decide to do so, you'd better allow a LOT of extra time, because the TSA officers are not going to bust their butts finding someone to do the patdown, especially if you are female. When I did it, at the Fort Lauderdale airport mentioned in the video below, I had to wait about 10 minutes for an officer to do the patdown, with both my personal and my work laptop in a bin, not being watched by anyone, at the belt. The patdown was not overly intrusive, and I explained to the officer why I had chosen it and expressed concern for HER safety, being exposed to backscatter X-rays all day every day. But every other passenger just went blindly and unquestioningly through the scanner, which is what our government is banking on.

And it's still all just security theatre.

Here's a demonstration of just how easy it is to beat one of these things:



It's that simple. And yet this year, hundreds of thousands of Americans will submit to unnecessary X-rays, simply because someone told them it would make them safe.

(h/t)

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2 Comments:
Blogger Ivan said...
Jill, thanks for posting this.
And while I've only recently "joined" your site, I am enjoying reading over your "back issues."

And while I submit to the scanner (only been asked once), I do it because I don't need the hassle of some Barney Fife TSA zombie if I don't. And it's funny how the Nowheresville airports I frequent (because of work) tend to have *more* TSA Fifes around than the NYC area airports.
Thanks for letting me comment,
--Ivan
3/8/12, 12:04 AM  
Anonymous Steve said...
This guy is dead on target in his criticism of the TSA and the whole security theatre farce -- right up to the point where he reveals his political agenda. The solution is to privatize the TSA? Riiiight, that would solve everything! I would have so much more confidence in the system if, for example, Chertoff's company were providing security personnel as well as the machines.
3/8/12, 9:43 AM  
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