I think the measures are useless. Especially the pat downs and xray machines. There are so many people who go thru security with things on the no no list even. Yes times have changed and yes terrorism sucks but terrorists could blow up a crowded mall too. Does that mean I’m going to have to go thru this when I shop? What about at a large sporting event?

I am so sorry that you went through this.

I haven’t flown since they started the “fingerings” (or “hand-ings” I guess), and I will not fly. It’s not right. I wouldn’t be able to handle these invasive patdowns, so I will no longer fly anywhere. It sucks.

Oh Danielle, I am so sorry you had to go through that. I have been through the airport once since 9/11. I’m not a big flyer and this just makes me want to drive instead the next time there is a need for air travel. ugh. They should be giving you an answer, it is absolutely not okay to not have a reason for a pat down like that. I wonder if there is a petition for this very thing. If we have rules with what we can even bring with us when we travel… they need to have rules too.

“Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security”
Benjamin Franklin

Security Theater at its worst.
I went through TSA in San Antonio and was pulled out to stand in their X-ray machine. I said I objected to the radiation and the TSA guy said: “It’s not radiation, just an X-ray.”
Says it all.

Danielle,

I experienced a similar situation when flying home to see my family in Des Moines at Christmastime last year. I went through the metal detector at Atlanta and was “randomly chosen” for a patdown. I did not set off the machine. I do not think I looked suspicious in any way. I am female, late 20s, long blonde hair, blue eyes, Caucasian, a middle school teacher. I was wearing an Old Navy t-shirt, fitted jeans, and tennis shoes.

I too was uncomfortable with the patdown. The two very young black girls ordered to do the patdown were shy and polite, and I honestly do not think they wanted to be doing this job. At first, the patdown consisted of nothing more than a light brushing of the hands along the bottom of my legs and arms, but the large male supervisor who stood over us watching the entire time instructed them to redo it, and they were much more aggressive the second time. He even ordered one girl to feel my breasts for a third time. He seemed to enjoy wielding his power.

What bothered me even more than the patdown, I think, is that they took all my belongings out of my sight for 25 minutes while I was held in the glass box waiting to be cleared. Fortunately, Des Moines does not have backscatter, and people (even TSA agents) in the Midwest tend to be much more pleasant to deal with than people in Atlanta, so I did not have any problems on the return flight. I have not flown since, though, and I will not fly again until the kind of passenger abuse that is now prevalent throughout the majority of the country ends.

I’m so sorry! I remember you were still upset when I saw you at the Airport at the other end of your trip. :(

The only times I’ve gone through the Xray, I’ve gotten a pat down with it. I don’t understand what sets it off. I’ve worn maxi dresses also with no issues. Seems a bit much to do the pat down after the xray, especially when I have no metal in my body. DH gets the fully pat down every time as he has 2 false hips, but he’s never said they’ve crossed a line in it. Is it only women who get that “special” treatment?

I think that if you’re going to be paid to post on a blog, you ouight to be required to actually write your story down. This *click on my video* bit ia new Strollerderby low. So completely lazy and stupid.

I have always thought, and still believe, the invasive security measures are not designed for our protection at all. They use fear to create a way in to slowly take our human rights away. They want usto be afraid of ‘terrorists’ bombing planes so that we will allow all sorts of ludacris procedures to occur until we can’t take it anymore and accept chip implantation to avoid such a thing (or something of the like). The truth is, if someone is going to bomb a plane they will because it’s a very internal political thing. No one wants to believe this thouigh, so instead we will allow stupid laws and rules because we believe that these people want to keep us safe when it is simply not going to keep us safe. Until the world decides to say NO, enough is enough and refuse to fly under these circumstances we will only see it get worse. I disagree that times have changed and this is necessary.

To me, the worst part of the whole airport experience is that there doesn’t seem to be a standard. On one flight play-dough is fine, on the next it is taken away. I have traveled with formula dozens of times and then, suddenly, out of the blue, my bags are searched while I am alone trying to wrangle three kids under three years old. I have asked the same question, “What can I do to avoid this in the future?” Sadly, there is no answer to the question. The rules are constantly changing and depend upon who is enforcing them. I am sorry for your experience and hope that you get some sort of response from costumer service.

I have had my own bad experience with security. My, at the time, 9 month old son touched the wall of a metal detector and the security people saw him, but they still insisted on patting him down and looking into his diaper, “just to make sure”, they said.
I think there is a better way to handle security without harassing or demeaning people. I also think some of these people are on a power trip.
So Sorry you had to be violated in such a way.

They allow rapists and pedophiles to work the pat downs due to equal employment opportunitys act, and i have heard cases where children were groped and imapropatly touched in there nether regends. i find it sick and sad that something of this nature happened.. id rather walk or swim then have to go through that. Sadly even cartoons are saying this is ok , bubble guppies had an episode that went through the processes and the crab rubbing his back claw all over the characters…lets just say that is not a show i will ever let my children watch. we teach our children innapropriate touching is wrong no matter what. what message is this sending.

Sounds like a great job for all those pervs and pedophiles out there to get their jollies; doesn’t seem to have impacted security in any way–except to make anyone subject to these invasive “pat-downs” feel insecure!!!

I agree that sometimes things are taken too far. But I think sometimes we forget that we would be very upset if a person is allowed access to a plane that we would be on with our children/family with a potential dangerous item (bomb, knife, etc). It is a fine line that is easily crossed and hard to define. Security is constantly changing due to issues that come up or become more lax because threats are less. It is very difficult to keep up with all these changes.
Also to the last person that responded…..every TSA employee goes through a very extensive background check before being hired. They do not have rapists, kidnappers, murders, etc working there. It is actually quite hard to get a government job with a criminal background.