27 June, 2011

Flying the (Un)Friendly Skies

Having done a spot of flying last weekend, I am pleased to say that I didn't have any troubles with the TSA and they now have a nice picture of me naked taken by one of those scanner hoolies. The Dulcinea got her back swabbed for explosives but, luckily, it came up negative. Honestly, the agents were very courteous.

I feel badly for those who do have run-ins with the TSA and its screeners. Take the 95-year old woman who had to have her soiled adult diaper removed so she could be thoroughly searched. Or Amy Alkon, an advice columnist, whose pudendum and labia were given a thorough search. The same goes for all the people in this video.



Meanwhile screeners somehow missed four chef's knives.

While I personally am not a fan of Rand Paul, I think he (mostly) hits the nail on the head here.



I was especially pleased to see him take TSA head John Pistole (whose banal TSA message is broadcast over airport PAs every few minutes) to task for his comment that traveling via plane is a privilege, not a right by quoting Supreme Court justices. Paul also brought up the point that the TSA has had nearly 10 years of practice yet they don't seem to have gotten any better at making flying any easier.

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