I had an "enhanced" TSA pat-down, and I cried..

Originally posted by Sacriligeous
I expected to come in here and read about a horrible experience where you got cavity searched and humiliated...you are definitely overreacting...these type of minor pat downs are done everywhere...at events, night clubs, anywhere that there is a fear of people bringing in unwanted items...come on!

Well, sorry to ruin your expectation's! Until you go through the same ordeal, how can you comment? I have never been rubbed down at any event, night club, etc. in any way. TSA agents are obviously trained to run their hands up to people crotches. All the way up!!! Do I need to draw a picture and explain the female anatomy? Have you seen it before? Can you picture how uncomfortable it can be? I can only imagine that a man would have his testicles grazed in this process. Especially in the absence of tight fitting undies. How does that not make you mad?

It's interesting to see the number of people on this thread that think it should be ok for government employees to violate a person's 4th amendment rights.
These same people will also be in agreement with cops being able to pull you over and drag you out of your car and pat you down because they want to.

"Your papers please Comrade".

Sorry for what you went through Christine76. The best advice I can give you is to remember this when it comes time to vote, and find out which of your congressional candidates support this and then vote them out.

The best way to go about it is start moning and pretend to "get off" on the pat down. Throw the ball back in there court.

Armed pilots, re-enforced cockpit doors, bomb and metal detectors and armed sky marshals and none of this becomes "necessary". I stopped flying years ago, I have altered my life to a great extent because of this supposed "security". Nothing about this is keeping flights safe. This is a make work program for those who are unable to find employment in the free market.

I have yet to see any case where a young mother with two young children are any way a threat to the security of a flight, other them maybe a smelly diaper or two.

They will come for you one day, they always do, and when you are ridiculed for expressing outrage, when no one steps in to stop them from slamming you to the ground for some supposed "law" violation, remember back to your reaction to this mother of two.

I have friends all over the world who I have told that I will probably never see then again because I will never board an airlines again. Soon, this is going to start happening at the boarders of each state, and then I will need to inform my family they will not be seeing my daughter again. When it gets to every highway in and out of each and every city, I will confess, I will be taking up arms and if you get in my way, if you try and defend what is happening you will no longer exist.

Originally posted by camaro68ss
The best way to go about it is start moning and pretend to "get off" on the pat down. Throw the ball back in there court.

Very funny, but not in front of my kids!!!
Thanks for the chuckle..

Originally posted by laiguana
TSA is an absolute waste of taxpayer dollars. There are a million other things that I am more likely to be killed by than a terrorist attack. So terrorism isn't my main concern when I am driving, flying or just walking down the block. TSA and friends are just a bunch of low skilled government employees, that's all they are.
The truth is that not all of us can opt out of flying. Many businesses depend on airliners. The airliners themselves are a private industry that have been infringed on by Homeland Security. What I see here is a Weimer Republic in the making. People are being conditioned to accept these unecessary provisions. If people don't make a fuss about it now...before you know there will be mandatory strip searches at airports. It's a slippery slope indeed.

edit on 22-6-2011 by laiguana because: (no reason given)

Who actually wants to tell me that TSA is worth all the money being spent on it?

Each scanner costs about $130,000 to $170,000, the agency said, and President Obama's budget request for this year calls for $88 million to buy and install 500 new scanners.

www.foxnews.com...

Have they caught any terrorists yet? BTW...Drunk drivers kill thousands more every year in the country than terrorists, why don't we ban alcohol all over again and enforce it through Homeland Security while we're at it...
I mean sure...if conformists want to volunteer for cavity searches, that is their perogative, that doesn't make everyone else willing to follow suite. Some of us actually know what common sense is.

So they patted down your child because he "made contact" by touching your hand? If the TSA can't operate on common sense, why are they even being allowed to play with people's bodies? TSAcher, leave those kids alone!!! All in all...

Originally posted by christine76

Originally posted by camaro68ss
The best way to go about it is start moning and pretend to "get off" on the pat down. Throw the ball back in there court.

Very funny, but not in front of my kids!!!
Thanks for the chuckle..

LOL, i know, if i had kid i would not do it in front of them ether but it would be funny

When our kids kids grow up all this will seam like a normal thing. Our kids to day are being groomed to accept pat-downs, because parents lets their kids be patted down.

If parents dont like to be patted down why the hell do they let their kids suffer the same punishment?

reply to post by christine76


It seems to me that you want a little attention.

I don't fly anymore and before if it was as short as Houston to Dallas I drove so I could take my firearms, scanner and computer with me as well as stop at road side garage sales. I would also drive 18-20 hours straight to go visit someone for same reason plus take my dogs. I don't agree with these increased security measures and look forward to our governor signing the TSA bill. Hopefully, other states will also take up the fight. What's Big Sis going to do, make the whole US a no fly zone?

To me the saddest thing about this thread is those who think TSA is necessary. My God, how did you become so fearful?

Terrorists? Sadly I do believe in terrorists and do my best to avoid them. The terrorists that concern me are TSA, FBI, CIA, DEA, BATF...sadly often even our military though they only (for the time being) terrorize other countries.

I've lived in the same house since 1979. I love where I live. I'm now going through the arduous process of getting rid of 40 years worth of possessions so I can move closer to family. I used to fly, that is no longer an option. I'm not overly concerned with the TSA Terrorists "violating" me, I've endured worse. I see them violate kids though and I'm going to speak out. I have grand kids, I don't think I could stand by silently while kids were GROPED.

Those of you who think you are protecting my "Freedoms", help get rid of the Real Domestic Terrorists and then we can discuss the Mythical Middle Eastern ones. Better yet, stay out of my life. I do not need nor want your "protection".

What wusses some people get to be...
Over a pat-down...

When I read the title I thought they were publicly liking your vagina... Like WTF...
Turns out it was a pat-down. You know, the ones they do everywhere if you set off the metal detector.

Or do you think you set off the metal detector and the officer tells you: "Congratulations. You have set off the metal detector. You can pass!"

reply to post by FrenchOsage

Better yet, stay out of my life. I do not need nor want your "protection".

Are you 100% positive of that? Careful man... It could come for you!

reply to post by Jepic


It? An imaginary "it" that my tax dollars do not fund isn't anywhere near as scary as a very real "It" funded by my tax dollars.
If you mean by "It" my (our?) Government? I fully accept at any time the slightest infraction could result in me being victimized by my (our) Government. Very unlikely, in that scenario, that someone employed by my Government is going to protect me from my Government.
I long believed the only real hope for America was a Military Coup. That seems a bit unrealistic now days. Sadly now I see it as two sides of the same coin.

Originally posted by FrenchOsage
reply to post by Jepic

 

It? An imaginary "it" that my tax dollars do not fund isn't anywhere near as scary as a very real "It" funded by my tax dollars.
If you mean by "It" my (our?) Government? I fully accept at any time the slightest infraction could result in me being victimized by my (our) Government. Very unlikely, in that scenario, that someone employed by my Government is going to protect me from my Government.
I long believed the only real hope for America was a Military Coup. That seems a bit unrealistic now days. Sadly now I see it as two sides of the same coin.

Take care man.

SOme of you need to grow up.


ANyway, I suppose many here that are okay with this have never left the country and experienced competent, effective, proven, and non invasive security. WHen we were flying out of Israel on El Al ( and Israeli airlines) there was no groping. This is the most safe airline in the entire world with an incredible track record in a volatile area of the world used to terrorism and etc. The US consulted El Al concerning our own airlines security and they explained why the TSA grope and pat was a faulty method. We didnt listen. SO much for feeling all warm, fuzzy and secure concerning this "preventative security".

Me? I dont fly anymore. I dont like strangers touching me in the first place.. specifically places I didnt let my husband touch me on the first date.. or first week. Maybe if the TSA agents bought me dinner and a movie.. and stroked my ego before the heavy petting..... perhaps.

I cant wait to hear what some who think this is fine and dandy think when your car, bus, train, schoolbus, mall hopping, etc freedoms are hampered by invasive search and impeding your freedom of travel.. and arriving on time Think it isnt gonna happen? Already is. Google is your friend.

Only after reading the majority of the replies here I came to realise how good it is not to be American or have to fly there.

Christine76 is: drama queen,un prepared / unfit to travel, at fault because of a number of obscure reasons, because she does not just lay down and "die" ( so to speak ), she craves attention...etc.

Logic,reason and to a certain degree intelligence and empathy dissapeared like they were never there. Christine76 i feel so sorry for what happened to you,i understand why you stood there for everyone to see what they were doing,but you lost the battle....your people don't get it anymore.

Your future generations will never know what the word "freedom" means or what your forefathers stood for. Living in fear and allowing this sort of "protection" looks like is the new way of living.

Christine76

I will admit that I found your reaction to be a bit extreme before I thought about it for a minute. After taking a moment, I realized that I have no idea of who you really are, your past, etc.

This is embarrassing for me to share because I am always so solid and generally fearless but a year ago when driving over ANY bridge I would suddenly get a very bad panic attack. Broke out in sweat, felt dizzy, felt like I was falling through and that I was being tortured, heart rate through the roof. This reaction I was having seemed silly to me, and everyone I told as well. That didn't make what I was feeling any less real though.

I guess what I'm trying to say is don't let others opinions of the way you felt at that time ever make you feel weak or bad. You feel what you feel.

WOW. I'm going to agree with those whom claim you seem to want some attention
and that you are acting like you were just raped.

Yes, the TSA pushes boundaries but in this case you were given a simple pat down and
you, in my opinion, seemed to have extremely over reacted to your experience. My gosh,
from your post alone you made it quite clear that this incident has changed your life forever
as if you had just been raped/robbed/what have you.

Your post is nothing more than an attention seeking post. The TSA did not overstep their
boundaries. As for your child being searched I can understand that being messed up
on the sole basis that your child came in contact with you. That makes no sense what so ever.

You gain no sympathy from me and if I had seen you in the airport I would have thought to
myself, "Wow, that woman is bats**t crazy and needs some help."

My advice: grow up and don't let something so subtle almost give you a heart attack. Furthermore
I suggest you stay in your grave, I mean house, and never leave so that you'll be "safe".

---
As the above poster mention, we do not know your past. So if you have ever been violated
in your lifetime then I'll slightly apologize for my post coming off as a bit harsh. Otherwise I firmly
believe what I have posted above.