Via Drudge: For those curious about what the "enhanced" pat-down involves, I had a first-hand experience (no pun intended) Sunday evening September 10 in the Kansas City airport. (This is going exactly where you think it's going, so feel free to stop reading right now.)
After going through a metal detector in the TSA-Pre security line, I was randomly selected to see if a machine would detect explosives on my hands. My palms were swabbed and the machine detected explosives, even though I had not recently handled a gun, flammable liquids, or any sort of explosives. Another airline passenger told me the same machine had detected explosives on the hands of another passenger who had gone through the line minutes before I did.
So what precisely does the "enhanced" pat-down seem to entail, you ask?
Well, since you asked, the agent runs his hand inside a passenger's waistband and also runs his hand up the back of each leg until he "meets resistance" and then does the same from the front of each leg. And then the TSA agent swipes the front of his hands 3 or 4 times right over the zipper area of one's Gap Outlet comfort-stretch khakis. That last part was the most unpleasant.
For what it's worth, this isn't the story of an agent who didn't know how to do a pat-down. The agent described exactly what he was going to do before he did it and seemed to be simply carrying out the government's policy. I'm sure he'd like a job that involves less groping.
After going through a metal detector in the TSA-Pre security line, I was randomly selected to see if a machine would detect explosives on my hands. My palms were swabbed and the machine detected explosives, even though I had not recently handled a gun, flammable liquids, or any sort of explosives. Another airline passenger told me the same machine had detected explosives on the hands of another passenger who had gone through the line minutes before I did.
So what precisely does the "enhanced" pat-down seem to entail, you ask?
Well, since you asked, the agent runs his hand inside a passenger's waistband and also runs his hand up the back of each leg until he "meets resistance" and then does the same from the front of each leg. And then the TSA agent swipes the front of his hands 3 or 4 times right over the zipper area of one's Gap Outlet comfort-stretch khakis. That last part was the most unpleasant.
For what it's worth, this isn't the story of an agent who didn't know how to do a pat-down. The agent described exactly what he was going to do before he did it and seemed to be simply carrying out the government's policy. I'm sure he'd like a job that involves less groping.
(Link to more)
12 comments:
Is that a mouse in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me? Let me check again, and again...
Pity the passenger who becomes aroused. We are so screwed.
The Blonde gets strip searched anyway because of the implants in her knees.
I can only guess what they'll do to her now.
Have car, will drive.
Yes, Leland, I have felt that way a long time. Safety-wise, why fly if you can drive? Ihad halfway decided that I might fly for long distances, but now I think I'll just enjoy the long ride. Look at it as getting there is half the fun.
What's the latest on the the radiation from the scanners. Do they still use them?
Titus' dream job.
I feel badly for everyone involved in this security travesty. I've had that happen to me and it's just excruciatingly embarrassing for all concerned. They should probably not do this out in front of everyone. That just makes it worse and you have to stand there and try not to make eye contact with anyone.
I guess that, arguably, there is precedent for terrorists hiding weapons around their groin area (like the guy with the bomb in his Depends in Detroit in 2010(?) I think).
If you do the pat-down behind a screen, there is more of a chance of law-suits, I would guess, for inappropriate groping. Even if it were filmed, which it would be.
But doing it in the open wears down the morale of the populace. We accept more and more.
"A single backscatter scan exposes the target to between 0.05 and 0.1 microsievert of radiation. In comparison, the exposure from a standard chest x-ray is almost 100 times higher.[8]"
This doesn't seem so bad...
Let's see:
"Like all methods of radiography, chest radiography employs ionizing radiation in the form of X-rays to generate images of the chest. The mean radiation dose to an adult from a chest radiograph is around 0.02 mSv (2 mrem) for a front view (PA or posterior-anterior) and 0.08 mSv (8 mrem) for a side view (LL or latero-lateral).[1] Together, this corresponds to a background radiation equivalent time of about 10 days.[2]
The last time I went through airport security, it looked like they removed the backscatter machines. I think because it became apparent the manufacturer lied about the images being immediately deleted, which never made since to me, because you would need image for proof or probable cause when you escalated the search. But when most of your TSA agents have just HS diplomas and couldn't find a job anywhere else (because most people don't want the job, except for those certain someone who do, and you know who they are and you wouldn't hire them), they tend to store the images they like for use later, off of work or maybe just during breaks.
Thanks, Leland.
"Have car, will drive."
That's been my solution, for years.
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