Enhanced Pat Downs. Enhanced Interrogation Techniques. Orwell called it.

[Matariki]

BoingBoing linked to TSA's blog discussing the new (secret, they can't tell you the actual rules) Enhanced Pat Down.

(edited to add the TSA blog link)
http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/08/enhanced-pat-downs.html

The blog - written by (I kid you not) TSA's own 'Blogger Bob' - is just pathetic. What is interesting is that they allow comments -- and the comments are worth the read.

Here are a few:

Anonymous said...
I think it's always worth mentioning so we never forget how the naked body scanners got deployed in the first place......it was the result of the total incompetence of our government to stop the panty bomber from boarding his flight last Christmas. Even after our own intelligence agencies had identified him as having traveled to train with terrorists, and the panty bomber's own father directly warned the state department about his son.

NOT A SINGLE PERSON IN GOVERNMENT WAS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS INCOMPETENCE. Instead, the law abiding citizens of our country must now be blasted with radiation and viewed naked by the very same government that failed to prevent the most obvious terrorist from boarding a plane.

That said....I just experienced my first "enhanced" pat down yesterday at the Baltimore airport for refusing to be radiated in the TSA nude-o-scope.

As others have observed, there was an instant, palpable negative attitude towards me by the TSA agents for my choosing a pat down instead. They kept referring to me as "a refusal", and I believe there is an attempt to punish people for not complying with orders.

After waiting and not being allowed to gather my belongings I went off for my enhanced pat down.

The TSA agents apparently were not aware of something called a bra strap, so I was then escorted to a "private area" where I had to remove my shirt in front of two TSA agents.

The whole thing took about 25 minutes, and it was humiliating and an absolute outrage. I had tears running down my face -- from both anger and sadness. The USA as we've known it is over. It's just over.

September 15, 2010 2:06 PM

America - I *used* to know you said...
You Americans realize that by allowing the DHS to run roughshod over your rights, you are becoming a laughing stock around the free world, yes? If you can't stand for Freedom, all that's left to symbolize America is conspicuous consumption, and that's hardly a lofty goal is it?

August 31, 2010 2:02 PM

Anonymous said...
Unfortunately I have to fly to America frequently, and am now faced with these degrading practices. I hate to break it to all you TSA-haters, but you, *ALL OF YOU* have let it come to this! The development toward a police-state was obvious for the last 10 years. But, sadly, the land of the "brave" has become the land of the "paranoid", and no-one dares to talk back when the "terrorist-card" is played! Now you have created a monster that you cannot put back into the cage. This is sad, since the whole world suffers from it, not just US citizens. (The US has a lot of allied states that just LOVE to follow every new madness to the letter). Did you know that in the UK, the Nude-o-Scopes are already *mandatory*? I guarantee you that in a few months, they will be mandatory in the US, too. No more option to opt-out... See you then!

September 16, 2010 8:44 PM

[Tunkamerica]

1. read this. kind of my hero, though he never made his flight and got threatened with a lawsuit

and a 10,000-dollar fine.

http://johnnyedge.blogspot.com/2010/11/these-events-took-place-roughly-between.html

[Matariki]

2. Yeah I read that. I admire how composed he remained.

[LibDemAlways]

5. The TSA goons have no legal authority to make those threats. They aren't police.

Love that the guy said "screw it" and that he was able to get a refund. Also love that he captured the smarmy bastards' attempts at intimidation. More fuel for the anti-TSA fire.

[Fuzz]

29. I love the messages on the loudspeakers. Such a typical fascist tactic, isn't it?

[LibDemAlways]

3. I hate TSA too much to look at their blog, so thanks for

reprinting those comments. The only way sanity will be restored at the airports is when people stop discretionary flying and it hurts the airlines' bottom line. Only then will the airline CEOs put pressure on the feds to do something about it. Doesn't help that greedy insiders like Chertoff are lobbyists on behalf of the nude-o-scopes. He flies around in corporate jets so what the hell does he care.

At least the latest outrages seem to have energized the public. TSA is getting a shitload of bad press.

[Matariki]

6. That site is a train wreck. But fascinating.

Nearly all the comments are negative toward TSA.

I found the comment that 'if the US no longer stands for freedom, all that's left is conspicuous consumption' particularly sad. Add illegal wars and predator drones to that I suppose, and there you have it.

[Poboy]

15. indeed.

[Matariki]

4. BoingBoing has had a lot of articles on this issue

Another disturbing one citing a CBS2 article

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/23/why-is-the-tsa-takin.html

In Chicago, people like Robert Perry are subjected to exhaustive security checks. He was patted down, his wheel chair was examined and his hands were swabbed, all in public view in a see-through room at the security checkpoint. Perry, 71, is not alone

"It's humiliation," Perry said.

Perry was also taken to a see-through room by a TSA agent when his artificial knee set off the metal detector.

"He yelled at me to get the belt off. 'I told you to get the belt off.' So I took the belt off. He ran his hands down over and pulled the pants down, they went down around my ankle," Perry said.

At that point, Perry was standing in his underwear in public view. He asked to see a supervisor. That made things worse.

"She was yelling 'I have power, I have power, I have power," Perry said. The power to stop him from flying to Florida with his wife that day to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

[Slit Skirt]

7. there is another story about San Diego Airport

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9560950

this is ridiculous!!!

[Tunkamerica]

11. I posted the exact thing above

[avaistheone1]

8. It's seems like the fight for our liberties and freedoms is here at home,

and not in some far off country in the Middle East. imo

These full body scanners and full body gropings by TSA is an abomination. Its disaster capitalism at its worst.

I will avoid flying at all costs. It is too much of a hassle and a humiliation. Who thought America would come to this.

Pathetic.


k&r



:patriot:

:kick:

[LibDemAlways]

9. +1000 and then some. No one should have to endure

being x-rayed or groped in order to go visit grandma. The country has gone completely off the rails. If enough people refuse to fly, the airlines will have to put pressure on the feds to restore some sanity. In the meantime, I am enjoying all of the well-deserved negative publicity that is coming the TSA's way. Long overdue.

[Matariki]

10. "The country has gone completely off the rails"

seriously.

[Hissyspit]

12. Digby's thoughts on the matter:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9558648

[reggie the dog]

13. they are putting these in place in france but oddly

only for international flights across the atlantic... there is too much competition from high speed rail in which there are no searches.

[Poboy]

14. k&r. -very interesting blog comments! -nt

[Individualist]

16. K&R

[Matariki]

17. Love this quote in the comments on BoingBoing

'Enhanced Pat Down'. That was generated by Rob's NYT Torture Euphemism Generator, right? Is the TSA paying royalties?


Apparently the word 'enhanced' is now the creepy Newspeak for a government employee doing something reprehensible (and previously illegal) to you.

[Subdivisions]

18. For years people laffed and laffed and laffed at those who warned about the

onset of an American police state, calling those who dared to speak out "crazy", "paranoid", "delusional", "tin-foilers", "woo-wooers", and any number of other insults.

And, if you go to the September 11 forum, you can still get that today despite everything that has occured to prove the woo-wooers right.

[Matariki]

19. Take away a little bit at a time. Boiling frog metaphor.

To the point that there are people on a progressive forum arguing IN FAVOR of naked full body scans and petty bureaucrats groping their privates in a manner previously reserved for prison inmates.

[seabeyond]

20. i remember saying was gonna be the point of naked, strip search adn gloved hands

here we are.

that people can allow govt to be so very disrespectful to their person. further, defend that govt being so damn disrespectul to their person. totally, mindboggling, human conditioning. in such a short period

[Mimosa]

21. Stanford Prison Experiment....

I found this link in the comments on the blog:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment

Excerpt:

he Stanford prison experiment was a study of the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The experiment was conducted in 1971 by a team of researchers led by Psychology professor Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University. Twenty-four students were selected out of 75 to play the prisoners and live in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford psychology building. Roles were assigned randomly. The participants adapted to their roles well beyond what even Zimbardo himself expected, leading the guards to display authoritarian measures and ultimately to subject some of the prisoners to torture. In turn, many of the prisoners developed passive attitudes and accepted physical abuse, and, at the request of the guards, readily inflicted punishment on other prisoners who attempted to stop it. The experiment even affected Zimbardo himself, who, in his capacity as "Prison Superintendent," lost sight of his role as psychologist and permitted the abuse to continue as though it were a real prison.

Five of the prisoners were upset enough by the process to quit the experiment early, and the entire experiment was abruptly stopped after only six days. The experimental process and the results remain controversial. The entire experiment was filmed, with excerpts soon made publicly available, leaving some disturbed by the resulting film. Over 30 years later, Zimbardo found renewed interest in the experiment when the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal occurred.

[Matariki]

23. That seems exceptionally relevant.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how most people behave with even a small amount of petty power. You only have to go to the DMV to make that observation.

So the idea of giving TSA screeners the power physically violate everyone - including children, it's obvious that it's just NOT going to go well. Furthermore the law is such that once the screening process starts the *subject* can't walk away from it - in other words if a person is traumatized by what amounts to sexual assault, well tough luck.

I'm encouraged that there's a big outcry on this - it gets depressing at how apathetic we Americans can be. I just hope there's follow through, that no one settles for 'small bones' as Sibel Edmonds put it - i.e. insignificant compromises.

[Citizen Worker]

22. How far away from body cavity searches are we? I predict not far.

[Matariki]

24. The day someone is caught packing explosives in their rectums. Obviously.

You have to wonder if the companies that make the scanners and security equipment aren't motivated to make these events occur.

[Ezlivin]

25. Try flying when you're in a wheelchair

You HAVE to get patted down/frisked/fondled because you cannot push a wheelchair through the scanner.

There is no choice. It's automatic.

Traveling via air has become so horrible that I'll never fly again. (Unless I'm the pilot and my pilot's license is a bit dated...)

[Matariki]

28. You've read about the four year old boy forced to remove his leg braces

and hobble through the metal detector on his own - even though he could barely walk without them?

And people dare to suggest that TSA agents can be trusted with additional authority.

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/16/tsa-forces-travellin.html

[Odin2005]

31. I fear for a friend of mine with cerebral palsy if she ever has to go on a plane.

She's a rape survivor and doesn't need asshole pigs fondling her! :grr:

[Matariki]

26. Napolitano asks fliers for "cooperation" and "patience" with full-body scanning and pat downs

:mad:

You know, if Americans accept this and don't push back, things like taking away Social Security and Medicare will be a breeze.

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2010/11/napolitano-asks-fliers-for-patience-on-body-scanners/131209/1

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. We LIVE in a police state

and it is more obvious every day...

I only fly if absolutely necessary... but the day when INTERNAL passports will be needed ain't that far... all in the name of security.

[Gin]

30. I want the congress to be patted down (enhanced) and let them know

how degrading that feels.....whats next? no undies allowed and we stand on a machine that looks up at our parts to make sure we don't have explosives tucked away?

[Matariki]

32. Indeed. Would like to see that. Flying is enough of a universal activity

to have journalists, business folks, politicians, right wing, left wing - EVERYONE - upset.

I strongly feel however, that if we don't collectively stand up against this, we're in for a whole lot worse. Our acquiescence will be a sign that anything can be taken away from us (Social Security, Medicare, Public Education, etc) and there will be no backlash.