It would help if TSA's "fact vs myth" didn't include a myth of its own

[kpete]

It would help if TSA's "fact vs myth" didn't include a myth of its own
by John Aravosis (DC) on 11/21/2010 03:21:00 PM

From TSA's blog (it's not entirely clear to me why the TSA has a "blog," but whatever):
http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/11/tsa-myth-or-fact-leaked-images.html

Myth: Pat downs for certain individuals are limited to the head and neck.

Fact: No one is exempt. Everyone is subject to the same screening. TSA is sensitive to religious and cultural needs, but everyone must be screened effectively. Administrator Pistole echoed those sentiments on MSNBC’s Hardball recently.

Well that's utterly and completely untrue.
http://www.americablog.com/2010/11/boehner-and-congress-exempt-from-tsa.html
And even more untrue.
http://www.americablog.com/2010/11/tsa-exempts-pilots-from-porno-scan-or.html

http://www.americablog.com/2010/11/it-would-help-if-tsas-fact-vs-myth.html

[lob1]

1. Congress should not be able to pass laws that do not

apply to themselves. Period.

[BlueIris]

2. I am also baffled by the idea of a TSA blog.

Does TSA also have a Twitter page?

[Rex]

3. That MUST be a lie, because Rep. Boner was ushered to the

'privileged' lane and bypassed ALL screening...hmmm me thinks these laws only apply to us little people.

[TBF]

4. Do they pat down President Obama when he gets on Air Force One? nt

[Rex]

5. Of course not! Only we the 'little people' could be potential terrorists!

Politicians of a certain caliber would NEVER betray America...so they are exempt from scrutiny.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Well, itvapplies to all...(sheep)

And if youbdon't like don't fly!

:sarcasm:

[customerserviceguy]

7. After two holiday travel seasons

this thing is gonna blow up, when first-person stories go all over America, and YouTube is chock full of atrocities. I'll be ready and waiting with my camera phone to surreptitiously blow the whistle on TSA pervert Nazis who are feeling up little kids and disabled grandmothers.

The only question is, which political party is going to be smart enough to jump on this issue first? My bet is that it won't be our side, the President and the Secretary of State would have quite a bit of backpedalling to do after what they've said lately. This will just be another political coup for the tea partiers.

[pnwmom]

8. The TSA is reacting to an entirely different point - about Muslim women.

Personally, I don't care that pilots don't have to be screened. We're letting them fly the airplanes -- we must have decided they're safe!

But the issue the TSA is responding to is an internet rumor that Muslim women in religious garb only need to be searched about the head -- not their body.

I traced the rumor back to its original source and realized that the common quote is completely taken out of context. It turns out that IF a woman is ONLY subject to special screening because of the veil, then the head and neck is the only part of her that should get special screening. (If, however, she's subject to random or other screening anyway, then she gets full screening.)

But the oft-repeated rumor is that ALL women in religious garb get to avoid ALL screening except for the head and neck. This is what the TSA is trying to respond to, without further spreading the false rumor.

[sally cat]

9. "I traced the rumor back to its original source" Link? Is it the CAIR advisory to Muslim women?

[pnwmom]

10. I don't think so, but it was related to that advisory.

Sorry but I didn't save all the links. All I can say for sure is that the part about searches only above the neck was taken completely out of context.

I did find this link today. As you can see, it is specifically centered around women who are only selected for screening because of a head scarf. Many people are quoting just part of this and saying -- falsely -- that no woman in hihab has to have a screening below the neck,

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cair-issues-travel-advisory-on-new-airport-pat-downs-107052408.html

SNIP

CAIR also offered special recommendations for Muslim women who wear hijab:
* If you are selected for secondary screening after you go through the metal detector and it does not go off, and "sss" is not written on your boarding pass, ask the TSA officer if the reason you are being selected is because of your head scarf.
* In this situation, you may be asked to submit to a pat-down or to go through a full body scanner. If you are selected for the scanner, you may ask to go through a pat-down instead.
* Before you are patted down, you should remind the TSA officer that they are only supposed to pat down the area in question, in this scenario, your head and neck. They SHOULD NOT subject you to a full-body or partial-body pat-down.

SNIP