nbs2
Jan 21, 2010, 02:52 PM
As if we needed any further proof of the farce that is the Security Theater that is the TSA, I bring you the story (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20100121_Daniel_Rubin__It_was_no_joke_at_security_gate.html) of Rebecca Solomon, summarized below.
After passing through security, following all the many unproductive procedure that have been laid out for her to follow, she was presented with a baggy of white powder and a question, "where did you get it?"
Was this baggy full of cocaine, anthrax, some sinister powdered bomb that requires 4 ounces of water to reconstitute? She didn't know. It wasn't hers. After 20 seconds, he revealed the truth.
The bag was his.
It was a practical joke.
Her complaints to TSA supervisors fell on deaf ears. Her complaints attracted the attention of the article writer, who contacted regional TSA. Apparently he has now left the TSA (whether voluntarily or involuntarily is unclear).
I now leave you with two thoughts -
1) If I brought a device that looked like a bomb, and acted like a bomb, do you think my privacy would be protected by the TSA, and do you think I would have been able to hide from this in the same way?
2) While the TSA may not be able to share names and personnel actions due to privacy laws, you can. Next time you have to travel through security, make sure you take down names and be sure to be ready to share them when the need arises.
After passing through security, following all the many unproductive procedure that have been laid out for her to follow, she was presented with a baggy of white powder and a question, "where did you get it?"
Was this baggy full of cocaine, anthrax, some sinister powdered bomb that requires 4 ounces of water to reconstitute? She didn't know. It wasn't hers. After 20 seconds, he revealed the truth.
The bag was his.
It was a practical joke.
Her complaints to TSA supervisors fell on deaf ears. Her complaints attracted the attention of the article writer, who contacted regional TSA. Apparently he has now left the TSA (whether voluntarily or involuntarily is unclear).
I now leave you with two thoughts -
1) If I brought a device that looked like a bomb, and acted like a bomb, do you think my privacy would be protected by the TSA, and do you think I would have been able to hide from this in the same way?
2) While the TSA may not be able to share names and personnel actions due to privacy laws, you can. Next time you have to travel through security, make sure you take down names and be sure to be ready to share them when the need arises.
