[nagdu] airports

Ed Meskys edmeskys at roadrunner.com
Thu Dec 2 19:23:54 UTC 2010


Thursday Sandy and I flew Boston to BWI (Baltimore) and all went very smoothly. The personnel were professional and courteous. Sandy went thru first, and set off no alarms. Then she called Gyro thru, and he did set off alarms, and greatly enjoyed a pat-down. Then I went thru and set off no alarms. We were traveling to an SF convention just outside Baltimore, in Timonium. We returned on Bolt Bus, more tiring, but half the cost. Our schedule did not permit us to take the bus down. 

Below is part of an ongoing discussion of security on Trufen, a listserv for discussing science fiction and the fandom surrounding it.
Ed Meskys

> Dave Locke first wrote:

>> Woman Strips Down to Her Lingerie, Gets TSA Pat Down Anyway-Twice
>> http://xrl.us/bh9yug (Link to gizmodo.com)
Then, Lee Gold says it's disturbing:
>
> The most disturbing thing I've seen lately about TSA pat downs is
> that the TSA personnel don't change gloves in between touching
> people's skins (even after areas contaminated by diarrhea and urine)
> so that there's a significant chance of passing along infections,
> some of which might be serious.
>
> http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/300769
> http://www.naturalnews.com/030495_TSA_infectious_disease.html
> http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=231733

Dave then wrote:

At least this nonsense is fully out in the open now, with people seeing 
on a daily basis that the post 9/11 security ramp-up in the processing 
of airline passengers has had no useful effect. How much longer this 
will continue to be a part of our lives is the remaining question.

-----------------

I was selected for the full body scan at Armstrong airport in New Orleans on 
Monday, and chose the pat down instead. The TSA agent put on a new pair of 
gloves and was very professional, for which I complemented him. The pat down was 
entirely outside of my clothing (I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt), and he 
warned me when he was going to be touching my private parts. To be honest, while 
I still question the need for such rules from a security standpoint, I found 
nothing disturbing or untoward about my examination.

Joel Zakem




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