Fuck you very much, the TSA.2
Nov. 17th, 2010 09:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sorcyressHello there! This is your nine AM report that yeah, opting out of the backscatter machines really is as unpleasant as you've been led to believe.
I had the time when I arrived at the airport, and the security lines were blesséd short, so yeah, why wouldn't I choose to opt out? Cause someone else a bit of hassle, and not have naked pictures of me leaked to the internet in a couple weeks. I am quite okay with this plan, and so, at the point where you are meant to be removing your shoes and putting everything on the little moving belt, I smiled oh so cynically at the woman directing things, and asked what procedures one must take to opt-out.
She didn't quite sigh, and directed me to put my things on the belt --make sure there was nothing in my pockets, no paper, no anything, no belt, and of course, no shoes. "We have a female opt-out" she said wearily into her walkie-talkie, which nearly broke me in two right there --I am not female, and I hate being called such, and I know that it is only a hundred times worse for so many more people.
I had to walk through the backscatter machine to get to the area in which they would scan me --directly on the other side of the backscatter machine, causing a slight bottleneck as more compliant people had to squeeze around me. And there I was and there was a young woman who was not the slightest bit comforting as she told me that she was going to have to touch me.
And proceeded to do just that. She, as the one account has been saying, stroked my hair, which felt far more violating than I ever would have expected. She ran her hands down my back, over my ass, down my legs, then came 'round to the front to stroke my chest, down between and under my breasts, my stomach. Waistband search is apparently mandatory --she slid a finger into my waistband, both front and back, and ran it back and forth to make sure I wasn't concealing contraband in the waist of my panties or some such.
Perhaps the part that made it worst for me was the way she kept emphasizing "I'm going to use the back of my hand" when she went to touch the so called "private" parts of my body. I'm sorry, if you are rubbing something against my butt, my breasts, it really does not matter whether it's the front of the hand, the back of the hand, or a six inch rubber dildo. I will still feel violated by the pressure and by the fact that you are stroking my body in a way I do not consent1 to. Her reassurances that it was "only" the back of her hand felt rather like being told that it's okay, the stabbing you're about to receive is "only" going to be done with a blunt knife.
I waited patiently afterwards, to gather my bag --ohwait, I forgot that I have evil Massachusettsian water in my bag. This simply won't stand! So I had to wait for the agent to dump out my water and send my bag through again (she wanted me to go do it, which would have involved going through the line again...um, fuck no, much? One, it's not my fault you can't tell the difference between a bottle of water and a bottle of EVIl, two, I am so not fucking going through that unpleasantness again.).
Now I am about to go refill my water bottle with more evil Massachusettsian water (somehow MAGICALLY DISTILLED by being from an airport water fountain *after* security instead of an airport water fountain *before* security) and continue to try not to cry about the fact that I feel like I was just molested.
Banner fucking way to start the day, especially after how impossibly shitty last night was.
Fighting the good fight, and all that. Just wish it didn't feel so damn futile.
~Sor
MOOP!
1: I do not consent to being photographed naked by the TSA, and I sure as _hell_ do not consent to being molested by a TSA agent. However, apparently if I want to fly in this country, I have to let the people in power molest me, so I'd better just be a good girl and shut my mouth about it. Charming!
2: (from the title) Is anyone else thinking that Eric Idle's song from 2004 could really use an update? It scans and *everything*
I had the time when I arrived at the airport, and the security lines were blesséd short, so yeah, why wouldn't I choose to opt out? Cause someone else a bit of hassle, and not have naked pictures of me leaked to the internet in a couple weeks. I am quite okay with this plan, and so, at the point where you are meant to be removing your shoes and putting everything on the little moving belt, I smiled oh so cynically at the woman directing things, and asked what procedures one must take to opt-out.
She didn't quite sigh, and directed me to put my things on the belt --make sure there was nothing in my pockets, no paper, no anything, no belt, and of course, no shoes. "We have a female opt-out" she said wearily into her walkie-talkie, which nearly broke me in two right there --I am not female, and I hate being called such, and I know that it is only a hundred times worse for so many more people.
I had to walk through the backscatter machine to get to the area in which they would scan me --directly on the other side of the backscatter machine, causing a slight bottleneck as more compliant people had to squeeze around me. And there I was and there was a young woman who was not the slightest bit comforting as she told me that she was going to have to touch me.
And proceeded to do just that. She, as the one account has been saying, stroked my hair, which felt far more violating than I ever would have expected. She ran her hands down my back, over my ass, down my legs, then came 'round to the front to stroke my chest, down between and under my breasts, my stomach. Waistband search is apparently mandatory --she slid a finger into my waistband, both front and back, and ran it back and forth to make sure I wasn't concealing contraband in the waist of my panties or some such.
Perhaps the part that made it worst for me was the way she kept emphasizing "I'm going to use the back of my hand" when she went to touch the so called "private" parts of my body. I'm sorry, if you are rubbing something against my butt, my breasts, it really does not matter whether it's the front of the hand, the back of the hand, or a six inch rubber dildo. I will still feel violated by the pressure and by the fact that you are stroking my body in a way I do not consent1 to. Her reassurances that it was "only" the back of her hand felt rather like being told that it's okay, the stabbing you're about to receive is "only" going to be done with a blunt knife.
I waited patiently afterwards, to gather my bag --ohwait, I forgot that I have evil Massachusettsian water in my bag. This simply won't stand! So I had to wait for the agent to dump out my water and send my bag through again (she wanted me to go do it, which would have involved going through the line again...um, fuck no, much? One, it's not my fault you can't tell the difference between a bottle of water and a bottle of EVIl, two, I am so not fucking going through that unpleasantness again.).
Now I am about to go refill my water bottle with more evil Massachusettsian water (somehow MAGICALLY DISTILLED by being from an airport water fountain *after* security instead of an airport water fountain *before* security) and continue to try not to cry about the fact that I feel like I was just molested.
Banner fucking way to start the day, especially after how impossibly shitty last night was.
Fighting the good fight, and all that. Just wish it didn't feel so damn futile.
~Sor
MOOP!
1: I do not consent to being photographed naked by the TSA, and I sure as _hell_ do not consent to being molested by a TSA agent. However, apparently if I want to fly in this country, I have to let the people in power molest me, so I'd better just be a good girl and shut my mouth about it. Charming!
2: (from the title) Is anyone else thinking that Eric Idle's song from 2004 could really use an update? It scans and *everything*
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no subject
on 2010-11-17 02:40 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-11-17 02:43 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-11-17 02:50 pm (UTC)I'm looking to see how the Thanksgiving opt-out protest will turn out.
When we flew through SF, I got chosen for the backscatter, and I wasn't really in any mood to be fussy, so I just went through. But I still had to wait a good while for
Maybe we'll soon see a "Markets in Everything" based on this comic (http://www.overcompensating.com/posts/20101116.html). (I don't think I'd recommend the comic as a series, but this one is applicable)
Out of curiosity, would have you been less startled if the TSA agent had said "we need a female agent for an opt-out" rather than "we have a female opt-out?"
no subject
on 2010-11-17 03:11 pm (UTC)I am so incredibly sorry you had to go through that, sweetheart, and I am sending happy thoughts and hugs your way so hard right now. Unless you're in a no-hugging state of mind, like I get sometimes, particularly when having physical contact meltdowns, in which case I'm just sending the good thoughts.
Also, I want to check on something, now that you've reminded me. You've said you're not okay with the word female being applied to you. Are you okay with "she" and "her" or do you want me to avoid pronouns when talking about you? I've been using them for you and I don't want to if it bothers you, but I know you're not male either. I talk a more slowly when I have to avoid pronouns, since I have to think harder about what I'm saying, but I've done it before.
no subject
on 2010-11-17 03:19 pm (UTC)I suppose it'd be, you know, insane to suggest that the airport security actually wipe the bodyscan files or retool the machines so they don't actually record them? I mean I know that asking them to do what they said they'd do is horrific of me, really I get that. But it'd certainly increase the chances of people flying.
I know, thinking outside the box by saying to do what you promised is crazy.
...I do get the reason they were picky about the water though. That's not really something I can side with you about. Since the reasoning behind that actually is reasonable. And separate from this binary choice of how to be violated by the airport security thing.
About that water ...
on 2010-11-17 03:29 pm (UTC)Re: About that water ...
on 2010-11-17 03:47 pm (UTC)The key word being the last word. I'm also considering chemical solids that could be hidden in other parts of the 'allowed' supplies on a plane that could be used in conjunction with an otherwise stable liquid. However I'm not a biochem anything so mostly mine is movie fear created by too much James Bond. Even with that in mind, its still reasonable to control what enters the airport within reason as dictated by what is LEGAL.
Everything else about the current state of flying isn't reasonable (and, for that matter, might not be legal either). Because you can't have a system based on the only choices being two different ways to
feelbe violated by the TSA. That's where the line can be clearly pointed out as unethical, immoral, and if the lawsuit going on by the two pilots is won, proven illegal.no subject
on 2010-11-17 03:59 pm (UTC)Were they advanced-scanning everybody, or just people selected for additional scrutiny? It seems to vary.
no subject
on 2010-11-17 04:13 pm (UTC)I'm flying up your way a week from today and am debating my options:
- I don't care at all about my nekked body being seen by some random agent in another room, nor, really, about not all that identifiable leaked images were they to exist.
- I do have some concerns that although properly calibrated backscatter machines should be less radiation than the upcoming flight . . . I don't know how well calibrated those machines will stay. So next week I'd probably not consider a health risk to me, and with the amount I fly, also not much of one.
That all said, I do have reservations about the whole deal.
I'm tempted to
1) use some silver infused burn goop I have around to write Oh Baby! across my boobs, and go through the machine. Probably not clever.
2) ask for the enhanced patdown, and go commando with a skirt. Probably won't feign interest, though.
The latter concept is mostly to up the annoyance factor on the part of the agents, so they start complaining up the line.
Honestly, I think I'd prefer an option 3, of asking for a small room and then just stripping and performing a Charleston.
It probably all depends on how busy I am at work that day.
no subject
on 2010-11-17 04:50 pm (UTC)*hug*
no subject
on 2010-11-17 05:03 pm (UTC)I'm not flying any time soon, but when I do I'm probably going to wear my kilt and do the same.
no subject
on 2010-11-17 07:01 pm (UTC)...and a bit scared and peeved with myself that reading this is making me reconsider if I want naked pictures of me (the answer to which should always rationally be "no" or "with a prettier backdrop").
no subject
on 2010-11-17 08:44 pm (UTC)I personally find it really easy to deal with being touched "professionally" so to speak. Still not sure I'd find it within myself to choose the frisking over the scanning to stick one to the system. Ack. Both sound awful. I don't want people looking at me naked! Well actually. I don't give a fuck who sees me naked, but only as long as it's on my terms (and as long as they don't mind seeing me naked, also).
no subject
on 2010-11-17 09:00 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-11-17 09:10 pm (UTC)http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/11/tsa-opt-out-day-now-with-a-superfantastic-new-twist/66545/ == wear a kilt! commando!
interesting - found this while searching for the above: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/11/body-searching-children-no-for-the-us-army-yes-for-the-tsa/66535/
totally seeing red about this
on 2010-11-17 09:17 pm (UTC)It's all completely pointless and stupid. Security experts agree that it accomplishes NOTHING. All it does is encourage a police-state mentality.
I am probably going to get in trouble the next time I end up flying anywhere. Josh has prevented any summer visits to far-off places since 2007, so I've missed out on recent airport security "improvements"... but no, I totally won't deal well with being treated like that. I WANT TO TAKE MY DAMN SODAS WITH ME IN MY BOOKBAG.
(Does anyone know if there's some kind of ink that shows up in those full-body scans? Preferably something that is otherwise invisible... Then I could write "FUCK THE TSA" or maybe "I AM A TERRORIST" somewhere under my clothing.)(Yes, I know they have signs saying "no joking". It's not a joke, it's a protest... and besides, airports are public property and I am exercising my freedom of speech.)
further thoughts
on 2010-11-17 09:27 pm (UTC)If I had the money to blow on lost tickets, what I would really do is just breeze on through security as if, y'know, I had paid for a flight and had a right to proceed to my plane without further hassle -- walk around the device, cut over to another entrance, whatever. Answer politely but firmly when asked to stop (after determining that there was no *good* reason to stop, of course). Completely ignore the existence of the security checkpoint without actually doing anything illegal or rude, and see what happens. There are certainly enough horror stories out there -- but is that what *usually* happens, or are they outliers?
And I am trying desperately to work up a song. If anyone has lyrics to throw in the pot, post a comment or contact me however.
Re: totally seeing red about this
on 2010-11-17 09:35 pm (UTC)I'm toying with the idea of writing Woo Baby across my boobies with the stuff, but I'm likely to be rushing through security.
no subject
on 2010-11-17 09:39 pm (UTC)Contact your reps. Honestly, I don't think any amount of public outrage will influence the TSA directly, not until Congress gets involved.
yet more thoughts
on 2010-11-17 09:45 pm (UTC)(P.S. My dad often tells the story of how he unwittingly had a knife in his back pocket or something -- I think it was an international flight, even -- and security never spotted it. Just one more piece of evidence adding to the conclusion that this is all about intimidation and getting people to be scared so they will vote Republican, not about preventing hijackings.)
Re: yet more thoughts
on 2010-11-17 10:23 pm (UTC)"Ma'am you can't bring this."
"Oh! I'd been wondering why it was so heavy!"
Re: About that water ...
on 2010-11-17 11:41 pm (UTC)So it's a good thing that you can buy a bottle of Dasani in an airport newsstand before the security screening, but you can't take it through.
no subject
on 2010-11-18 12:01 am (UTC)Thank you for describing this. I've been told that because of my sex and the way that I look I'm more likely to get chosen for this, so I definitely need to figure out what the hell I'm going to do. Thank you for giving me more information.
Re: yet more thoughts
on 2010-11-18 12:02 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-11-18 12:06 am (UTC)I just found an article in my reader from Sociological Images related to this. I'm going to send you the link, but with a trigger warning - the article's about an organization that uses images comparing the pat-downs to sexualized violence, and the images are a little disturbing. Here it is. (http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/11/17/do-full-body-scans-sexual-groping/)