The TSA Feels its Oats - Page 8

MINNEAPOLIS Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura sued the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration on Monday, alleging full-body scans and pat-downs at airport checkpoints violate his right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures....
According to the lawsuit, Ventura received a hip replacement in 2008, and since then, his titanium implant has set off metal detectors at airport security checkpoints. The lawsuit said that prior to last November officials had used a non-invasive hand-held wand to scan his body as a secondary security measure.
But when Ventura set off the metal detector in November, he was instead subjected to a body pat-down and was not given the option of a scan with a hand-held wand or an exemption for being a frequent traveler, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit said the pat-down "exposed him to humiliation and degradation through unwanted touching, gripping and rubbing of the intimate areas of his body."
It claims that under TSA's policy, Ventura will be required to either go through a full-body scanner or submit to a pat-down every time he travels because he will always set off the metal detector.

Originally Posted by SDW2001

Just saw that story. I'll believe they'll do that when it happens.

Originally Posted by SDW2001

I saw that. It is positively damning. It will be interesting to see where this goes in the courts. Are they really going to make the argument that a TSA uniform allows someone to be groped, even without cause?

Originally Posted by jazzguru

Putting your hands on anyone without their consent is not morally justifiable unless you are defending yourself or your property from aggression.

What the woman did to the the TSA agent was wrong.

AND the TSA's pat-down procedures are also wrong.

Government should not be able to do anything you or I cannot do.

Originally Posted by jazzguru

And when the TSA sets up security checkpoints in train stations and on roads, what then? If you don't want to be molested by an agent of the state, don't travel?

Originally Posted by jazzguru

And when the TSA sets up security checkpoints in train stations and on roads, what then? If you don't want to be molested by an agent of the state, don't travel?

Security should be provided by the airlines themselves. If I want to be groped and fondled to prove I'm not a "terrist", I'll fly with an airline that provides that level of "security".

Originally Posted by jazzguru

And when the TSA sets up security checkpoints in train stations and on roads, what then? If you don't want to be molested by an agent of the state, don't travel?

Security should be provided by the airlines themselves. If I want to be groped and fondled to prove I'm not a "terrist", I'll fly with an airline that provides that level of "security".

You're probably used to seeing TSA's signature blue uniforms at the airport, but now agents are hitting the interstates to fight terrorism with Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR).

...


When writing the law that created the TSA, Rep. Mica added a provision that allows airports to "opt out" of federalized security. San Francisco Airport took advantage of that and hired Covenant Aviation Security, a private screening company.

It was a good move. A leaked 2007 TSA study found that San Francisco's private screeners were twice as good at detecting fake bombs as TSA screeners. Passengers at San Francisco International have told us "screeners here are friendlier" and "more helpful." The private screeners also work quickly, and lines are shorter. Company managers move screeners around to minimize wait times. A 2011 House Transportation Committee report found that, in the time it takes TSA screeners at the Los Angeles airport to process 100 passengers, San Francisco screeners process 165.

That's partly because Covenant has an incentive to do well and retain its contract. So it keeps its screeners sharp by staging competitions. A screener can win up to $2,000 if he is good at identifying items in an X-ray machine or finding contraband in suitcases.

Dozens of other airports have asked the TSA to let them switch to private screening companies, but the agency said no to almost all of them, giving only one reason: "There is no clear advantage to the federal government."

...

Originally Posted by FineTunes

Ex-Minn. governor sues over body scans, pat-downs

Originally Posted by Hands Sandon

Slightly off topic but...

"A foreign artist seeking authorization to perform in the United States must navigate a system that involves a pair of government departments. Homeland Security, created in 2003, evaluates the initial application and then, if approval is granted, the State Department, assuming it is satisfied with the results of an in-person interview with the performer, issues a visa at an embassy abroad.

Congress requires the process to be financially self-sustaining, rather than depend on taxpayer support, which in practice means that fees are typically higher than those of other countries. Homeland Security even offers an expedited premium processing fee of $1,225 per application over and above the standard $325 filing fee that is supposed to guarantee a response within two weeks, but arts administrators complain that the agency sometimes fails to meet its own deadline.

As part of the process the arts group sponsoring performances in the United States must also submit written proof of the artists qualifications, all duly translated into English. Even then there is no guarantee of timely approval of a visa request, since there are often additional requests for evidence of a performers artistic worth or personal background. The government advises performers and ensembles to submit paperwork at least 90 days before they hope to receive a visa, but arts administrators say that delays of up to six months are not unusual.

Government agencies say that the enhanced procedures they have adopted are needed to safeguard American citizens. We want to facilitate legitimate travel to the U.S., but we need to keep security as our highest priority, said a State Department spokesman, who invoked department rules that do not allow him to be identified by name.

In many cases foreign troupes must also pay a consultation fee of up to $500 to an American union to certify that its performances will not adversely affect the interests of American artists. Its a revenue stream for the unions, with no cap in sight, Mr. Ginsburg said.

As a result, some large ensembles are now simply avoiding the United States. In 2006, for example, the Hallé orchestra of Manchester, England, canceled an American tour that was to include a performance at Lincoln Center after orchestra administrators calculated that complying with visa regulations for a group of more than 100 musicians and staff members was going to cost them more than $70,000."
~ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/ar...s.html?_r=1&hp