TSA Success Story

I'll be calling my congress-critters about this prior to flying out of
BWI next week.  When I go to the airport, I'll try to replicate this
blogger's strategy.

http://blog.izs.me/post/1591805056/tsa-success-story

---------------------------------------
Isaac Z. Schlueter

TSA Success Story

By now, if you haven’t heard the outrage at the TSA’s “enhanced”
pat-down procedures, then you don’t use the internet, and you’re not
reading this blog.

They grope children[0]. They touch your junk[1]. The procedures are
ludicrously ineffective and harmful from a security point of view[3].
And the naked-picture xray machines are most likely unsafe.

Things like this get me feeling all rebellious and Jeffersonian. So,
since I’m flying up to Joyent’s Vancouver offices today, I decided to
do a little prep work.

First, I took the UCSF letter, added a bit of highlighting and
annotation to make it a bit easier to scan, and printed it out. You
can get a copy from http://j.mp/cancer-ray.

I was worried that I’d chicken out. No, not “worried”. I was sure I’d
chicken out. Of course I would. I talk a good game about incendiary
politics and unconventional ideals, but when the chips are down, I
generally do the expedient thing like a nice polite citizen. I’m not
one of these “talk down the authorities” types, even though I wish I
was.

But then my flight was cancelled, and I learned that I’d have to be in
the airport until 12 to catch the next one. The extra time to kill
strengthened my resolve. “So what if I’m detained?,” I thought. “I
don’t have to be anywhere for 5 more hours.” Plus I was alone, so
there wasn’t anyone else’s embarrassment to worry about. I repeated
the confidence mantras in my head. They’re expendable workers. I own
this place. I’m the boss. They work for me. The only reason I don’t
fire them is that they’re cheaper than robots. Etc.

I started talking to the family behind me as soon as I got into the
security line, a middle-aged couple with 2 adolescent boys and a girl
about 4 or 5. They were amused by my shoes[4], so it wasn’t too hard
to strike up a conversation.

I asked where they were from. Santa Clara. Heading to Toronto for some
family thing. I asked if they’d heard about the new X-Ray machines.
The dad was tired and apathetic. She said, “Oh, yeah, I heard about
those on the news, that if you don’t go through, they grope you or
something, and if you do, they take a naked picture of you.”

“Yeah, it’s messed up. Did you know that the UCSF oncology department
thinks they pose a serious health risk, especially to children or
anyone at risk for breast cancer?”

“Whoa, no, I didn’t know that!”

I handed the paper to the mom. Bam.

“Oh, honey, you should read this!! … Oh my god…”

Turns out she’s a breast cancer survivor. And her doctor has told her
to avoid x-rays, even at the dentist, unless absolutely medically
necessary. And she didn’t realize that “millimeter wave digital
backscatter detection” used x-rays, because the TSA doesn’t actually
put that on the sign.

She did the rest.

When we got to the scanner, I opted out. Then they opted out. She’d
already convinced the family behind them to do the same. Her response
to the TSA agent was awesome, I wish I’d thought of it:

“Ma’am, please step over here.”

“No thanks, I’ve already had cancer, just feel me up or whatever.”

After the first 4 “OPT-OUT” calls, they just passed us all through the
regular metal detector. No one got groped.

Information, properly delivered, is power.

Addendum The revolt was emotionally satisfying, and I totally
recommend doing it, but ultimately it’s only a drop in the ocean. From
where I’m sitting, I can see the security line, people holding their
hands up in the little booth.

So, do make trouble. On-the-ground rebellion is important. But also
tell your legislator. There’s a senate oversight meeting tomorrow, so
please call these people and tell them how you feel[5].

You’ll leave a voicemail. It’s easy and takes 2 seconds. Just call up
and say “I think that the TSA has gone too far. Body scanning and
inappropriate groping are unconstitutional and wrong. If you want my
vote, change the policy.”

[0] http://www.google.com/search?q=tsa+groping+children
[1] http://johnnyedge.blogspot.com/2010/11/these-events-took-place-roughly-between.html
[2] http://www.thestar.com/iphone/news/world/article/744199---israelification-high-security-little-bother
[3] http://www.scribd.com/doc/35498347/UCSF-letter-to-Holdren-concerning-health-risks-of-full-body-scanner-TSA-screenings-4-6-2010
[4] http://www.vibrams.co.uk/
[5] http://hillwho.com/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=10&sobi2Id=5651

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