Thread: It's sad I have to post his in "Off Topic" Please guys read this

Sorry Folks, I had enough when I read the story below.

Air Travel

You now have to give away your to be secure in your person, not just effects like bags and such??

Opponents say "If your were on a plane that was attacked you'd feel different" Well no I'd not - We all sacrifice some security for being a free country that has liberty.

I feel it is my American duty to send it to every one I have done business with, my personal email lists, and anyone on my Facebook - (I guess FB is good for something).

I read this extra disturbing article after hearing a pregnant woman was not allowed to opt-out and was forced into the back-scatter X-ray The TSA states on its website that it is totally safe for pregnant women and children to get 10mrems each. Right


-D

BTW: I have to travel for work to keep food on the table so don't just think "drive there" because the right to travel freely in our country is an imperative right for us, as United States Citizens, to keep.

This is new info from just last week. No news on TV about it huh?
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Thursday, Nov 25th, 2010

Menstruating women beware. If you intend to travel, your panty-liners are now considered suspicious objects, after all you could be concealing a bomb in there.
The latest insane TSA transgression answers questions that were raised last week when it was revealed naked body scanners can also detect sanitary napkins.
New York Times reporter Joe Sharkey wrote Monday that he was getting a lot of requests for information from female frequent fliers.

“Do the imagers, for example, detect sanitary napkins?” women wanted to know. “Yes,” wrote Sharkey.

“Does that then necessitate a pat-down? The TSA couldn’t say. Screeners, the TSA has said, are expected to exercise some discretion.” the article continued.

The answer, judging from one woman’s written testimony, seems to be yes.
A customer of popular women’s health company, Gladrags, relayed her recent experience at the hands of the TSA via email.
In short, she was asked to walk through a radiation firing naked body scanner and complied. The scanner produced a naked image of her, but because her sanitary towel was obscuring her most intimate parts from prying eyes, the TSA agents pulled her aside for a full groin search. Not something to be relished by any person, let alone someone who has previously suffered sexual assault.

Here is the woman’s email in full:


“This email isn’t going to be as polished as I would normally send, but I’m upset and I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else (if I can stop it).
I recently traveled via air, and was subjected to that new scanning device. “No problem,” I thought. I was wearing jeans and a linen tanktop, bra, panties, and one camouflage pantyliner.
I’m a rule follower, so I never have any problems at the airport. Not this time. I was stopped, and then held for 15 minutes while they tried to find a female supervisor. I couldn’t get to my bag, my shawl or my shoes; just standing there while the TSA agents kept me in one place.
Now, I don’t want this to be about bad TSA agents; they were doing their job, they were as delicate as they could be, etc., etc. But what ultimately happened is that I was subjected to search so invasive that I was left crying and dealing with memories that I thought had been dealt with years ago of prior sexual assaults.
Why?
Because of my flannel panty-liner. These new scans are so horrible that if you are wearing something unusual (like a piece of cloth on your panties) then you will be subjected to a search where a woman repeatedly has to check your “groin” while another woman watches on (two in my case – they were training in a new girl – awesome).
So please, please, tell the ladies not to wear their liners at the airport (I didn’t even have an insert in). I’m a strong, confident woman; I’m an Army vet (which is why those camo liners crack me up), I work full-time and go to graduate school full-time, I have a wonderful husband, and I don’t take any nonsense from anyone. I don’t dramatize, and I don’t exaggerate. I’m trying to give you a sense of who I am so you won’t think that this is a plea for attention, or a jumping on the bandwagon about the recent TSA proposed boycott.
I just don’t want another woman to have to go through the “patting down” because she didn’t know that her glad-rag would be a matter of national security.”


When will this insanity end?

We, as citizens, have let TSA gain way too much power...

When TSA started, I thought the extra security was stupid. I complained to my friends and family about it. They all for the most part told me I was paranoid and being silly. Now when I point out all these stories that are coming up, or show them the pictures on the web of the body scanners they don't think I'm being so silly or paranoid anymore.

I don't fly unless I have no other choice, luckily I have that choice and my work does not have anything to do with travel. Unfortunatly other than me showing all my friends and family one by one over time and not flying, there is not much else I can do to help rectify the situation. It will take a massive effort by everyone who flys to stand up and say they won't take it anymore.

The problem is, at this point how do you turn things around? What recourse do we have?

The average Portland resident living in a stone, adobe, brick, or concrete apartment building or house, as an average example of a PNW population center under 1000ft above sea level, who has not had any jet plane flights, does not have porcelain inlays, fillings, or false teeth, or had any routine radiological medical exams (CT/X-Ray) is subjected to 334.008 mrems a year.

A basic mammogram X-ray is 42 mrems. I don't think the radiological implications are anything to be frantic about. You get six times the mrems these things put off every year just by living in Denver for example, on top of the aforementioned base average, and I am assured that the birth rate and birth normality in our Rocky Mountain state is copasetic.

I'm not ready to take a political stand on either side of the backscatter issue, but if there is a danger to them, it has nothing whatsoever to do with their rad output. They are physically quite safe.

Some may find the following site edifying: ANS / Public Information / Resources / Radiation Dose Chart

Edit: To further give some perspective to nuclear science and rad exposure, dangerous exposure is measured in e sieverts (SV) and grays (gy's). It may be further edifying to note that 1SV = 100,000 m(ili)rem high energy protons or 100 rems/rads. Temporary/mild radiation poisoning of any kind is onset at the 2gy/sv level (200,000 mrems) and encompasses mild nausea and vomiting for a duration of anywhere from 2-24 hours.

Originally Posted by SCTSQRL

The average Portland resident living in a stone, adobe, brick, or concrete apartment building or house, as an average example of a PNW population center under 1000ft above sea level, who has not had any jet plane flights, does not have porcelain inlays, fillings, or false teeth, or had any routine radiological medical exams (CT/X-Ray) is subjected to 334.008 mrems a year.

A basic mammogram X-ray is 42 mrems. I don't think the radiological implications are anything to be frantic about. You get six times the mrems these things put off every year just by living in Denver for example, on top of the aforementioned base average, and I am assured that the birth rate and birth normality in our Rocky Mountain state is copasetic.

I'm not ready to take a political stand on either side of the backscatter issue, but if there is a danger to them, it has nothing whatsoever to do with their rad output. They are physically quite safe.

Some may find the following site edifying: ANS / Public Information / Resources / Radiation Dose Chart

Edit: To further give some perspective to nuclear science and rad exposure, dangerous exposure is measured in e sieverts (SV) and grays (gy's). It may be further edifying to note that 1SV = 100,000 m(ili)rem high energy protons or 100 rems/rads. Temporary/mild radiation poisoning of any kind is onset at the 2gy/sv level (200,000 mrems) and encompasses mild nausea and vomiting for a duration of anywhere from 2-24 hours.

Exposure to the fetus of a pregnant radiation worker who has declared to her employer she is pregnant is limited to 0.5 rem for the pregnancy.

Maximum permissible doses for radiation workers

The pictures i have seen of the scans penetrate the skin (they said they didn't) and shows bones or pins in your bones. The fetus is getting a dose.

Yet the TSA said it it safe for pregnant women?

Also, you are referring to a one time dose or a directed dose - not full body exposure

There is no safe level of radiation. Every non environmental source (we can't control that) increases your chances of cancer.

I heard somewhere that the body scanners are NOT a requirement for any airport, so each airport has the choice of whether it wants to host these scanners. Also, do not believe TSA agents who tell you the scanner is safe...what data do they have?...were they just told what to say by their handlers?

My personal thought is that these machines are not about keeping us safe. Its about making money and taking away out freedom and liberty.

Underwear bomber is escorted past security (by government agent??) and the boarding agent lets him on the plane without ID. What good is ANY machine or procedure if it can be bypassed? I'm sure the person who got him past security knew what was going to happen on the plane. Explosive-sniffing dogs (which the military uses) would be much more effective and healthy than heavy x-rays.

Anyway, out of that comes the need for these x-ray machines...from Michael Chertoff. The government falls for it, and Chertoff becomes an advisor for the company that makes the scanners...ka-ching! Talk about conflict of interest! end of My personal thought

I don't like flying, but sometimes I don't have a choice. I MUCH prefer Amtrak... anyways, I haven't had to fly since the latest excessively expensive and invasive violations of our Constitutional rights er, security measures have been implemented. I agree that our K9 friends could do a dang fine job, put people to work, and save many dogs from shelters, etc-- and I bet it'd save big $$ in the process. But the last few times I flew, I was amazed at the differences in security measures at different airports, case in point from 2007:

In '07 after coming from PDX via train to Sea-Tac they swabbed my hands, dismantled my hollow aluminum travel cane and CPAP machine (which they also swabbed), and POURED OUT MY PARKINSON'S MEDICATIONS into a tray that they assured me was sterile, disposable, and used for such purposes . I'd never heard of this happening before or experienced it since.

The pills were in their original Rx bottle with my name and a recent refill date on the pharmacy label. I gave them my Doctor's letter that I carry stating that I need these things to, um, continue living but they didn't even glance at it. The only checked-baggage going with me on this flight had nothing but clean clothes, so I can't imagine that had anything to do with me getting the deluxe treatment... I was 38, friendly, was well dressed and groomed, with my natural hair color (more on that later).

I didn't complain, raise my voice or act annoyed & complied completely with their requests with 'sure, no problem'. I really did find the whole thing humorously absurd, but made sure not to show it! So, I was 'asked' to sit off to one side for the 10-15 minutes this took, while one TSA person stood about 2 feet from me. The agents were, however, totally friendly and professional with me, no complaints there.

They didn't look in my wallet & ignored my laptop bag and computer completely. Likewise with the mini-bottle of emergency supply meds, they didn't check it out at all. There were a LOT of TSA people around that day; maybe it was a totally random thing? Training session? Who knows... but I was expecting the rubber gloves at any second. Heck, other times flying in and out of Belfast, Dublin, Amsterdam, London... never anything remotely like this.

Same trip, flying in and out of Chicago, Des Moines, Albuquerque, and Vegas, barely a glance as I went through security, except to check out the CPAP machine-- even though on those flights, I had checked in baggage containing an aluminized fire suit & hood, a variety of electronic & musical instruments, weird lighting effects, a multi-tester, several hard-drives and almost a hundred rechargeable batteries & several chargers(all properly wrapped, but still I can see how that could look rrreally suspicious....) AND at that point, weeks after the SeaTac adventure my hair was dyed fluorescent green!! Chicago in particular had at least as many TSA people around, if not more, but there they basically waved me through. Weird discrepancies.

I don't tour as a musician anymore, but I wonder how a trip with similar luggage would go now? And my 'boss' on that tour has 20+ facial piercings, titanium skull-horn implants, and is 100% covered with puzzle-piece tattoos... never a single problem for him either. He still tours non-stop; I need to call him and ask if he's seen his recent scans . I do have some traditional x-ray pics of him swallowing swords, which could be vaguely on-topic and amusing, but I'd have to ask his permission to post 'em...

Jeesh since it's now 5'45am, for comic relief here's an old pic from that tour showing me with the glow-in-the-dark hair:


I now return you to further discussion of the topic

I just got back from OK city last night. Last Sunday at SeaTac I saw them try to send a girl 3-4yrs old through the backscatter and her mom said "no way"

They took the kid away 10-15ft from the mom and a huge lady was rubbing the insides of her legs up to her labia. The girl screamed "don't touch me" and the TSA agent said "Maa'am - Control your child" The agent also told the little girl it was a "game" that they needed to do so they would die on the plane from the bad guys. The girl had tears streaming down her face and was hyperventilating at the end of this.

I was observing and someone came over to me and asked me what I was doing. I said just witnessing this "touching" - don't call it a "pat down" because it's not. They told me to leave and refused to provide their name as I requested.

I have been since researching this whole topic and I think I have almost all the answers on how to fight this legally and calmly.

Here's another story.



TSA - Sexual assault
I have an incident to share that occurred late Friday afternoon, November 12, 2010, around 5:15 in the Dayton International Airport.

I realize the publishing this publicly on the internet puts me into a delicate situation, given that I am a high profile blogger and author. This is a difficult incident to share, but it needs to be said...Because I will not be a silent victim.
I will share the facts of the incident in as a matter of fact manner as I can.

I checked into my flight and had a boarding pass printed that included “plus infant.” My baby and I were flying from Dayton, OH, to San Antonio, TX, so I could run in the San Antonio Half Marathon. I was taking my baby along because he is still breastfeeding for part of the day.

I entered the security line, removed the special formula that I had with me for the baby, as well as my quart size baggie with my other liquids. I went through the x-ray machine and metal detector, carrying the baby, with no incident.

Because I was traveling with baby formula, I knew to expect that they would test it with the paper circles for explosives. The TSA agent took all of my belongings over to the table in the center of the explosive screening tables. She asked me, “Are you aware of the NEW policies for carrying liquids through security that were instated 4 years ago?” (capitalized to show the emphasis that she placed on that word.)

I replied, “Yes, I fly with him every several weeks.”

She scanned the formula, then turned to me and said, “Remove your shoes and stand on that black mat for a patdown.”

I said, “OK, what do I do with the baby?”

“You cannot be holding him.” (I am traveling alone.)

So I placed him into his stroller. She instructed me, “Spread your feet apart and hold your arms out to the side.” I obliged.

She patted my left arm, my right arm, my upper back and my lower back. She then said, “I need to reach in and feel along the inside of your waistband.”

She felt along my waistline, moved behind me, then proceeded to feel both of my buttocks. She reached from behind in the middle of my buttocks towards my vagina area.

She did not tell me that she was going to touch my buttocks, or reach forward to my vagina area.

She then moved in front of my and touched the top and underneath portions of both of my breasts.

She did not tell me that she was going to touch my breasts.

She then felt around my waist. She then moved to the bottoms of my legs.

She then felt my inner thighs and my vagina area, touching both of my labia.

She did not tell me that she was going to touch my vagina area or my labia.

She then told me that I could put my shoes on and I asked if I could pick up the baby, she replied Yes.

She then moved back to my belongings to finish scanning them with the paper discs for explosives. When she finished she said I was free to go.

I stood there holding my baby in shock. I did not move for almost a minute.

I stood there, an American citizen, a mom traveling with a baby with special needs formula, sexually assaulted by a government official. I began shaking and felt completely violated, abused and assaulted by the TSA agent. I shook for several hours, and woke up the next day shaking.

Here is why I was sexually assaulted. She never told me the new body search policy. She never told me that she was going to touch my private parts. She never told me when or where she was going to touch me. She did not inform me that a private screening was available. She did not inform me of my rights that were a part of these new enhanced patdown procedures.

When I booked my ticket, I was given no information that the TSA had changed their wand and unintrusive patdown procedures to “enhanced” patdown procedures that involved the touching of all parts of your body, including breasts and vagina on women and testicles and penis on men. I was not informed by any signs on the front side of security about the new procedures. I had not seen any media coverage about the issue, so I had no idea that this was a new government sanctioned policy.

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Well folk's here's a start at an action plan.


#1 Don't go in the scanner until the UCSF concern letter is responded to. Please read this letter http://news.ucsf.edu/news-briefs/det...ll-body-scans/ and spread it around.

#2 Take your own sealed gloves in a size 8.5-9 so they can put on over their issued gloves.

#3 Say you are going through the skin/genital touching step instead because you find it "erotic" and tell them you also consider it to harassment for not going through the scanner. This is very important to meet the RCW of "Sexual Contact" 18 USC is even more lax. You can use the 18 USC to say the grope was punishment and to humiliate you for not going through the scanner. ---They may or may not know by using those words you are setting a trap for them under current statues at the federal and state level.

Definition of Sexual Contact

The intentional touching, either directly or through the clothing, of the genitalia, ****, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks of any person with an intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person. 18 USC

#4 Record the audio and notify them of the recording. "Need legal citation for this if someone can provide to make sure we can record evidence to be used in the case."

#5 Get a non-TSA witness and allow them to do the inside the undies grope in public so others can see your resistance. This will be embarrassing, but describe where and what they are touching (no slang words) very clearly.

#6 Get the names of all witness and staff.

#7 File a criminal and civil lawsuit.


I was lucky so far as I didn't trip the metal detector, was dressed like a federal agent and had above normal credentials. I also look like the guy you don't want to mess with - "it's an aura" they really pick up on.


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Here's another although I haven't been able to confirm the legitimacy of it. it sound fishy to me. "pants around ankles"




Body Scanner Operator Caught Masturbating at Colorado Airport
August 4th, 2010
by Hugh Muzzbe
Not only do the new airport body scanners take risque pictures but according to the U.S. Marshals Service, the images in their thousands are being saved on hard disks.
DENVER - USA - A full body scanner operator was caught masturbating during a scanning session by airport staff late Tuesday.
Airport officials at Denver International airport were on high alert yesterday when a full body scanner operator was caught masturbating in his booth as a team of High School volleyball players went through the scanner.

“The young ladies were going through the scanner one by one, and every time one went through, this guys face was getting redder and redder. His hand was moving and then he started sweating. He was then seen doing his ‘O’ face. That’s when the security dragged him out of his booth and cuffed him. He had his pants round his ankles and everybody was really disgusted,” Jeb Rather, a passenger on a flight to New York told CBS news.

……..

“What do you want to do, get blown up by a goddamn Arab at 30,000 feet or we get to see your private parts? It’s up to you, the ball’s in your park,” head of the TSA’s scanning department, Rodney Schroeder, told CNN.





***Be afraid - very afraid***

Originally Posted by Redcap

We, as citizens, have let TSA gain way too much power...

Wrong....The government gave them too much power under the idea that it would make the citizens of this country safer.

Finally, some companies are pushing for alternate ideas. I can't say I agree with them all , but it's a start.

Here's a good article with some of the information.
Terrorism: Can you really stop a bomber by asking, 'Are you terrorist?' | Mail Online