Wow, I think that in some states I’m now common-law married to the TSA agent who just frisked me. That was easily the most insulting, aggressive, and least effective search I’ve ever endured.
I’m okay with security measures that make me safer. That’s great. This was some other sort of power trip where they sneered “sir” at me. “Theenk yhoo, shir.” I just kept saying “yes,” “okay,” “yes.” Apparently my bad attitude started to show, because the guard felt the need to inform me that “sir, you consented sir to all searches, sir, when you bought the ticket. I’m only being polite, sir, when I ask your permission, sir.”
The shoes thing still gets me. Making me take off my shoes is just some sort of fetishistic power trip. These guys (and girls) just like to see my footsies. Pisses me off. Usually I’m okay to just relax and accept that I have to take off my shoes…but coupled with the sneering “sir” and the snatching-my-laptop-and-wandering-out-of-my-view act, it got to me today.
And yet, ineffective. Totally useless in terms of preventing danger from entering the plane. Utterly useless in terms of preventing someone from lurking at the end of the runway with an RPG, or connecting a landmine (no metal except the firing pin, ceramic case) to a cell phone and putting it in the checked luggage..and then not even getting on the plane. It does *nothing* except to see who’s got his testosterone all up. Maybe that’s the point…challenge us and see who won’t back down and be quiet. Take the agressive males out of the line and see if they can be provoked enough to be put down.
All the sneering and taking off of shoes…it doesn’t make me any safer. That’s what gets me the most. A mom, carrying her baby, had to put down the baby and be searched with the same vigor I was. What the crap is that about?
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