10 Things The TSA Should Do On Its 10th Anniversary by Christopher Elliott Chris has been giving the TSA (expletive deleted) for years (and I've been supplying him with info as well). I left a comment at this column, though, saying I'm not as optimistic as he is.
Why am I reminded of my own TSA Top Ten List? I think it will have to get worse before there is a mass pushback, so keep right on with the mission creep on the highways and trains. The towsfolk will be coming out with pitchforks.
Have to show you this, from the Elliott entry in this thread: this guy was the most obnoxious (expletive deleted) for the longest time, ridiculing and insulting any of us who criticized the TSA, but he reserved his most caustic statements for Sommer Gentry. Every time she posted anything at Elliott Blog about her experience at the hands of the TSA, every time she presented her typical cogent, well-reasoned arguments, he called her a nutcase. He laughed at her. Repeatedly. He was merciless. Well, my, my, how the worm has turned. Predictably, everything changed once he and his were affected. It was all okay as long it was happening to someone else. But now that his girlfriend's bits are on the line, suddenly it's not okay. Suddenly he sees the light. Suddenly people who complain about TSA abuse aren't nutcases, aren't to be ridiculed and insulted. Yeah, yeah, I'm glad he finally came around. As Mike says, one grope at a time. But that'll take forever. I have no sympathy for these people. They're bereft of ethics. They make me sick. Raven_Altosk 3 days ago +1 to your post, Chris. My GF refused to use the scanner at IAH last week. She just found out she's pregnant (yay) and wasn't sure it would be safe for the baby. The idiot working the line berated her for her "ignorance" to which she replied, "And what medical school did you graduate from?" She was given a pat down and during the whole thing, the agent kept insulting her for "being difficult" and "rude." I told her to record it with her phone next time, since y'know, they're supposed to be "accommodating" when you don't want to go thru the scanner.
Of course, the proper response to being called rude or difficult is "Good. You deserve it. In fact, you deserve for everyone in this terminal to treat you with the utmost contempt because you are something less than human and you do not deserve sympathy, compassion, kindness or love."