"Many Americans have reacted with displeasure, or even outrage, over recent high-profile stories about intrusive searches at airports. In one of the instances that reverberated the strongest, a California man's video of his encounter with TSA agents went viral. John Tyner refused an X-ray scan and then famously told agents that, "if you touch my junk, I'll have you arrested.""
--CNN,
Article
But the TSA has come back at the complaints on their blog with a list of myths & facts about passenger security measures in hopes to calm all the bad publicity down.
Here's the list:
Pat-downs Myths & Facts
Myth: All children will receive pat-downs.
Fact: TSA officers are trained to work with parents to ensure a respectful screening process for the entire family, while providing the best possible security for all travelers. Children 12 years old and under who require extra screening will receive a modified pat down.
Myth: The TSA pat-down is invasive
Fact: Only passengers who alarm a walk through metal detector or AIT machine or opt out of the AIT receive a pat-down. For this reason, it is designed to be thorough in order to detect any potential threats and keep the traveling public safe. Pat-downs are performed by same-gender officers and all passengers have the right to a private screening with a travel companion at any time.
Myth: The pat-down is a punishment for opting out of the AIT.
Fact: There’s nothing punitive about it - it just makes good security sense. And the weapons and other dangerous and prohibited items we’ve found during pat downs speak to this.
Myth: Everyone who travels will receive a pat-down. Fact: Only passengers who alarm a walk through metal detector or AIT machine or opt out of the AIT receive a pat-down. It is one layer in our tool kit to address the nonmetallic explosives threat. In yesterday’s hearing, Administrator Pistole said: “The bottom line is few people in the overall scheme of things will actually receive those pat downs. Now, we've heard some examples, and obviously, there's a vocal group out there who have experienced this for the first time, and, rightfully so, raising concerns, what's behind this. And the bottom line is we, the transportation security officers in particular, are trying to work in partnership with the traveling public to say we want to ensure that you are safe on this flight. Work with us in a partnership to provide the best possible security. And that's what it comes down to.”
Myth: Complaints about the pat-downs are extremely high.
Fact: Only a small percentage of the traveling public receives a pat down as they travel through the security checkpoint. Approximately 2 million people fly in the United States every day. The number of complaints is extremely low.
Myth: Pat downs for certain individuals are limited to the head and neck. Fact: No one is exempt. Everyone is subject to the same screening. TSA is sensitive to religious and cultural needs, but everyone must be screened effectively. Administrator Pistole echoed those sentiments on MSNBC’s Hardball recently.
--The TSA Blog,
Link
So, after reading this list, and if everything they say is 100% accurate, is it still a big deal that these things exist? I mean, if you really only have to get this done if you turn down an x-ray scan, and your mad about it, why not just take the x-ray if your not hiding something?
Of course, there are many movements saying don't fly this holiday season, and I tend to agree anyway, driving's much more fun anyway! Haha!
I think my main concern would be about the safety. Even though the TSA says that the claims that the scanning technology is unsafe are unfounded, the people that tested it are the FDA...
You know, the people that put absolutely no regulation on regular cigarettes, but when the Electronic Cigarette comes out, they instantly ban them from being imported because they have been found to be more effective as a quitting aid than gum, patch, etc... So that people can stay addicted to either the pharmaceutical NRTs or the actual tobacco! I just don't think you can trust them 110%...
However, one rumor that I believe is COMPLETELY unfounded and really does not even make sense is the rumor that the images may be sent to other devices by bluetooth or something...
To which I say, why, why in the world, would they make this machine have the technology of a cell phone??
I feel like there is no way they did this... But if they did, it would be pretty dumb! lol
Felt like some of you may have been disappointed about how average my day was, so I wrote about this, too! Hope you liked some of the most recent updates on this story, thanks for reading!
