Wow, when was that? I was never patted down, the security people always used one of those O-shaped detectors instead. I didn’t have to take off my shoes either before the flight from Europe to Canada, but a lot of the security people asked me to open my backpack, because my batterypack looked suspicious.
Since the shoe thing seems to be a US exclusive surprise, I assumed that patting down people would be confined to the states as well (especially since I haven’t encountered it elsewhere).
Females are supposed to pat down female travellers but I have been in situations where the lines were absolutely endless and I really needed to get on my flight and male security workers have asked my permission to do the patdown so that I could board.
I can’t say I was really groped but I was none too pleased.
As others have figured, I was pointing out that it’s just as easy to smuggle something in up your ass as it is to smuggle it in under the breasts. Easier, if you don’t happen to have breasts. Which leaves you with two choices for the “complete safety” that some people seem to be so willing to give up their personal liberties to get: Full-body cavity searches for every passenger, or develop non-invasive methods of detecting substances wherever they may be hidden on (or in) the body.
Anything in between, like breast and crotch pat-downs, is an annoyance that isn’t going to stop anyone who’s done an ounch of planning. IIRC, people who’ve done their planning don’t tend to take what they need through security at all, historically they’ve bribed someone who works at the airport/airline to plant what they need on the other side of the security gate.
-lv
My wife and I have never had more done than walk through the metal detector.Maybe we’re just lucky.
The reason I came into this thread, though, is I thought the thread title was about Thanksgiving turkey. :smack:
one mundane pointless thing I’ll mention here is that, ever since the shoe bomber guy, I have to remove my shoes EVERY TIME. The strange thing I always wonder is, am I marked because my father has the same exact name as the shoe bomber guy?
We did this in the pitlast month.
This is a very common misconception, which I also held for a long time. Actually, a fist sized hole at cruising altitude & airspeed would probably cause a moderately gradual decompression. The compressors in a contemporary jumbo are able to keep up with a leak the size of bullet hole in a window, which would not result in a very rapid decompression at all, if any. The pilots would release the oxygen masks and do a rapid descent to about 10 000 feet or so, and look for a conveniently near airport.
As reference, I cite the Mytbusters episode on the topic, and the 747 near Hawai that lost a patch of ceiling/roof the whole width of the airplane and several rows long, and made an emergency landing just fine. The only loss was a stewardess who had been standing under the hole and a few passengers with their belts undone right below the hole.
Any aeronautical people care to contribute?
God point, and embarassingly reasonable when you put it that way. Still…a C4 tampon of doom, maybe two, I’m guessing would be sufficient to take down a big ol’ jet airliner if disposed of properly. But maybe I’m overestimating the pop in the 'pon.
I’m always blown away by these sorts of complaints.
That, and folks complaining about the huge delays.
If you’ve paid any attention at ALL to the world at large, you are aware of these things, and can plan accordingly.
I haven’t flown since the beginning of 2001, but I know that if I’m helping a friend make a flight I make sure we’re there at least an hour before hand…
Re: can’t ask you to remove your shoes b/f the metal detector: TSA dude, at the domestic terminal security line, Nov. 23, SFO: “Now folks, I can’t ask you to take off your shoes before going through the metal detector but I strongly recommend that you do.”
Me, a hundred others: start bouncing around on one foot attempting to de-shod ourselves. FYI: hair barettes set off the metal detectors.
I live in Canada; I think I will refrain from American travel for the duration. It’s not the security checks that bother me so much as my lack of legal protection as a foreign citizen. It’s a hard call, but if I have to surrender access to quality Memphis BBQ to maintain access to due process, the ribs will have to wait. 
More than that, Annie- we were told at several airports that if we didn’t “choose” to remove our shoes, we would automatically be selected for patdown!
Tristan, these measures are useless and a waste of everybody’s time. If I thought for one minute that it was increasing security when I fly, then I wouldn’t compalin. But I don’t think it is.
I posted this in the Patti LuPone thread- while 6 months pregnant (12/01), I was thoroughly searched around my midsection, then asked by the screener if I was wearing a belt! I asked her, “Did you FIND a belt?!?” Dumbass.
The implicit ‘failure to cooperate indicates guilt’ subtext,: fifth amendment issue, si?
I really didn’t mind taking off my shoes; I’d been flying 20 hrs and my wee doggies appreciated a bit of ventilation. Now, multiply that foot stink by 120 other flyers though… :eek:
:dubious:
Dude, it’s been three years. People are just starting to whine about this. How long do you expect this “duration” to be?
It can be a hundred years, I don’t care. I can function in life quite nicely without having to enter the US.
Really, the airport security seems no more onerous than in other countries. My personal line in the sand is that as a non-American I can be denied protection of law; see http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/arar/ . Fukkit, if I want to fly to Europe or Asia I’ll pay the extra $500 for a semi direct flight. It’s your country, do what you like, but I don’t have to play along.
On the bright side, maybe my 75-year-old mother will get so pissed at being patted down that she’ll NEVER fly out here to visit us again. 
Spoken like a guy who doesn’t watch “MythBusters.” Or who’s watched “Goldfinger” way too many times. Sorry dude, it just doesn’t work that way.
Hey now! I recanted a couple posts later! Besides, I killed my TV a couple years ago. I’m down to the DVD/VCR now (well…they are hooked up to a TV, but that’s the only signal it gets).
With all the TSA complaint threads, I had a moment of inspiration (with apologies to Devo)
*Crack that whip
Hand me that nail clip
Spread your crack
Break the terrorist’s back
When a person comes along
We will frisk it
Don’t try sneak your boobies on
We will frisk it
When something’ feeling wrong
We will frisk it
Now frisk it
into shape
hands up
shoes off
bend over
move ahead
we will detect it
it’s not too late
to frisk it
frisk it good
When it’s time to travel round
We will frisk it
Would you pull your trousers down?
So we can frisk it
No one goes on their way
Until we frisk it
I say frisk it
Frisk it good*
Having seen a firm thick underwire rip loose more than once from the underside of a bra, I can well imaging a female terrorist impaling flight attendants with one, therefore…um…
No wait. That’s not right…
Very nice. I’ll be giggling all night long as I drink all the beer in Golden, CO tonight (Starting with Woody’s AYCE Pizza!).
I’m so gonna be in a cab…