"I looked him straight in the eye and said, "if you touch my junk, I'll have you arrested."
I stopped reading there. Way to be a douche and instigate trouble.
Edit: There are far more constructive ways to handle dislike of the policies than verbally assaulting front-line TSA workers. They're working hard to make a paycheck. They didn't implement the policies and certainly don't need people treating them like shit because of it.
We've already been down this path, and it isn't a yellow-bricked road.
Some argue that you should make it unpleasent for TSA agents to work there because technically they do have a choice for who they work for, and if they choose an employer that is trying to infringe on your rights then showing your upsetness to them might get them to quit and send the message to their employer about the policies.
Frankly I see no problem with what he did. Not only did he stand up for what he believed in, he was persistent and what he asked of the TSA was perfectly reasonable. I point to the following article from The Atlantic:
This past Wednesday, I showed up at Baltimore-Washington International for a flight to Providence, R.I. I had a choice of two TSA screening checkpoints. I picked mine based on the number of people waiting in line, not because I am impatient, but because the coiled, closely packed lines at TSA screening sites are the most dangerous places in airports, completely unprotected from a terrorist attack -- a terrorist attack that would serve the same purpose (shutting down air travel) as an attack on board an aircraft.
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/10/for-the-...
If the someone gets to the airport with explosives, they can do their job of holding up airline traffic without even stepping through a metal detector. The TSA know this, and all of this security theatre is getting out of hand. I mean, they banned ink cartridges last week!
Eventually they might get the message and spend time on developing better ways of catching the terroists than inconviencing the American public.
Or they might just ban humans on airplanes. That would certainly stop the attacks...
Last I checked, "I was just following orders" isn't a valid excuse. I understand that they're at the bottom of the totem pole in this whole thing (and as good human beings many of them are probably secretly against it as well), but as long as dissenters don't cross the line, actions like this may be what it takes to get the TSA workers to speak out against it as well and get it changed.
Some people probably thought the same about Rosa Parks. I'm not saying you're racist, just that you're wrong. It is his right to speak. "Instigating trouble" is one way to change things, and the front-line TSOs _are_ implementing this policy, much like the bus drivers in Montgomery who were just doing their jobs.
What if the behavior of the TSA worker is reprehensible? The fact that they are working hard to make a paycheck wouldn't excuse their actions. And yes, I would make anybody who engaged in activity that I thought was morally unacceptable clear that I thought they should be ashamed of their current occupation.
Ironically, I have zero problem with strict security checks at the airport, so I'm completely polite to the TSA. But I understand, intellectually, how others could be offended at their activity.
Because airports and airplanes are dangerous things, but outside of the airport we live in a world free of bad things and bad people (and the possibility of being killed).
There is simply no way I would ever subject myself or any of my kids to being patted down in this way, or going through a porn-scan. I think it's more than fair to state clearly, as he did, that if the operative sexually assaults him, he will take action. Even if it was to go fly out to Google to be acquired, I'd simply say no.
People need to take a stand. For all the time and energy 'security' are wasting on 'obviously not terrorists', they could be actually concentrating on 'might well be a terrorist'.
> They're working hard to make a paycheck. They didn't implement the policies and certainly don't need people treating them like shit because of it.
So when a thug is being paid to assault you, it's not their fault? You should be nice to them because they're just doing their job? I hope you're kidding.
Except the case we're talking about had neither a thug nor an assault. Just a guy trying to do his job at the airport, following procedures that somebody else devised.
A job which requires he regularly assault (grope) people. That someone else devised the procedure does not make any difference whatsoever, and it makes him a thug.
Again, not assault and not a thug. If frisking is assault, and anyone who does it as an employee of some organization, then by your logic all police commit assaults, and all police are thugs. Clearly, they are not. If a police officer frisks you, under normal circumstances, that is both legal and expected. It's a security measure.
A thug would be somebody who carries out a simple violent crime under orders of somebody else, who is also not legally allowed to do such activity (say, a gang leader or organized crime leader.).
A fundamental basis of government is that it is the only socially authorized entity who can commit violence and/or otherwise restrict a person's movements. We as a society give government the right to do that.
> Again, not assault and not a thug.
Again, incorrect; if a person feels assaulted because you grabbed their junk against their will, then they've been assaulted.
> If a police officer frisks you, under normal circumstances, that is both legal and expected.
Fist off, ex cop here. No, it isn't expected. Cops require cause to frisk you and generally only do it if you're suspected of something and we make an exception for police because we all agree they have to be able to do it. There is no such agreement that the TSA needs such power.
Secondly, they'll generally have a member of the same sex do the frisk because they recognize people do see being groped as being assaulted. Most people let it go because they're happy to not be in trouble, not because they like it.
> We as a society give government the right to do that.
Correct, however, the TSA is not the government. They're private thugs. And yes, many cops are thugs as well, it's why I left the profession. It's a career field full of power hungry ex jocks who think bullying people is their current sport. Most have little understanding of the law, they do whatever they're trained on the job to do with little thought of whether or not they should.
> Correct, however, the TSA is not the government.
http://www.tsa.gov/
Doh, why did I think the TSA was something the airlines were doing. Hm, I'll have to rethink it, I don't want the government doing it either because just like the cops, they're abusing it.
> There are far more constructive ways to handle dislike of the policies than verbally assaulting front-line TSA workers. They're working hard to make a paycheck. They didn't implement the policies and certainly don't need people treating them like shit because of it.
what was the alternative, then? he could've worded it less aggressively initially, but do you really think a TSA agent would've responded to a polite "i don't want you to pat me down"? its their job to pat you down.
Judging from the audio, his tone doesn't seem to be mean or arrogant.
No one should be able to excuse their bad behavior by saying, "But it was my job!" Each person is individually responsible for their actions.
Upvoted you because I felt it was one of the most adult and mature reactions I've seen in this thread so far.
Exactly. That precise moment and action he took was clearly a really stupid idea, and would do nothing constructive. It would only make things worse due to the fact that he's saying that to a human being, one who has emotions, and is just trying to do their job. And is very very unlikely to want to actually try to "touch his junk." The guy voluntarily went to the airport, and did so in the context of any reasonably connected citizen would know about the sorts of security procedures to expect there. And he acts like a passive aggressive drama queen. Sad. And lame.
I'm sorry you're being penalized by the groupthink here. You're not alone though.