"Gosh, we're really sorry we had to peek at your panties and handle your brassiere"

Sparkly had to travel this week. Through a third tier city airport. Apart from HORRIBLE treatment by Airtran, she had her bag searched - for 'your safety' of course. They left this little mash note in her bag.

We can NOT afford any more intrusions on our right to privacy. This whole Homeland Security thing is so much BULLSHIT window dressing. Next time I travel, I'm leaving used toilet paper in there for them to fondle.

It was on the occasion of his brother's wedding, and a groomsman gift was a humidor with cigars (ugh!).. he taped a note to the humidor that said..

"I know how many cigars are IN this thing, so don't even think of taking any "

:rofl:

Hysterical! :rofl:

.. not what is taken out of your bag, but what is put in it.

With all of the lucrative government/Bushco contracts available to so many "homeland security" firms, filling positions is difficult. Who knows who is "inspecting" luggage.


-

You don't kick the greeter just because they work for Wal-Mart.

My wife travels for work and gets these notices once in a while.

..... its about the scared shitless American mindset that CAUSED this to happen.

A nation of wussy assed sheep is what we are.

That and suspects. We get treated like suspects.

> Don't blame the handlers. They're just doing their job.

Actually, they deserve blame.

Every American who has taken the time to read the Constitution
knows that this is not right, but some people are willing to
put that thought aside and violate our constitutional rights
for money.

Every cop who bends the law to hassle people. Every Attorney
General who can't figure out what's torture and what isn't.
And yes, every low-level TSA functionary who cuts the locks
off your baggage to search you without probably cause.

Tesha

if the starter pistol to avoid searches without you present thing still works?

in 1991. Imo the searching is not new, i think the notes are.

There really is no constitutional right to search through your stuff while you are on and about your business within the united states. We used to refer to this as the 4th amendment. It was a quaint idea. Obviously now that we have been shocked into submission, it is no longer needed.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

What a pile of horseshit that was.

When travelling by plane, I have individually wrapped each pieace of underwear/bra in plastic wrap. That way if they searched my luggage, their hands wouldn't be on my underwear.

My Mom thought I was overly compulsive. I then gave her a vivid image of strange men pawing through her underwear.

:scared:

:puke:

The surveillance machinery was in place when they latched onto an even more nebulous "threat."

to explain why they had cut off and thrown away my TSA-approved lock. But I have no idea who I would appeal to. Delta had selected me for special handling and frankly, if you protest, they will not allow you to travel. I was trying to make a plane that was already boarding and was traveling on business.

So, I stood there, touched nothing and waited till they gave me all my stuff back. Guess they were searching me and my carry-on stuff while the guys in the back were cutting the lock off my bag.

This is how fascism starts. They have all the power. If you protest, they will take away your right to travel, which is important for my company. So, what else could I do (except write my congressman and senators(who are both worthless))?

They have all the power. The only power you have to is to choose between resisting and being MONUMENTALLY inconvenienced, or to quietly let them treat you like a murder suspect.

Just came back from 2 weeks in France.

And yeah, there are problems there, but the fundies and the fascists don't get near the amount of influence as here.

And folks aren't nearly as 'security crazy'.

Case in point: Entering France at CDG Immigration. Present passport - quick scan - stamp - "Bienvenue en France" - Collect baggage - Walk out past customs - catch train or taxi or whatever.

Returning US citizen at PHL Immigration. Present passport and customs declaration - "Where have you been? What was the purpose of your trip? Have you brought back any alcohol or food? Did you visit any other countries?" - Collect baggage - Walk past customs guys with rubber gloves - hope not to get pulled over. Present passport and customs declaration yet again. Finally leave airport. Land of the free? I don't think so. Land of the fearful is more like it.

Everytime I come back here I resolve that I WILL retire elsewhere.

Fear, greed and a lack of social consciousness are bringing this country down.

..... I was only my way to Singapore and had a plane change in Zurich and almost eight hours to kill. I went to immigration to get out of the airport. I also really just wanted the Swiss stamp in my passport (I know ... weird). They let me pass out of the secure area, but the guy refused to stamp my passport saying the stamp wasn't for collectors. :)

They've had problems at airports recently, but I'm guessing it hasn't fueled a backlash of fascism.

The problem is that it *is* legal. And quite frankly, I don't want to see it challenged until we get a more favorable bench as I despise almost every precedent set by this court on every issue, especially privacy.

Worrying about the fate of the country.

Although I have friends there, I haven't been in ages. Now the only way I'll go is by boat across the Channel or take the Eurostar.

and had no trouble flying out of Heathrow---except i had all the tickets and the passports, they let my daughter and husband through and then stopped me, pat down, the want and it took forever. "If you're gonna feel me up how about you buy at least dinner first huh?"

dildo resting top-dead-center in the suitcase.

Never got a note again.

But I got rid of my girlfriend and started traveling alone.

Left the dildo with her.

way more information than we needed :-)

anything they want from our bags. They can steal our stuff from our carry ons and then they loot our suitcases. I swear this is all a scam

Redstone

And just about always gets singled out at security and has his luggage searched.

Twice over the last month he's had his dobb kit dumped into his luggage. They don't even put the items back anymore.

Brilliant! Punish the poor schlub who has to do this lousy job to put food on the table for his/her family.

The maturity level around here is just breathtaking sometimes.

a company that then treats an ordinary Anerican citizen as a criminal suspect.

Where the fuck is Osama bin Laden while we're being relieved of our freedom to move about our own country?

Really I am.

Sadly, there are many among us who don't and can't be so choosey. Do you also condemn people who help to keep WalMart in business by working there just because they can't find anything else?

.... and fail to say it at appropriate times.

Carry on.

You're smarter than I thought. Most of you people wouldn't have gotten that.

How very..........um..........progressive..........of you.

Not.

You can push all the air out and pack more in a suitcase with them or just plain use them once you get wherever you're headed. That way, if my bag was searched, they could look through the bags (never put too much in any one bag) and see what was in there.

I'll never forget leaving Russia once by bus to get to Finland and having to go through the border crossing. Their x-ray machine was so bad that the metal coathangers I'd lined my suitcase with (to protect against it being slashed open by luggage people when we flew in) totally threw it off. I could see the screen and thought for sure I'd get searched. For some reason, they didn't.

Ziplocs are great for this kind of situation.

Hawaii with a suitcase full of really stinky, badly in need of washing, clothing. Still have to chuckle when I think about it. Served them right.

They've got you by the short hairs, but there's nothing illegal or unconstitutional if you gave prior consent (which you did by purchasing the ticket).

I flew a bit over 70,000 miles last year. I was searched several times, but never had any trouble as a result.

No one says you have a right to fly. You have an absolute right to travel and are free (pretty much) to do so by whatever means you choose. Walking is not a problem. Bicycling is okay, too. Car is okay, pretty much. Even the bus is no hassle. Trains are easy, still. Just the planes are treated like heavens for terrorists and the only travel method (so far) that treats US citizens as terrorist suspects.

You're very right. What they're doing is perfectly legal.

Disgusting and unnecessary and demeaning and moronic ...... nut perfectly legal.

George Bush and Osama bin Laden both have much to laugh about with this one.

I don't get to travel for more than a week anyway, and I can pack everything I need in a roll-on and large tote bag.