Airport security
- Bill: *Walks through metal detector* BEEP BEEP BEEP
- AS: Sir...you need to remove anything metal you may have with you.
- Bill: I did.
- AS: Your face?
- Bill: But they're a bitch to take out and put back innn. *puppy eyes*
- AS: If you dont we can't let you fly.
- Bill: -.- *mumbles in german about the airport secuity officer being a bitch and removes the face piercings and walks through the metal detector again* BEEP BEEP BEEP
- AS: Seriously. Sir.
- Bill: -.- *reaches under shirt and takes off nipple piercing and walks through metal detector again* BEEP BEEP BEEP
- AS: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! ALL MEANS ALL!
- Bill: ...But...I cant take out the last one.
- AS: Where is it?
- Bill: ...*Turns bright red* I'll just call my manager to get us a private jet...
- Tom: *on the other side of airport security laughing ass off*
Why Airport Security Is Broken—And How To Fix It
online.wsj.comFormer head of the TSA, Kip Hawley:
“Airport security in America is broken. I should know. For 3½ years—from my confirmation in July 2005 to President Barack Obama’s inauguration in January 2009—I served as the head of the Transportation Security Administration. […]
More than a decade after 9/11, it is a national embarrassment that our airport security system remains so hopelessly bureaucratic and disconnected from the people whom it is meant to protect. Preventing terrorist attacks on air travel demands flexibility and the constant reassessment of threats. It also demands strong public support, which the current system has plainly failed to achieve.
The crux of the problem, as I learned in my years at the helm, is our wrongheaded approach to risk. In attempting to eliminate all risk from flying, we have made air travel an unending nightmare for U.S. passengers and visitors from overseas, while at the same time creating a security system that is brittle where it needs to be supple. […]
What would a better system look like? If politicians gave the TSA some political cover, the agency could institute the following changes before the start of the summer travel season:
1. No more banned items: Aside from obvious weapons capable of fast, multiple killings—such as guns, toxins and explosive devices—it is time to end the TSA’s use of well-trained security officers as kindergarten teachers to millions of passengers a day. The list of banned items has created an “Easter-egg hunt” mentality at the TSA. Worse, banning certain items gives terrorists a complete list of what not to use in their next attack. Lighters are banned? The next attack will use an electric trigger.
2. Allow all liquids: Simple checkpoint signage, a small software update and some traffic management are all that stand between you and bringing all your liquids on every U.S. flight. Really.
3. Give TSA officers more flexibility and rewards for initiative, and hold them accountable: No security agency on earth has the experience and pattern-recognition skills of TSA officers. We need to leverage that ability. TSA officers should have more discretion to interact with passengers and to work in looser teams throughout airports. And TSA’s leaders must be prepared to support initiative even when officers make mistakes. Currently, independence on the ground is more likely to lead to discipline than reward.
4. Eliminate baggage fees: Much of the pain at TSA checkpoints these days can be attributed to passengers overstuffing their carry-on luggage to avoid baggage fees. The airlines had their reasons for implementing these fees, but the result has been a checkpoint nightmare. Airlines might increase ticket prices slightly to compensate for the lost revenue, but the main impact would be that checkpoint screening for everybody will be faster and safer.
5. Randomize security: Predictability is deadly. Banned-item lists, rigid protocols—if terrorists know what to expect at the airport, they have a greater chance of evading our system.”
Adventures in airport security...
My bro Maya and I were going through security, leaving Cleveland after surgery. All our carry-on baggage, laptops, shoes, jackets, scarves, little nerdy pins, small change, etc. were separated out, placed in tubs and sent through the scanner. The sleeves of my shirt are rolled to the elbow, and I am still wearing my hospital bracelet.
We were sent to a separate scanner - not a metal detector or an X-ray scanner, but a millimetre wave scanner. I don’t really mind - this happened on the way here, and electromagnets are cool.
Flying Somewhere For the Holidays? New Trans* Resource: Preparing for Airport Security
transgenderequality.wordpress.comWhile most transgender and gender non-conforming people get through airport security without any incidents, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) urges travelers to understand their rights before going through airport security with our new resource Airport Security and Transgender People.
The seasonal Holiday travel uptick can mean things are more hectic and potentially confusing for travelers and for Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) than usual. Airport security practices do not allow transgender travelers to completely avoid invasive screenings or pat-downs. However, all travelers have a right to safety, privacy, and respect.
Transgender travelers should be familiar with specific protections they have at airport security including:
- You can opt out of body scanning machines at any time. However, travelers who opt-out of body scanning machines will be required to undergo a thorough pat-down.
- Transgender travelers have a right to a pat-down by an agent of the same gender as the traveler. This is based on your gender presentation. The gender on your identification documents and boarding passes should not matter for pat-downs.
- Travelers have a right to request that a pat-down be held in a private screening area, and with a witness or companion of the traveler’s choosing.
- You should not any time be subjected to personal questions about your gender, or be forced to lift, remove or raise an article of clothing to reveal a prosthetic item. Prosthetic items include binding garments and breast forms.
- All children under age thirteen have a right to modified screening procedures.
NCTE recommends that individuals take simple steps to ensure a smooth experience at airport security including:
- Ensuring that the name and gender on your ticket reservation match the government-issued ID you bring to the airport with you. The gender on your identification and on your ticket reservation does not need to match your current gender presentation.
- Downloading the Fly Rights iPhone and Android application before your travel, which makes it easy to report complaints directly with the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
- For frequent travelers, exploring the TSA Pre-Check program which offers “expedited screening.”
Download the resource here to learn more about airport security procedures, your rights at the airport, and how to file complaints with the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security.
NCTE also encourages transgender travelers who do experience problems at airport security to email us at NCTE@transequality.org to help us advocate for improvements.
