Israel Matzav

Does Grandma look like a terrorist?

Just how ridiculous has this gotten? Does Grandma look like a terrorist? Well, I suppose this Grandma does. In fact, she was one.

But this one?

Israeli security would have dismissed her in about 30 seconds. They would just make sure she packed her own bags.

Things have gotten so bad that Laura Rozen reports that a group of Congressional staffers was embarrassed by a TSA demonstration.

[A House staffer who attended the briefing] said that several House staffers were so uncomfortable they averted their eyes when the TSA demonstrated an enhanced pat-down in the room of 200 people.

“The dumbest part: they did two pat-down demonstrations – male on male, and female on female,” the House staffer said. And they used a young female TSA volunteer “and in front of a room of 200 people, they touched her breasts and her buttocks. People were averting their eyes. The TSA was trying to demonstrate ‘this is not so bad,’ but it made people so uncomfortable to watch, that people were averting their eyes.”

“They shot themselves in the foot,” the staffer continued.

Sounds like a description of pornography to me.

And then there are the TSA employees themselves - many of whom are also embarrassed (Hat Tip: Instapundit).

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union that represents TSA workers, is urging the TSA to do more to protect its employees from abuse from airline passengers angry over the new security methods. The union reports that some members “have reported instances in which passengers have become angry, belligerent and even physical with TSOs (transportation security officers). In Indianapolis, for example, a TSO was punched by a passenger who didn’t like the new screening process,” the union said in a Nov. 17 statement posted on its website.

Union President John Gage called on TSA to provide an educational pamphlet to each passenger describing both their rights and the details of the new procedures, which include full-body scans and enhanced pat-downs.

“This absence of information has resulted in a backlash against the character and professionalism of TSOs,” said Gage in a statement. “TSA must act now — before the Thanksgiving rush — to ensure that TSOs are not being left to fend for themselves.”

“Our concern is that the public not confuse the people implementing the policies with the people who developed the policies,” said Sharon Pinnock, the union's director of membership and organization.

Speaking of rights when you're being groped by the TSA, check this guy out.

By the way, is this true everywhere in the US? TSA now searches you after you go through customs before you leave the airport? If so, that's absurd.

Labels: airport security, enhanced pat downs, strip or grope, TSA

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:20 AM