Changes made to airport screenings for young kids

[demmiblue]

The government's airport security chief says his agency has made changes to pat-downs for young children and more changes are coming.

Transportation Security Administration head John Pistole (PIH'-stohl) tells a Senate committee that airport screeners are now told to make repeated attempts to screen young children without using invasive pat-downs.

Earlier this year, a 6-year-old girl was given a pat-down because she moved during the electronic screening, causing a blurry image. There was public outrage that such a young child, who seemed to pose no terrorist threat, would have to go through what many consider an invasive search.

Pistole has said the agency is working on a modified pat-down for kids. He says terrorists outside the U.S. have used children as young as 10 as suicide bombers.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/06/22/national/w085241D44.DTL


They are feeling the heat, folks! Groping children is not acceptable
(though, I am still leery of what their idea of a modified pat-down should include).

Now onto the whole other planes, trains and automobiles thing...

[MorningGlow]

1. Well, that's something

I just traveled cross country with my 86 YO mother and 7 YO son, and I've gotta tell ya, one of my most dreaded parenting moments was having to tell my kid that there was a slight possibility that someone was going to want to grope him "in the name of security". :puke:

What I thought was interesting, though, was neither airport we traveled through was using the body scanners--just the old walk-through metal detectors. That sure was a load off my mind!

[demmiblue]

2. I can only imagine what a parent...

of a young child feels like watching their child being patted-down in such an invasive manner. :puke: is right!

I am glad you made it through without having to witness such a thing.

[MorningGlow]

3. Me too

I was downright terrified as we approached the security area, and practically fainted with relief when we were through (and I'm usually a damn strong person). I think that's the true terrorism--keeping us practically incapacitated with fear of drawing the attention of TPTB. Never thought the US would get to this point... :(

[SDuderstadt]

5. "TPTB"?

LOL!

[demmiblue]

6. I didn't, either.

It is really strange to see the changes that have occurred over such a short period of time.

I guess the fear job by Bush et al. has had the intended effect. Sad to see it continuing.

[yurbud]

9. we should all start putting something innocuous like our car keys in our ass cracks

so they have to go in and pull them out.

[SDuderstadt]

17. What a wonderfully...

stupid idea.

[KansDem]

12. "...neither airport we traveled through was using the body scanners"

I've flown several times over the past couple of years and not once did I have to go through the porno-scanner. Always the metal detector. Once I was in line for the porno-scanner but was waved through the metal detector since the TSA goons were taking too long with the passenger ahead of me.

I not sure why we have the porno-scanners, except to enrich the bank accounts of Micheal Chertoff and his investors at Rapiscan. It seems the metal detectors are doing the job well.

[Gormy Cuss]

22. They were heading towards a system where every flyer would be required to go through the AIT or

endured an enhanced patdown. For some reason that hasn't been implemented yet but there are nice expensive scanners sitting nearly idle in terminals.

From the TSA's own blog, the nearly 500 AIT scanners in place in 2010 detected only 130 illegal or dangerous weapons (note "illegal" as a qualifier -- no way of knowing how many of those handful of "weapons" weren't that dangerous.) That's about one find for every 4 machines. Doesn't sound terrible cost effective to me. Now if EVERY passenger was required to go through them the count of illegal but not exactly dangerous weapons would go up significantly and that would make them look more cost effective.

[SDuderstadt]

4. Which is proof the TSA is using a...

"lessons learned" approach.

The demonization and scapegoating of the TSA here has been astounding.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

8. Have they caught any terrorists with these methods? NO.

They are not catching terrorists with their mindless groping of everyone. The 4th Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure are gone.

If they were serious they would use the same methods El Al uses, which requires trained people actually TALKING to passengers, questioning them about their destinations.

But they are not serious. Using El Al's methods would require trained people, lots of them, and paying them wages consistent with their training. The TSA just wants us all afraid and compliant with their invasions of privacy.

If they are not catching terrorists with their groping of people, then they should change their methods.

Also, cargo is not screened, or very little of it. They never talk about that.

[GoneOffShore]

16. Unfortunately the El Al model is unsupportable with the amount of

air traffic we have.

So, we're stuck with security theater to make the Gomers, Kettles and TSA cheerleaders feel good.

[SDuderstadt]

18. Dude...

Thousands of weapons have been confiscated. And the point of PREVENTIVE measures is to prevent terrorists from even trying to get on. You don't seem to understand much about how to measure the effectiveness of a security system. It's like having a good check-up, then no longer brushing your teeth because you don't have to because you had a good check-up.

[Matariki]

10. And well deserved. n/t

[MrDiaz]

13. One question sir.

Were you for or against THE PATRIOT ACT that was passed under THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION?

[Matariki]

7. Bomb sniffing technology would eliminate the possibility of someone loading a child with explosives.

Do they expect a 6 year old may be concealing a box cutter, or what? It's all a bunch of bullshit.

[truebrit71]

11. About damned time too...the gropings need to stop too...hopefully the lawsuits and legislation..

..being proposed will shut down these blatant violations of civil and human rights..

[demmiblue]

14. Yep. Too bad the authoritarians sit back and let it happen (or worse, encourage it).

Maybe, now, we have enough traction.

[CreekDog]

15. they need to stop putting children through the x-ray machines too

:eyes:

[SDuderstadt]

19. That makes little...

sense.

[CreekDog]

20. to you

:eyes:

[Johonny]

21. Will they higher catholic priests to do the pat down on kids?