An opt-out protestor wore a bikini through security. [NBC Los Angeles]
A male college student did the same in a Speedo with “SCREW BIG SIS” markered on his back. TSA said he wasn’t detained as he was not a threat. [JonAndEric]
Two protestors at the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix AZ held up signs mentioning “pornoscans,” drawing both “sidelong glances” and “words of support.” [AP]
Half a dozen protestors at Tampa airport talk about tyranny. [TBO]
Overall checkpoints are running smoothly with no major delays. “Most travelers seemed more interested in getting to their destinations than in making a political statement.” [NYT]
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I read the article but can’t get the video to work. Does it explain why it says “Big Sis” instead of “Big Bro”?
It doesn’t explain it, but it’s referring to Janet Napolitano.
haven’t you ever heard of the term “Big Brother?” being used to describe the UK and their invasive control measures
Big Brother was the name used for the oppressive government “leader” in 1984. Big Sis is most likely due to the fact that Janette Napolitano, the head of the Department of Homeland Suspicion is a woman. I don’t know if anyone saw regular tv coverage of the opt out day but every single news station got it wrong. They all though the point was to slow down and clog up the lines and claimed it a failure. The point was to inform people that you could opt out and to express our disapproval of the TSA’s security theatre. Not to hold people over.
According to the TSA’s “Blogger Bob,” basically nobody is choosing to opt out of the advance screening at airports across the country despite “National Opt-Out Day”.
ALL IS FINE…
http://sayanythingblog.com/files/2010/11/Baghdad-Bob-746275.gif
“We butchered the force present at the airport. We have retaken the airport! There are no Americans there!”
The TSA has decided not to use the Nude-O-Scopes at a large number of airports. No Nude-O-Scopes, no opt-outs.
I’m sure I’ll take what TSA says with a grain of salt. It’s in their best interest if the masses believe no one is against the scans.
It might have to do with this
http://gizmodo.com/5698536/fliers-claim-tsa-have-deactivated-body-scanners
Don’t believe anything that the TSA says.
I wouldn’t be suprised if all TSA staff were told very sternly not to slip up today and play it safe. Save the muscle-flexing and power-abusing to the other 364 days each year.
That would imply some sort of centralized decision-making, cohesive organizational structure and general purpose/resolve behind the TSA. Which, from my understanding… they don’t have a lottsa those things.
Judging by the consistancy of complaints from accross the country, they do have all of that. They just arent making the decisions you like. Big difference.
At least bikini chick was reasonably attractive. I have no issue with her opting out.
I was shocked the other night. I heard people complaining about the scans on both ends of the spectrum. Both Keith Olbermann and Glenn Beck hate the new TSA tactics. This is not a left or right thing, we have been losing our rights slowly under both parties and we need to stop this.
The terrorists will just swallow bombs and detonators, they have already been doing it. We would need to give a colonoscopy to every passenger to prevent this.
If we examined America’s foreign policy with the kind of money and man hours we examine our airline passengers we might actually get somewhere fighting terrorism.
The left hates the civil liberties abuses because they’ve always hated them, when they started under Bush (though there were earlier ones too…), and when Obama decided to continue them. The right hates them now because it gives them another reason to be mad at Obama.
Agreed – Old boss / meet the New Boss
I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution;
Take a bow for the new revolution…
Yep. The left likes to take people’s 2nd amendment rights away. And, the right likes to take peoples 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th amendment rights away.
Now, if we could just get them to come together and get both sides to stop denying people their rights.
This is what will happen here in the US if we don’t stop them from overstepping their bounds now:
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny/2010/11/children-police-kettle-protest
http://gizmodo.com/comment/33032822
Amusing, the TSA decided to PR it and have turned off most of the scanners, while also claiming no one is opting out…
Exactly. You can’t opt out if you aren’t selected.
But what about all those TERRORISTS getting through without the screening?!?! Why isn’t every single plane falling out of the sky in a hail of burning wreckage?
Oh, yeah, scanners were, are, and will forever be absolute bullshit.
“Most travelers seemed more interested in getting to their destinations than in making a political statement.”
Herein lies the problem with America today. Apathy is killing this nation.
Who cares?
I see what you did there.
Thanks for putting it all in 1 chunk, Ben. Cliff notes for the win!
Penn Jillette
@pennjillette Penn Jillette
Heroes are everywhere @furrygirl, a sex worker, stripping for TSA pigs. Don’t see much, but the idea is great http://vimeo.com/17057322
They’re making her work for free – NOT great.
That video was pretty useless. Great view of the ceiling, but it tells us nothing at all. If it were used as evidence in a trial, it would be inconclusive.
I want that ten minutes of my life back.
No surprise here. I’m quite certain the vast majority of Americans couldn’t care less about the scanners or enhanced pat-down.
“A male college student did the same in a Speedo with “SCREW BIG SIS” markered on his back.”
I accept your offer, good sir.
Wait, what does she look like?
See “Bikini girl.”
More of bikini chick:
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/video/woman-sports-bikini-airport-security-12236779
God I love this country.
I like the quote from the NY Times.
“Most travelers seemed more interested in getting to their destinations than in making a political statement.”
It says to me, this isn’t as big of a deal as the media portrayed. National Opt-Out Day has proven to be a bunch of idiots promising to do something, then not doing it.
WAAA! Somebody beat me to the bikini trick! Somebody with a much younger, firmer body, I might add!
Joking aside, this is a slippery slope to increasingly encroach upon privacy under the guise of “security”. Let us ask the core question, “What could have been done to prevent the underwear bomber?” The answer is, “Have US Embassy staff forward clearly expressed warning from a reliable source (in this case, a well-known citizen of Nigeria) who is likely knowledgeable (in this case, his son). Instead of imposing strip-searching and groping, there should have been hell raised in the State Department about reporting and the intelligence agencies forced to establish clear “red telephone” means of communication with embassies. What’s going to be next? Rectal probes? Cosmetic implant testing?
Yep, most people don’t care. They just put their head down and bend over.
The people who REALLY care aren’t going to do any flying in the first place.
Got back from Fort Lauderdale last week and the easiest way to avoid a pat down is to request a pat down by a TSA agent of the opposite sex as well as telling them to not worry about avoiding the junk. Should have seen how fast I got thru security.
i’d laugh if someone dressed up as the Combine from HL2.
http://ui21.gamespot.com/84/halflife_2.jpg
I was expecting this to happen eventually. I was thinking people might do hot pants and midriff tank tops, though.
As for future security measure predictions, perhaps enemas or laxitives + ipecac and a ‘screening’ bathroom?
If you object to the new enhanced airport screening measures you are now considered to be a domestic extremist.
Homeland security now considers those who are opposed to, or engaged in the disruption of the implementation of the enhanced airport screening procedures as “domestic extremists.†according to the terminology and content of an internal memo reportedly issued yesterday at the hand of DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.
It labels any person who “interferes†with TSA airport security screening procedure protocol and operations by actively objecting to the established screening process, “including but not limited to the anticipated national opt-out day†as a “domestic extremist.†The label is then broadened to include “any person, group or alternative media source†that actively objects to, causes others to object to, supports and/or elicits support for anyone who engages in such travel disruptions at U.S. airports in response to the enhanced security procedures.
Implicit within the same section is that the recently enhanced security screening procedures implemented at U.S. airports, and the measures to be taken in response to the negative public backlash as detailed [in this directive], have the full support of the President. In other words, Obama not only endorses the enhanced security screening, but the measures outlined in this directive to be taken in response to public objections.
So aside from a few wannabe youtube stars (attention hoes) everything has turned out just fine.
Pretty much everyone I know that flew recently has said the backscatter machines and stuff weren’t even being used.