The holidays are here so that means it’s time for the TSA to release a new list of items that you think would bring holiday cheer but actually need to be banned to protect national security. UCBComedy’s The Brig parodies TSA policies in this new sketch that is probably more disturbing (warning: blood n’ candy canes) than uproarious. [More]
travel
4th Amendment Underwear
By 11.29.10
Safeguard your junk while asserting your rights in this fetching line of underwear featuring the 4th amendment – the one about unreasonable search and seizure – emblazoned in metallic ink. The maker claims the words are readable on TSA scanners. “Let them know they’re spying at the privates of a private citizen,” reads one of their slogans. [More]
"Disturbed" Passenger Gets Naked On Delta Flight
By 11.29.10
With all the TSA controversy lately, you might assume that a passenger who strips naked on a flight from Chicago to New York would be making some sort of statement about the 4th amendment. Nope. [More]
Get The Most Out Of Your Frequent Flyer Miles
By 11.24.10
Lifehacker has some good reminder tips about how to get the most mileage out of your frequent flyer miles. Just like how you book a regular ticket, being flexible about your airports, adding connections, and flying on slow travel days can help you stretch their miles to their max. What frequent flyer mile strategies do you use? Sound off in the comments. [More]
Are You Participating In "Opt-Out" Day?
By 11.24.10
The day is finally here. No, not the day before Thanksgiving. Something far more important than spending time with your family, National Opt-Out Day. People who are doing it plan to, when asked to step through the body imaging machine, opt-out and get the enhanced pat-down instead. Are you gonna do it, or do you think it’s stupid – or worse? Take our poll! [More]
Body Found Outside Boston May Have Fallen From Plane
By 11.23.10
Reuters says police are investigating the possibility that the body of a 16-year-old North Carolina high school student fell from a plane approaching Logan Airport. So far, they have been unable to explain why the boy, who ran away from home, would have been found dead in Milton, MA. [More]
Your Morning Cup Of TSA Backwash
By 11.23.10
American citizen with free time declines both backscatter scan and patdown upon re-entering country, ends up being able to walk through security without doing either even after cops are called. [NO BLASTERS!]
TSA head makes ad explaining why there’s nothing to fear. Message belied by ominous grey background. [YouTube]
Reporter goes through pat-down to show us how easy it is. “He uses the back of his hand to check the front of my groin area.” [KDAF]
An “I’ll be groped for Christmas” holiday jingle. [YouTube]
Man opts for third choice: stripping down to his skivvies. Is then arrested and walked through two terminals in his underwear. [NBC San Diego]
SNL reimagines TSA as a sexy 80’s hookup company. [Hulu]
Blacklisted From Motel 6 For Complaining About Moldy Shower Curtain
By 11.22.10
We appreciate your feedback? Not so much. When a man returned to the same Motel 6 where he had complained about a moldy shower curtain, he found himself barred from staying there. Because no other hotels had vacancies, he was forced to sleep in his car. [More]
Your Morning Cup Of TSA Horror
By 11.22.10
Man with a bladder bag says a TSA patdown left him humiliated and soaked in urine. [MSNBC]
Video of frustrated father ripping shirt off shy son so TSA can complete search. [YouTube]
Video of 3-year old girl screaming and writhing during TSA patdown. Her teddy being taken away and going through the x-ray seemed to have set her off. [KGTV]
Airport opt-out day is imbecilic. [Slate]
TSA bumper stickers. “It’s not a grope, it’s a freedom pat.” [Althouse]
Dutch Seek To End 'Drug Tourism'
By 11.19.10
For those of you who thought it might be worth it to be screened and patted-down by the TSA for your trip to the Netherlands, just so long as you could sit in a “coffee shop” and get stoned without threat of a legal hassle, here’s some bad news. In an effort to curb so-called “drug tourism,” the Dutch government is looking to limit the sale of cannabis to residents only. [More]
Jet Lag Can Make You Stupid
By 11.19.10
That fuzzy feeling you get when you cross several timezones? That’s you getting dumber. [More]
Credit Cards Without Foreign Exchange Fees
By 11.16.10
When you swipe your plastic overseas those currency conversion charges, usually 1-3%, can really add up. So here’s some cards that have no foreign exchange fees at all. [More]
You Might Be In Serious $%#@ For Refusing To Be TSA Screened
By 11.15.10
Did you assume that once you got to the airport, if the TSA was doing something you didn’t like, you could just opt-out and decide not to fly? The answer is — nope. According to CNN and the TSA, a ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals compels all passengers to be screened, whether they fly or not. Refusing screening will result in being denied access to secure airport areas and may result in civil penalties. [More]
Woman Says She Was Cuffed And Booted From Airport For Questioning Body Scanners
By 11.11.10
Meg McLain claims that the TSA ripped up her US Airways plane ticket and called police who restrained her in a chair, cuffed her, and escorted her out of the airport after she opted out of the backscatter can. Her radio interview describing the incident is at 390,000 hits and growing, and the TSA has posted CCTV of the incident on their blog. [More]
In UK, If You Opt Out Of Body Scanners, You Don't Fly
By 11.10.10
For all the scuttlebutt about full-body scanners and pat downs at the airport, at least we have a choice between the TSA seeing our privates or grazing their fingers across them. In the UK, if you decline the backscatter, you don’t get to fly. [More]
The "Dirt On Shirt" Scam
By 11.9.10
The unwary traveler is ripe prey for a professional scammer and they don’t even need sophisticated tools to rip you off. The “dirt on shirt” scam uses just a bit of smudge, some napkins, and a small group of conspirators with nimble fingers to relieve you of your belongings. [More]
TSA Officer Pretended To Find Cocaine In Flyers' Bags
By 11.3.10
The Smoking Gun has procured internal TSA memos about the security officer who was fired after pulling jokes on travelers by pretending to find cocaine in their luggage. [More]
TSA Pat-Down Feels Up Your Crotch Until It Meets Resistance
By 11.1.10
“We have to search up your thighs and between your legs until we meet resistance,” the TSA officer told Atlantic reporter after he declined a back-scatter. “Resistance?” asked the reporter. “Your testicles,” explained the officer. [More]
