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TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

thetravel.com

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Re: TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

#61

Post by jollyllama »

j_walter wrote: post #10
QuercusMax wrote: post #4

Like other post-9/11 things like DHS and ICE, we need to abolish TSA since it doesn't actually keep anyone safe, and actively harms people.

So just get rid of TSA and have no security? They find hundreds of guns in carry on baggage every year, but that should be no big deal right? They didn't force this person through the scanner, they could have asked for a supervisor and discussed the situation. Don't trust the people at the bottom of any organization if you have a concern.

In the 50's, you could board a plane with a gun and no ID.

Re: TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

#62

Post by mikestew »

kube-system wrote: post #44
mikestew wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So just get rid of TSA and have no security? No one suggested that. What do you think we did 30 years ago (look it up if you have to)? That, and locked cockpit doors: what value-add is TSA over procedures from 30 years ago?

Airlines could have locked cockpit doors and prohibited passengers from bringing box cutters on their airplanes 30 years ago, but they didn't, even though hijackings regularly happened. When there is no coordination between airlines, none of them wants to be the one who implements tough security and pisses off their customer base.

…even though hijackings regularly happened

Maybe in the 70s, but that pretty much stopped with advent of metal detectors. And the hijackers had guns, not knives. Before 9/11 I carried a pocket knife on every flight I took.

Regardless, they’re doing it now, so I fail to see your point.

Re: TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

#63

Post by proee »

I brought a $14k oscilloscope through TSA once. They flagged the unit and proceeded to inspect it, lifting it by the edges of the plastic front cover and trying to remove it while held in mid-air. I kind of freaked out and said "stop" because the oscilloscope was about to take a free-fall. They were not happy that I spoke up, but luckily it averted a crisis.

Re: TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

#64

Post by k2enemy »

ssl-3 wrote: post #50
SunshineTheCat wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea I once had a TSA individual take my 85mm f1.2 RF series Canon lens out of its case and hold it up to the light to "inspect it." I said, "can you please be careful with that? It's a $3,000 lens..." The person cut me off and flatly stated: "Excuse me sir, I know what I'm doing..." The great thing is that if the person had dropped it, they would've faced zero consequences and I would be out a lens which was central…

I don't intend for this to sound like an excuse. I don't fly often, and almost never with anything expensive. But I am curious: Can objects like expensive precision optics be insured against damage from the TSA? Is that a thing that regular people can easily find coverage for?

Every photographer with expensive equipment that I know has insurance for their equipment. Sometimes it is included with homeowner, sometimes a separate rider, and sometimes part of their commercial insurance. So it would be covered.

However, that wouldn't help OP if they needed the lens for their trip, suddenly need to find another one, and needed to float the cash until insurance pays out.

Re: TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

#65

Post by bluGill »

ssl-3 wrote: post #50
SunshineTheCat wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea I once had a TSA individual take my 85mm f1.2 RF series Canon lens out of its case and hold it up to the light to "inspect it." I said, "can you please be careful with that? It's a $3,000 lens..." The person cut me off and flatly stated: "Excuse me sir, I know what I'm doing..." The great thing is that if the person had dropped it, they would've faced zero consequences and I would be out a lens which was central…

I don't intend for this to sound like an excuse. I don't fly often, and almost never with anything expensive. But I am curious: Can objects like expensive precision optics be insured against damage from the TSA? Is that a thing that regular people can easily find coverage for?

Your house insurance will generally cover it. However they then mark you as a increased risk for claims and so your rates go up. Thus it probably isn't worth making a claim for something that is "only" a few thousand dollars. Insurance is a great idea for rare things so expensive that you couldn't handle the loss on your own, but for smaller value losses self-insure is likely a better idea in the long run.

Of course you would need an accountant to run the real numbers for each case. Most people would find a $3000 lens breakage something they cannot easially cover out of pocket, which is why many will even if in the long run it isn't the best use of money.

Re: TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

#66

Post by SunshineTheCat »

ssl-3 wrote: post #50
SunshineTheCat wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea I once had a TSA individual take my 85mm f1.2 RF series Canon lens out of its case and hold it up to the light to "inspect it." I said, "can you please be careful with that? It's a $3,000 lens..." The person cut me off and flatly stated: "Excuse me sir, I know what I'm doing..." The great thing is that if the person had dropped it, they would've faced zero consequences and I would be out a lens which was central…

I don't intend for this to sound like an excuse. I don't fly often, and almost never with anything expensive. But I am curious: Can objects like expensive precision optics be insured against damage from the TSA? Is that a thing that regular people can easily find coverage for?

Yes, my lens was/is insured.

The problem is, it's not something you can just pick up at Best Buy, so the trip would've been a total loss (it was for business).

Re: TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

#67

Post by whatsupdog »

chaps wrote: post #30

I'm one of those weirdos who opts out of the scanners because I'd rather avoid having people casually look inside of my body. Last time I flew out of Laguardia I opted out and while I was being patted down another TSA agent about twenty feet away kept making kissy faces at me. Very much felt like intimidation. What a time..

I do that too. My reason is I don't want unneeded radiation. My experience is they make it as difficult as possible. They first ignore you couple of times, pretend they don't know what you are asking for, and finally they make you wait a long time, just standing there waiting for someone to show up to do the pat down. But I know their antics now and show up with plenty of time to spare.

Re: TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

#68

Post by bigbuppo »

kube-system wrote: post #15
QuercusMax wrote: post #4

Like other post-9/11 things like DHS and ICE, we need to abolish TSA since it doesn't actually keep anyone safe, and actively harms people.

I do think there's an advantage to third-party security, but they need to be properly trained -- airline-managed security has perverse incentives because of their profit motive.

Perverse profit motive like them not losing a big expensive aircraft, or having a massive loss of confidence in the airline to keep customers safe that causes them to go bankrupt?

Re: TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

#69

Post by rngfnby »

Atlanta TSA are the absolute worst. I've lived in Atlanta for a while and used ATL quite a bit. They're easily the most aggressive, arrogant, stupid, obnoxious and self-righteous of all the TSA Ive used.

Ive even had an altercation with them that ended up having to file a complaint (never heard back) and got to speak to a manager only because I started, loudly, whistling the anthem.

Re: TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

#70

Post by MBCook »

formerly_proven wrote: post #43
MBCook wrote: post #13

I’ve been in a film photography sub on Reddit lately and the TSA comes up frequently. They can’t even follow their own rules on film, telling people it has to be scanned (it doesn’t), scanning is safe up 3800 ISO (that’s not a speed), etc. I’m not surprised they can’t get something important right. What if someone had to fly for necessary medical treatment? What if the device had been something even more important, l…

> What if someone had to fly for necessary medical treatment? E.g. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/02/disabled-can...

Of course there’s an example. Thank you.
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