Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Defeated

orenhazi.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 445 posts

Re: Defeated

#41

Post by veidr »

jballanc wrote: post #32

There is an extremely simple solution: leave. I've not lived in the US for almost two years now. I've only had to travel back twice in that time. Meanwhile, in the same time I've visited France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany multiple times. None of those travel experiences were nearly as unpleasant or stressful as my two trips to the US. Furthermore, the technology communities that are growing up in these pla…

Yeah, I left too. I've lived in a couple parts of Europe and then Japan since leaving. All of them feel more "free" than post-Bush (I guess I really mean post-Bin Laden) USA; people enjoy more civil rights, and (more pragmatically) more freedom from idiotic hassle in the name of... whatever kind of fuckery it is that keeps the prison lobby, the TSA, and the general industrial-fearmongering complex in business and free of logical constraints.

But, leaving is not really a simple solution, at all. It is both complex and unsatisfying. Thankfully, my wife and kid are with me (and btw, compared to Japan, the USA seems like a completely insane place to raise a kid) but I still have family there, not to mention friends, business interests, tax obligations, etc.

I feel like my country is occupied by an enemy force, and that feeling is hammered home every single time I fly home, within minutes of deplaning.

Re: Defeated

#42

Post by hyperventilator »

awjr wrote: post #28
marincounty wrote: post #19

1. My subtle way of fighting back is trying to keep my face off cameras everyplace I go. I stopped going to stores like Home Depot who have you on a cam the minute you walk in. 2. I'm glad you held out as long as you did.

Err not sure how important that is. I would guess making sure you pay in cash at all times is probably more important.

Even if you pay in cash the NSA will get those tapes and know he was at Home Depot. :P

Re: Defeated

#43

Post by bayesianhorse »

prawn wrote: post #39

The terrorists have won. I don't think the terrorists won, they just provided the push. The commercial interests and their lobbyists have won. And by that, I mean they continue to win.

I don't think airport security and avoiding bombs on planes is an entirely "commercial" interest.

Re: Defeated

#44

Post by niurnirixcvwc »

wilperkins wrote: post #33
RivieraKid wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean by "reacted negatively"?

The standard head shakes of disapproval. Comments like "she should just go through the scanner like everyone else" or "look at her trying to create a problem". After the first couple walked by and had such a reaction, I just ignored it. But then when it repeatedly happened, I wondered why so many people were bothered enough by her decision that they have to stop and make a snarky comment about it.

Because it's not enough to be stupid, others must be as stupid as they are.

They just, must... Why can't they just accept it and stop being a nuisance?...

Re: Defeated

#45

Post by evertonfuller »

krichman wrote: post #14
highace wrote: post #4

Can someone please explain what's wrong with going through the machine? If it means not having my balls squeezed, it sounds pretty good to me.

I don't trust them to not save the images, I don't trust them to not get hacked, and I don't want some random black hat to have images of my body over time.

They are not linked to you or your passport or ID. So there is no 'you' or your 'body' that they can collect over time.

Re: Defeated

#46

Post by bayesianhorse »

xpaulbettsx wrote: post #9
highace wrote: post #4

Can someone please explain what's wrong with going through the machine? If it means not having my balls squeezed, it sounds pretty good to me.

Consider the following: if that identical machine were in a hospital, it would have been required to go through years of clinical trials to ensure its safety over the long term. The machines they are using are medical equipment. However, because it's in an airport, none of this has happened . Maybe it is safe. Maybe it isn't. It is unproven .

Is the radiation worse than a long-distance flight?

Re: Defeated

#47

Post by progx »

The terrorist won a long time ago. In particular in the US and England.

Other countries (ironically) did not have such problems with terrorists, or how we call this people in germany: "citizens", "taxpayers", "neighbors"... ;)

Re: Defeated

#48

Post by cbr »

flyt wrote: post #3

When you go into the millimeter-wave machine and the TSA employee asks you to raise your arms, tell them that you can't, but don't elaborate (and they usually won't ask why). Every time I've done this they let me go through the regular metal detector with no argument or subsequent pat downs or screening.

If a lot of able-bodied people start doing this then the TSA may start giving people who actually can't raise their arms a hard time.

Re: Defeated

#49

Post by qznc »

bayesianhorse wrote: post #43
prawn wrote: post #39

The terrorists have won. I don't think the terrorists won, they just provided the push. The commercial interests and their lobbyists have won. And by that, I mean they continue to win.

I don't think airport security and avoiding bombs on planes is an entirely "commercial" interest.

Selling expensive equipment to the government is a commercial interest. Increasing responsibilities/work of the TSA (arguably) is a commercial interest as well.

Re: Defeated

#50

Post by raverbashing »

jballanc wrote: post #32

There is an extremely simple solution: leave. I've not lived in the US for almost two years now. I've only had to travel back twice in that time. Meanwhile, in the same time I've visited France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany multiple times. None of those travel experiences were nearly as unpleasant or stressful as my two trips to the US. Furthermore, the technology communities that are growing up in these pla…

I agree with the general spirit of your post, however:

Amsterdam Schipol has (a lot of) scanning machines as well.

Germany has more freedom in certain areas and less freedom in others. (you can't take your empty bottles to the recycling bins on Sunday for example)

Post reply on HN