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

TSA leaves passenger needing surgery after illegally forcing her through scanner

thetravel.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 145 posts

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

#111

Post by QuercusMax »

JoshTriplett wrote: post #25
MostlyStable wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I agree that TSA should be done away with, I'm afraid that it wouldn't actually change what airport security looks like in most places. At this point, since people have gotten used to it, my guess is that if Airports took over their own security again (or went back to however it worked pre-TSA), they would maintain about the same standards and procedures in an effort to avoid blame in the case that something ha…

On the contrary, I think airports would desperately like to do better. Airports are hated ; improving the experience of airport security is extremely important to them.

I could legit see an airport in a major metro advertise "Fly through PDQ instead of SRX - you'll save an hour of your time and nobody will ask to touch your genitals"

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

#112

Post by lobf »

rngfnby wrote: post #81
lobf wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same. I have never gone through a microwave scanner on principle- I shouldn’t be strip searched for the crime of showing up to the airport. I always get there plenty early and request a pat down, because they always make you wait 10-15 minutes in the hope that you’re desperate to get to your gate.

" I shouldn’t be strip searched for the crime of showing up to the airport." People have forgotten that the TSA got caught lying about the machines not taking pictures (its just a cartoon!) and their employees laughing at people's bodies. If the TSA wants to disrobe me they're going to have to do it the honest, old fashioned way. Not some sterilized make believe.

I have never forgotten their lies and abuse with the scanners when they were rolled out. Same boat- you wanna see my body you gotta work for it.

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

#113

Post by bichiliad »

gensym wrote: post #73
idle_zealot wrote: post #58

There's no consistency in procedure from TSA agents. They're undertrained, unaccountable, and some combination of bored, disinterested, and high on petty authority. I don't think any amount of training or official guidance could improve the situation, though. The essential problem is the authority plus unaccountability or oversight. That will always go poorly for anyone subjected to that authority sooner or later.

Perhaps once AI destroys all the livelihoods of educated and disciplined white collar workers, it'll be easier for the TSA to find people who can follow basic instructions and show a normal amount of empathy.

I think it's the job, not the person. All sorts of people work at the TSA; clearly it's endemic to the TSA, not to the people who work there.

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

#114

Post by MBCook »

bichiliad wrote: post #113
gensym wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps once AI destroys all the livelihoods of educated and disciplined white collar workers, it'll be easier for the TSA to find people who can follow basic instructions and show a normal amount of empathy.

I think it's the job, not the person. All sorts of people work at the TSA; clearly it's endemic to the TSA, not to the people who work there.

You have to deal with pissed people all day who don’t listen at all. And if you make the tiniest mistake you could be the person who failed to stop the next 9/11.

Doing the same three or four things screening people all day long has got to be mind numbingly boring. Unless you’re at an airport that isn’t constantly busy where instead you get to stand around doing nothing, which can be worse.

It honestly sounds like a terrible job to have. Aren’t they paid pretty bad too? I can see why a lot of people would want to move out of it, leaving only those who are stuck or like the power.

None of this is excuse what happened in the article.

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

#115

Post by [deleted] »

proee wrote: post #63

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.

[deleted]

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

#116

Post by cptskippy »

k2enemy wrote: post #64
ssl-3 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Renting camera equipment is fairly common and their are rental services that do overnight and next day.

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

#117

Post by whatsupdog »

rngfnby wrote: post #81
lobf wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same. I have never gone through a microwave scanner on principle- I shouldn’t be strip searched for the crime of showing up to the airport. I always get there plenty early and request a pat down, because they always make you wait 10-15 minutes in the hope that you’re desperate to get to your gate.

" I shouldn’t be strip searched for the crime of showing up to the airport." People have forgotten that the TSA got caught lying about the machines not taking pictures (its just a cartoon!) and their employees laughing at people's bodies. If the TSA wants to disrobe me they're going to have to do it the honest, old fashioned way. Not some sterilized make believe.

> If the TSA wants to disrobe me they're going to have to do it the honest, old fashioned way. Not some sterilized make believe.

Or at least take me out on a date first

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

#118

Post by BobaFloutist »

rngfnby wrote: post #90
mindslight wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Talk about l'esprit d'escalier. I'd like to think I would have held eye contact and pointed at my own crotch.

Hmm next time they go for a feel I'll tell them not to sexually harass me loud enough for the whole line to hear. They feed on folks wanting to avoid embarrassment, not wanting to miss their flights, etc.

Also on folks not wanting to have their shit stolen, get beaten up, or get extra-judicially detained for days, weeks, or even months.

They're smart enough to make compliance be the mostly rational decision.

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

#120

Post by orwin »

PaulRobinson wrote: post #60
Buttons840 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You say abolish TSA. That's a "how"; let me ask you about outcomes to better understand. Are you suggesting that the level of security at airports be reduced? Are you suggesting that people and object that get onto planes be given less scrutiny?

I say this as somebody who regularly travels around EMEA and the US: there is airport security at the same or higher level all around the World, and yet fewer people travelling in those countries seems to have the same level of problems. My hot take is that its almost certainly a recruitment and training issue: there seem to be just enough bad apples getting through and not having poor behaviours trained out of them…

Yeah, it is security theater, but other countries are way more relaxed than the US, especially small airports with few international flights.

When i was ~17, i had a friend with a false leg, with metal in it. We were late to our plane at a Moroccan airport (Agadir i think), we burst through the scanner gate that started beeping. He looked at the agent, tapped his leg, the agent made a "you can go" sign and we managed to get to the plane without any issue. I have seen very similar scene at Porto, it might be the mediterranean temper but i really think it has more to do with airport size (Lisbon airport agents seems more thorough)

Post reply on HN