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sevLetter to my senator, who is on the TSA Oversight Committee, which meets tomorrow. I'm sick (again) so I hope this was coherent...
Like many of your constituents, I am angry about the recent updates to TSA's policy requiring passengers to submit to either an electronic body-scanner or an invasive pat-down. I've got airline tickets for my family, including my three-year-old daughter, and I'm extremely upset that my options for "security" will be to expose my preschooler to scans with no longitudinal safety data, or instruct her to submit to being rubbed down by a stranger in exactly the ways I'm supposed to otherwise be teaching her are not allowed.
After recent reports that show that TSA's hiring practices include flimsy background checks, I'm disgusted to hear that they're being given access to machines that produce nude pictures of passengers. The Electronic Privacy Information Center found that TSA's purchase orders explicitly specify that the machines be able to save and export image data when in "Test Mode" -- even worse.
In addition, it appears the committee that examined the scanners and has assured the public of their safety is heavily skewed toward these machines’ manufacturers (“Are Scanners Worth the Risk?,” New York Times, September 7, 2010.)
Opting for the pat-down is no better. New, enhanced procedures have just been introduced that include touching of breasts and genitals by TSA workers. These friskings would be more accurately described as sexual assaults in any other context.
We created TSA as a government agency instead of hiring purely outside contractors in part to ensure oversight of the system. Please exercise that oversight. Other countries, even ones at more risk than we, manage their airport security with more safety for less humiliation.
Like many of your constituents, I am angry about the recent updates to TSA's policy requiring passengers to submit to either an electronic body-scanner or an invasive pat-down. I've got airline tickets for my family, including my three-year-old daughter, and I'm extremely upset that my options for "security" will be to expose my preschooler to scans with no longitudinal safety data, or instruct her to submit to being rubbed down by a stranger in exactly the ways I'm supposed to otherwise be teaching her are not allowed.
After recent reports that show that TSA's hiring practices include flimsy background checks, I'm disgusted to hear that they're being given access to machines that produce nude pictures of passengers. The Electronic Privacy Information Center found that TSA's purchase orders explicitly specify that the machines be able to save and export image data when in "Test Mode" -- even worse.
In addition, it appears the committee that examined the scanners and has assured the public of their safety is heavily skewed toward these machines’ manufacturers (“Are Scanners Worth the Risk?,” New York Times, September 7, 2010.)
Opting for the pat-down is no better. New, enhanced procedures have just been introduced that include touching of breasts and genitals by TSA workers. These friskings would be more accurately described as sexual assaults in any other context.
We created TSA as a government agency instead of hiring purely outside contractors in part to ensure oversight of the system. Please exercise that oversight. Other countries, even ones at more risk than we, manage their airport security with more safety for less humiliation.
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no subject
on 2010-11-16 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-11-20 12:18 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-11-17 12:16 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-11-17 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-11-20 12:19 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-11-17 03:45 am (UTC)http://www.pennandteller.com/03/coolstuff/penniphile/roadpennfederalvip.html
no subject
on 2010-11-18 02:33 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-11-20 12:12 am (UTC)Somebody said there was a "modified pat-down" routine for kids, but I can't find any description of what that might mean.
no subject
on 2010-11-20 12:55 am (UTC)As it turns out, apparently TSA pats-down children anyway.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail?entry_id=77140