TSA Myth or Fact: 'Blogger Bob' Provokes a Stream of Comments From Pat-Down Protesters

Continued from previous page

Rebecca:

You really didn’t address the ‘myth.’ Even your boss says it’s at least ‘more invasive,’ which certainly indicates it is indeed invasive and uncomfortable.

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Blogger Bob:

Myth: There has been an overwhelming public outcry against AIT.
Fact: A recent CBS News poll found that four in five support full-body airport scanners.

Rebecca:

Yes, many of us may indeed support an AIT scan in the case of a SECONDARY screening. But many do not think it should be used for primary screening.

Anonymous:

The CBS poll is junk. It doesn’t offer any details about AIT. If the poll explained that it transmitted a naked image of your body, what do you think the poll would be? Not to mention the fact that polling Americans about airline travel is notoriously unreliable because only 40 percent of Americans report having flown in the last year.

Gallup and USA Today polled just over 3,000 adults in late November and found that about a quarter of them had flown at least twice in the past year. Of those, according to results released Nov. 23, 71 percent said “any potential loss of personal privacy from the full-body scans and pat-downs is worth it as a means of preventing acts of terrorism.”

The poll contained this additional takeaway: “The majority are not bothered by the use of full-body scans, which most travelers would choose over the full-body pat-downs they tend to find objectionable and less effective at preventing terrorism. Further, in both cases, those who have already undergone such procedures are less likely to have been bothered or angry than those who have not, suggesting that the prospect of such a screening is more upsetting than the reality. Of course, commenters had other opinions about polling, too.

Anonymous:

Fact: Organizations that rely on one poll to prove a point are in trouble.

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Blogger Bob:

Myth: All children receive pat-downs.
Fact: TSA officers are trained to work with parents to ensure a respectful screening process for the entire family, while providing the best possible security for all travelers. Children 12 years old and under who require extra screening will receive a modified pat down.

Anonymous:

Define the ‘modified pat down’ for children. No TSA agent is touching, putting pressure on, or feeling resistance on my kid’s buttocks or genitals. Nor will they be looking at them naked. And in four years, when my eight-year-old is 12, there is no way some TSA agent will be feeling resistance against their genitals. Not. Gonna. Happen.

Denise:

Can you provide us with the details of the modified pat-down process for kids 12 and under? Has it been universally implemented? How and where will they be touched? I’d really like to be clear on this before getting to the airport. Thanks!

Anonymous:

The concern is not that *all* children will receive them, it’s that *any* will.

Anonymous:

Hey Bob, why not let your kids get the treatment your crap agency does to our kids? And if the nude-o-scope images are so tame, post them online.

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Blogger Bob:

Myth: TSA officers are sharing AIT images they are taking with their cell phones.
Fact: Our officers are prohibited from bringing electronic devices such as cell phones into the AIT viewing room. This is a fireable offense and no such reports have been substantiated.

Anonymous: