I guess I should have said something before about these body scanners that some have called intrusive. Personally, I have nothing against them…but then I’ve become a bit of an exhibitionist since all of that weight fell off of me this year. In fact, I make trips to the airport just to go through the scanners. Throw in someone to squeeze my nether regions and have a Sbarro’s Pizza within walking distance and I’ve got me a weekend getaway. <\/p>\n
But then the Transportation Security Agency just ruined it. Ya know, I’m out there at the airport beggin’ for it, but folks like John Tyner, who refused the body scan and filmed his body search, aren’t into it like me. Well, and it probably violates rights like unreasonable search and seizure. <\/p>\n
So how does the TSA compound treating airline passengers like they’re on their way to Treblinka? They announce that they’re going to do an investigation on Mr. Tyner. Oh, they announced an investigation at a press conference called specifically to announce the investigation<\/a>. <\/p>\n Michael J. Aguilar, chief of the TSA office in San Diego, called a news conference at the airport Monday afternoon to announce the probe. He said the investigation could lead to prosecution and civil penalties of up to $11,000.<\/p>\n TSA agents had told Tyner on Saturday that he could be fined up to $10,000.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the old fine,\u201d Aguilar said. \u201cIt has been increased.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Yeah, that’s too far. That’s flat out intimidation. It’s an investigation just for the purpose of intimidating the rest of us. Who do these ham-handed troglodytes think they are? Yeah, I understand airline security. If someone bombed my plane, I’d curse the TSA all the way to the ground. But there are alternatives to groping nuts…and corresponding lady parts.<\/p>\n And all of the attempted bombings have been directed AT the US from outside the country – from places that hand out bombs to passengers at the jet way. The TSA can’t possibly think that intimidation will work on Americans. I think they’ve overplayed their hand on this one. <\/p>\n We patiently tolerated the two hour lines at the airport at 6 in the morning. We tolerated the rules about lap tops in separate little plastic boxes. We put up with showing the world our smelly, holey socks. We tolerated not carrying $1 bottles of water through the scanners so we could buy the $4 bottles from the scalpers on the other side. We tolerated losing our hand creams and after shave lotions. We even put up with the little notes in our luggage about our toiletries needing little plastic baggies to serve national security. But this time I think they pushed a little too far.<\/p>\n Well, I’m off to pack for my weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"