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Denver TSA Screeners Manipulated System In Order To Grope Men's Genitals
McGruber writes: The CBS affiliate in Denver reports: "Two Transportation Security Administration screeners at Denver International Airport have been fired after they were discovered manipulating passenger screening systems to allow a male TSA employee to fondle the genital areas of attractive male passengers." According to law enforcement reports obtained during the CBS4 investigation, a male TSA screener told a female colleague in 2014 that he "gropes" male passengers who come through the screening area at DIA. "He related that when a male he finds attractive comes to be screened by the scanning machine he will alert another TSA screener to indicate to the scanning computer that the party being screened is a female. When the screener does this, the scanning machine will indicate an anomaly in the genital area and this allows (the male TSA screener) to conduct a pat-down search of that area." Although the TSA learned of the accusation on Nov. 18, 2014 via an anonymous tip from one of the agency's own employees, reports show that it would be nearly three months before anything was done."
Honestly, I wouldn't have any problem with the TSA if I knew for certain that I would have my penis vigorously groped every time I travel...
It's the uncertainty that kills me.. Will I have to rub one out in the bathroom, or can I get a head start as I pass through security??
If we spin this as the TSA allowing for homosexual acts (especially on God-fearing straight folk!), could we use this to convince the GOP to support shutting it down? Toss in some terms like "limited government" if necessary.
I'm not at all comfortable with the current screening procedure madness, but I'm far more comfortable when the TSA agent groping me is just as uncomfortable with the situation as I am. When they're taking pleasure in it, it's a good indication that the system has let us down.
And I've never been groped. Guess I'm not attractive enough. :-(
Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
What is unclear is why the TSA still exist.
Because, in the unlikely event of another terrorist attack on a plane, any politicians voted to eliminate the TSA will be blamed. Modern politicians spend all this time and effort trying to get elected, then they're too scared to do anything where they can't pass the buck.
Giving people legal authority to see and touch both men and women's private areas attracts creeps to the job? Never would have guessed.
Seems like it is sexual assault.
If I am hired to set up a security checkpoint in front of a bar, I could do security pat downs without it being sexual. If, on the other hand, I intentionally manipulated the system to pat down attractive bar patrons for my own gratification, I'm pretty sure I would be arrested and end up on some sort of sex offender list.
Why didn't the TSA refer this to law enforcement?
Not that, but my wife once had an undergarment trigger the TSA sensors as an "anomaly" and had to be subjected to the full pat down routine. By a female employee who, I hope, wasn't just doing this because she found my wife attractive. This likely wouldn't let a male TSA agent pat down a female in the line as I believe they have rules in place that only the same-sex individual must do the pat down. Then again, this IS the TSA we're talking about, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was abused as well. They have been caught sending attractive females through the "naked scanner" and ogling the resulting images.
The TSA: Protecting Us Against Imaginary Terrorists*
* But Not Real Ones**
** Also, who protects us against the TSA?
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
We've seen a number of stories involving TSA agents being arrested for any number of crimes. Everything from assault, to child pornography, to murder. This shouldn't be a surprise at all. Which is not to say that all TSA agents ARE the scum that they tend to be made out to be. But it's a worrying program.
In terms of this kind of activities detailed in this story... well hell. I know from talking with a former TSA employee that this sort of thing is VERY common. I've even meet a former TSA agent that not only admits doing this at an airport in California. But he did it aallll the time. And he wasn't the only one doing it.
You gotta love the cognitive dissonance. We are perfectly 'okay' (societally) with same gender patdowns because you know that can't be 'sexual' or exploitative, yet we no longer consider homosexuality to be deviant behavior to the point we largely support marriage equality.
My take on its government should not be allowed to have it both ways. You either don't believe in homosexuality as a normal state, or you can't support TSA patdowns. Sexual assault is sexual assault no matter what gender or sex the other persona happens to be unless its invited. And the TSA procedure meets every definition for assault. Do you feel free to turn around and leave if you are selected for an enhanced search? I don't I'd be considerably afraid that if I they suggested they needed to do a patdown and I responded "no thanks I'll just head back to my car" that I would find myself detained shortly their after.
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
"After controlling for time trends, weather, road conditions, and other factors, we attribute an increase of 242 driving fatalities per month to additional road travel undertaken in response to 9/11."
It's highly likely that more people have died due to the response to terrorism than from actual terrorism in the US.
Obvious solution is to neuter all TSA agents.
Or because as long as people are OK with that bit of intrusiveness every time they travel, they'll be more accepting of other restrictions on their freedom as well.
But he was fired, not put in jail... shouldn't he be charged?
If I grope an unwilling party's genitals I get charged... someone abusing the power given by the government to do it is worse.
As a Slashdot discussion grows longer, the probability of an analogy involving cars approaches one.
I think on this issue you'll find that high level GOP officials have an unusually wide stance and are willing to reach around the aisle, pointing fingers when necessary in order to come to a consensus. Many are even willing to bend over backwards to be more accommodating.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Craig_scandal/
xkcd
Have gnu, will travel.
All this TSA business was instituted primarily to make Michael Chertoff rich. And it worked marvelously.
The enhanced pat downs were instituted largely as a punishment for people opting out. This was necessary, since too many opt-outs would result in fewer purchases of the body scanners (which is where Chertoff makes his money).
There was a natural alliance between this and the enhanced intelligence gathering and tracking that the government wants to do on everyone anyway, so that just worked out as a side benefit.
Incidentally, the people who benefit most from this don't have to put up with it themselves, so it will require a hell of a lot of public outrage to ever get it shut down.