November 7, 2010
Hon. Janet Napolitano
Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Hon. Ray LaHood
Secretary, Department of Transportation
US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590
Administrator John Pistole
US Transportation Security Administration
TSA-1 Administrator
601 South 12th Street
Arlington, VA 20598
Dear Secretaries Napolitano, La Hood, and Administrator Pistole:
We are writing to urgently request a meeting (if possible on November 15th or 18th) with you on the use and roll out of whole body scanners and enhanced pat downs by the TSA. These new procedures are extreme. They involve invasions of the personal privacy with hands being placed on genital areas and private body parts and/or electronic strip searches of airline passengers. They should require an extreme justification.
This new procedure has been received with shock and horror by many airline passengers and will no doubt involve much litigation and national negative publicity as it becomes a standard procedure employed against millions of airline passengers. See attachments.
At the very least, there should be a robust debate by aviation security experts and a full presentation to an expanded Aviation Security Advisory Committee with opportunity for critics to be heard before these new procedures are implemented.
In virtually every case of attempted bombing or hijacking of airliners by a passenger since 9/11, it has been airline passengers with flight attendants who foiled the terrorists, not TSA. Without public support and understanding, terrorists can have a victory merely by generating fear and opposition by the public to TSA procedures, especially if --as some security experts maintain-- the current back scatter scanners are ineffective, unnecessary and their adoption owes more to the political connections of a former Secretary of Homeland Security with financial interests in this technology, than to actual need and merit.
Sincerely,
/s/ Kate Hanni
Executive Director
Flyersrights.org
/s/ Paul Hudson
Executive Director
Aviation Consumer Action Project
Former Member, Aviation Security Advisory Committee (1997-2007)
Member, FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, Executive Committee
/s/ Ralph Nader
Consumer Advocate
Cc TSA Chief Counsel
US Transportation Security Administration
TSA-2 Administrator
601 South 12th Street
Arlington, VA 20598
Contact Information:
FlyersRights.org
1-877-359-3776 Hotline
1-707-337-0328 cellular
Aviation Consumer Action Project
1-410-940-8934
240-391-1923 fax
acapaviation@yahoo.com
Ralph Nader
Consumer Advocate,
P.O. Box 19312 ,
Washington DC 20036
202-387-8030
202-234-5176 fax
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
18 comments:
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was put through a full body pat down last Wednesday which I would describe as a custody search. My genitals were touched and the TSA agent put her hands down the back of my pants. I have an artificial hip that sets off the metal detector, for ten or more years I've been wanded but what I experience last Wednesday was an invasion to my person and a breach of my fourth ammendment rights. It was completely unwarranted. I want a warrant the next time.
What do you want instead and I don't mean next year, I mean today right now to potentially prevent a tragedy that will impact hundreds of lives, lives you may not give a rip about. Are you prepared to look the children of 911 victims in the face and say your humility is more important than the safety of their parents?
While it is odd and uncomfortable, can you not see this as an immediate step instead of doing nothing? You mean virtually every attempt was prevented by passengers or crew. That comment in fact supports increased measures at the TSA level not less.
Perhaps profiling is better, Are you willing to support that?
You mention negative publicity, yes and this organization is helping fan the flames of that publicity.
Of course there should be a debate but should we do nothing as Congress talks, really?
Are the skies going to be the wild west, is that going to bring comfort to the traveling public? Should we not let people in the bathrooms alone on the flight? Now that's an invasion of privacy but if you can't assure me shoes and underwear are safe, then how is that group of passengers to act once on board?
I'm reading comments in USA Today article from 11/15 about people being embarrassed by the new procedures and my perspective is one of selfishness.
Do you really think passengers are being fondled really? No, it's just a word that incites the emotions you want as an organization that must advance its agenda and not the safety of the flying public.
All Passengers - BOYCOTT this invasion of your body!
Ask everyone on line to join in the boycott and it will be effective.
Do not sit by and let the Muslims walk right through security wearing a Burqa with the excuse "it is against their religion"! This is being bigoted towards every other religion on earth! I object to the whole concept but if we must do it then darn it all EVERYONE should have to be subjected to it, no exceptions!
I do not have an issue, I would rather be scanned than go through the pat down or the wanding. Having two artificial hips I have been wanded and patted down at checkpoints all over the world in my travels. How about in some China cities, being patted down by a female officer with a military guard with a rifle standing at each inspection point.
I think they should probably ease up a bit, but still it is ultimately for your own safety. The passengers on the flight at 9-11 in PA tried to stop the hijacking and a lot of good it did them.
how to boycott when you must travel as a condition of employment? Best case is to make it as long as possible, because until it costs money no one will care about your petty concerns (mine either).
I have a trip on a couple of days out JFK (International trip) and I am freaking out of this body search and radiation X-Ray scanners. I don't no what my options. I have to go on this trip I can't miss it.
I have a trip on a couple of days out JFK (International trip) and I am freaking out of this body search and radiation X-Ray scanners. I don't no what my options. I have to go on this trip I can't miss it.
Perhaps we should all join together and tell them we want the bomb dogs? They work a LOT better than TSA.
Airports have the ability to opt out of using TSA screeners and instead using their own legitimate security. Maybe that is where the pressure should be; reminding and encouraging airports to use other options that would actually make flying safer instead of terrorizing their paying passengers.
PLEASE FIGHT FOR US!
While entering Orlando International with 2 clean cut collegiate grandchildren, the TSA roughed us up. Shocked I said, "I can't believe you're treating us like this."
Agent replied, "Lady, I could shoot you if I wanted."
The Virtual Strip Search is a test to see just how for they can push the other countries into falling for this. It's a test...It won't last long...Some of the Internationals can not even go out of their oun houses showing skin, and if they do, their stoned or wiped..What thay realy want is for us to have a (VeriChip),And was recently approved by the food and Drug Administration for (Scurity) and healthcare applications and Banks Accounts, for Driving, (The New (VeriChip) can be Scand 20 feet away..Your Tagged and Scand..Scary stuff.. Take a stand against all of this.
Your letter to the Secretary states that. …
“This new procedure has been received with shock and horror by many airline passengers and will no doubt involve much litigation and national negative publicity as it becomes a standard procedure employed against millions of airline passengers.”
Where did you get this information? Who is shocked? And who brought horror stories? TSA employees are not looking for thrills touching smelly travelers.
I am one with a Pace Maker implanted on my chest. As such I cannot go through magnetic scanners and before the arrival of the backscatter x-ray scanner, I had to submit myself to body search. Although it was not my preferred alternative I have gone through such searches at least a hundred times in 14 different countries as I felt that was what was necessary to keep the airline flights safe for the general public. But, in may case I had no option. But, to me the backscatter device is a Godsend.
I have travelled all over the world and the people who do the body search are very sensitive to your concerns and I have had no problem anywhere. These scanners are not yet available in many nations and I hope soon they become the primary instrument for body scans. Yes, these procedures are more time consuming in the U.S compared to other countries.
A few weeks ago, some perverts started the story that TSA employees are touching his goods. He could easily have gone through x-ray backscatter machines and avoided such incidents. Ever since 9/11, people who triggered magnetic scanners were subject to body search and I don’t see why it suddenly became a taboo.
Airline travel is not a birthright. If you can’t follow the rules, walk to your destinations.
Your letter to the Secretary states that. …
“This new procedure has been received with shock and horror by many airline passengers and will no doubt involve much litigation and national negative publicity as it becomes a standard procedure employed against millions of airline passengers.”
Where did you get this information? Who is shocked? And who brought horror stories? TSA employees are not looking for thrills touching smelly travelers.
I am one with a Pace Maker implanted on my chest. As such I cannot go through magnetic scanners and before the arrival of the backscatter x-ray scanner, I had to submit myself to body search. Although it was not my preferred alternative I have gone through such searches at least a hundred times in 14 different countries as I felt that was what was necessary to keep the airline flights safe for the general public. But, in may case I had no option. But, to me the backscatter device is a Godsend.
I have travelled all over the world and the people who do the body search are very sensitive to your concerns and I have had no problem anywhere. These scanners are not yet available in many nations and I hope soon they become the primary instrument for body scans. Yes, these procedures are more time consuming in the U.S compared to other countries.
A few weeks ago, some perverts started the story that TSA employees are touching his goods. He could easily have gone through x-ray backscatter machines and avoided such incidents. Ever since 9/11, people who triggered magnetic scanners were subject to body search and I don’t see why it suddenly became a taboo.
Airline travel is not a birthright. If you can’t follow the rules, walk to your destinations.
Saw you on PBS tonight. Thank you for speaking for so many of us!
I fear for a country that sells our liberties so casually. I do cherish mine. "Don't tread on me" I believe was the slogan 200+ years ago.
Imagine the joy today in al Qaeda though. Such power they have over us! An imagined conversation in Waziristan:
http://nogginstrain.blogspot.com/2010/11/overheard-in-waziristan.html
@Arnold: Just because you are willing to allow the government violate your 4th Amendment right to an "unreasonable" search without due cause does not meant the rest of us are willing to do so, nor does it mean we *should* be willing to do so. With all due respect, sir, I humbly suggest you study your history. Our Founding Fathers wrote the Bill of Rights because they saw first hand the abuses that a government without limitations WILL -- not "can" -- exact upon a population, and they thought that citizens' rights were important enough to fight for, and if need be, to die for. I tend to agree with them. Your mileage may vary, as the saying goes, but I maintain that an unrestrained "Department of Homeland Security" is far more of a threat than some foreign terrorist *EVER* will be.
i found this a invasion of our rights and privacy we are 4 allways travel sometimes 2 times a year but with this i dont think so..they went to far im paying to flight not to xpose my body to a scanner,cause the think is the safer way to get in a plane or will be?.they should find anothr opts and espect our rights..
Fantastic solution and well written post. I comprehended it right away!
indianapolis
Post a Comment