Let's bear in mind, as we all read this and get full of righteous indignance, this is only his side of the story. Every fact, every nuance has been slanted either consiciously or unconsciously by the author, who is (quite probably justifiably) furious and looking for an outlet. Just something to keep in mind.

I cannot believe they erase the videotapes. I'm sure if he was a terrorist, those tapes would make it to the media or be kept on file for the Fatherland Security office.

Whether or not the rest of the story is exaggerated, those tapes need to be found and displayed.

So who are you voting for in 2004?
Ratify the current administration's policies and you get more of this.
Had enough? Because we haven't even started.

Edited by author 12-22-2002 02:34 PM
Regardless of anything else, he broke one of the new unwritten laws of airport security: "If a person shows anger, you don't have to let them on the plane." (per a thread on Flyertalk.com, where a poster was told by the searcher "you aren't angry, are you? Because an angry person could be a danger to this airplane, we shouldn't let you on..."). Nevermind that the act of accusing someone of anger can be enough to cause it in ordinary people. And accusing someone of anger just after they've been touched in places reserved for lovers or the medically trained... "I've just violated your body privacy, in public, without acting the least bit apologetic. You're not angry, are you?"

I don't know why they can't use a small set of cardboard / plastic screens- just high enough to block the view of rubberneckers- for when they search luggage. Ditto for body patdowns- translucent screens 5 feet high to give a bit more privacy? I suppose shy people rarely go into this type of security, so they don't have much consideration / empathy for them.

(And am I the only one tempted to print a copy of the 4th ammendment on sticky tape to stretch around my suitcase? Let them cut it open if they need to search my suitcase because of the density of chocolate bars... No more locked luggage, they say. If I can think of ways to make it easy to search luggage without forbidding locks altogether, why can't they? (Combo locks with a large bright pull-off tag with the combination written on it. If they search, relock using the written tag, then pull it off. If they don't search, just pull off the tag. Takes an extra second per bag.)