There's been a lot of talk about the TSA and their heightened security measures lately. I've read articles about people being subjected to aggressive searches for no apparent reason. And it's for our own good.
I find myself mixed about the situation. On the one hand, we get to feel slightly more certain that there aren't any bombs or weapons on the plane, but on the other we are allowing ourselves to be subjected to potential violations of our personal spaces. It's as if the need for safety has increased so much that people are allowing themselves to be subjected to these extreme searches.
I did some research. I wanted to find out what the TSA says about the potential security screenings that a traveler may be put through. I did find a rather informative link about how to get through the line faster and another about the possible baggage screening. They even included a tip regarding extremely personal items in your carryon. How thoughtful of them.
But what I didn't find was the information about what goes on during a personal screening; only that one could happen. Interesting. I had some questions. How would I be selected for this screening? What would I be required to do? What would happen during the screening? These are things I'd sure like to know. And Google doesn't know either, in an official sense.
I'm not curious about the answers to these questions because I intend to smuggle some illegal item aboard the airplane. I want to know because I want to make sure I shave my legs and not wear holey panties. These are the things a non-terrorist worries about. And if I was a terrorist, I wouldn't care that they're going to search me. I was probably given orders that I should detonate if I'm caught anyway. DUH! And any other non-terrorist person who might consider taking some sort of weapon aboard a plane for some non-political/religious reason probably won't use it anyway because we're just not that into dying.
And as for who gets selected: to make this security measure of a strip search effective, every traveler should have to have one. I'm not saying I think it's a good idea, but what if I'm selected and not carrying anything while Little Miss Bomb in Her Bra is boarding the plane? What a wasted effort. Now, I'm held up for no reason, the staff of TSA is bothered with my boring search, and the bomb will still go off as intended. It's ridiculous.
Maybe it's the airlines that are forcing the TSA into making the security so extreme so that people won't be afraid to fly. Now there's an idea. I think they should just make it less expensive. And these security checks are being paid for somehow.
But for some reason, we want more security at the airport. We feel like we can stop bad things from happening to us if we get the bad guys and girls before they can act out their plans. It makes sense. Other bad people have gotten on planes and done terrible things in the past and if there's anything we know as earthlings, it's that history does repeat itself.
But when it comes right down to it, it's not just the bad guys and girls that we have to worry about. What if something awful happens to the pilot, somehow? Or the air traffic controller misses a beat and two planes collide? These are the risks we take every time we get on a plane, whether the passengers have had their genitals checked or not.
Overall, I think the increased security is ridiculous, but it's something that has become necessary in some cases. I don't think that the TSA is going about it the right way and I do think they ought to inform passengers about the process a lot better than they do.
Air travel is the safest way to go because, let's face it, the pilots are getting pretty damn good at keeping the planes up and out of each other's way. Even the Hudson crash ended well, all things considered. Now, if we can stop hating each other as human beings, we can all travel nicely like people did before some assholes stole some planes and destroyed one of our greatest cities and thousands of lives. Until then, I'll just be glad that I can't afford to travel and wait for the world to be a better place.
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