7 ms·
Homeland security reaches the anus (2007)
- danarmak 4y agoShould say, [2007]
- ceejayoz 4y agoIs there reason to believe TSA has gotten less problematic since then?
- reilly3000 4y agoTime + Torts tend to have that effect in general, and probably specifically for the TSA.
- actionfromafar 4y agoWhere do you get this kind of optimism? I would think time + rejected entry into the country would teach travellers to more vigilantly defer to the TSA.
- reilly3000 4y agoIn the chaos post 911 there was a lot of resources poured into the new Homeland Security and TSA agencies, as well as huge expectations. Rights of travelers weren’t the first priority, it was all about safety and national security. Only by the passage of time were they able to moderate their practices and adopt reasonable policies for treating travelers, especially edge cases. That and lawsuits. When the courts get involved, things tend to change rather quickly relative to lodging complaints. I think this is a general dynamic. A familiar metaphor might be that of a startup’s journey from idea to stability at scale. It takes time and mistakes to figure out how to balance stakeholders’s interests. I also think tech/eng UX practices have had such a cultural impact that customer experience and usability are more top of mind for decision makers and customers alike. Concurrently, ubiquitous pocket cameras and video distribution have held all kinds of law enforcement more accountable, including TSA. Commerce drives this. A sharp decline in flight travel due to draconian enforcement would be railed against by business and government interests alike. With some of the safety and security concerns waning, the pressure is on TSA to get out of the way. I wouldn’t call any of that optimism per se, but I see how it could be perceived that way. Travelers most definitely did get taught to fear the TSA and it’s cost us tremendously. That fear is well-earned, and the panopticon + excessive policing powers still need to be corrected on a legislative level.
- hedora 4y agoNo; just that it wouldn’t be news these days.
- alar44 4y agoFrom my experience, absolutely.
- snshn 4y ago"Wait a minute... This isn't democracy, This is anal sex!"
- ccvannorman 4y agoWhile I understand the downvotes, I want to see the cartoon script that led up to this line :D
- snshn 4y agoYou're a man of great taste! Here you go: http://i2.wp.com/thecuriousbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/11163742_10153216772129826_4927393990561684160_n.jpg http://i2.wp.com/thecuriousbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2015...
- Tao3300 4y agoGood candidate for a universal New Yorker cartoon caption.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- michelb 4y agoCurious. Even in America this is well-known procedure, they could just have phoned a medical professional?
- ceejayoz 4y ago> Given the somewhat stark choice, he chose removal of the seton, which was done by a doctor at the airport who claimed never to have come across one before.
- TedDoesntTalk 4y agoThe obvious answer is to fly home, not to enter the country, and not to let an untrained and clueless individual remove it. Why didn’t he do that?
- PhasmaFelis 4y agoThe obvious answer is because he had something extremely urgent to do in the country.
- TedDoesntTalk 4y agoIt says he was on vacation visiting as a tourist. Did you read the article?
- mistersquid 4y ago> The obvious answer is to fly home, not to enter the country, and not to let an untrained and clueless individual remove it. Why didn’t he do that? We don't know given the lack of details in OP, but a few possibilities come to mind: - Time-sensitivity to attend a meeting, deliver knowledge, deliver goods, etc. - Fleeing country of origin to seek asylum - Relatively extraordinary expense of plane ticket and lack of means to purchase another
- TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
- fnordpiglet 4y ago
- jmclnx 4y agoI hope he found a good ambulance chasing lawyer add sued the TSA for all they have.
- ta988 4y agoGood luck suing the TSA if you are not resident.
- chris_wot 4y agoThey pulled on the Seton?!? that must have been excruciating!
- ge96 4y agoCan't leave a loose thread
- adolph 4y agoMaybe it's not amazing that the letter writer thinks that the solution is yet another letter? Agent A: “hey Bob, this one has something medical-looking anally attached. Should we get a medic to take it out for inspection?” Agent B: “No, they’ve presented us with a Doctor’s Note. Let them in through.” I suggest that any patient with a seton who is planning to travel to the USA or any other country where they are likely to be searched in this manner should carry a letter from their specialist explaining the nature of their condition and treatment.
- luminouslow 4y agoI mean what else can you do except never travelling again to places like the US
- adolph 4y agoYes, or going outside of it
- classified 4y agoSecurity theater at its finest. I'm at a loss for words.
- rurban 4y agoNot just theatre, drama.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- actionfromafar 4y agoBut the Homeland was protected, can never be too careful these days. And if you wonder if a doctor would perform a procedure for no medical reason, and the procedure could harm the patient, well there you go.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- diego_moita 4y agoSorry for playing the devil's advocate but policing officers being stupid or arrogant and behaving with contempt for the law is not an American exclusive. In Canada and many European countries they do the same, too.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- luminouslow 4y agoI would say it depends who you are, what you look like and where you come from. But as a super privileged white German the US border control (around 2009) was definitely the harshest I have experienced. I travelled to many places in Africa, Asia and South America as well, never had been questioned and probed like i was in the USA. Ofc i cant speak to the experience in EU. Edit: added date
- andsoitis 4y ago> I travelled to many places in Africa, Asia and South America as well, never had been questioned and probed like i was in the USA. The last time I travelled to Mozambique, some “security person” armed with what looked like an AK47 (I don’t know firearms), asked me to see my passport. He then proceeded to demand payment, uhm, I mean ransom. At the airport. That’s far far scarier than anything I’ve experienced at a U.S. airport, even as a foreigner.
- goodpoint 4y agoSpare the whataboutism, the US has always been in a category of its own.
- dghlsakjg 4y agoAs an American who has lived in 5 or so countries it is not unique to the US, but it does seem to be a specialty of US Border Patrol.
- nonplus 4y ago2003 - 2009 seemed exceptionally wild west for the TSA in my anecdotal experience. I had the TSA damage medical equipment (insulin pumps and glucose meters) more than once over the years by not complying with policies, and ignoring information given to them in real time. I can't imagine how much worse it was for people being threatened right after procedures. At least my worst fears were "Okey my bg was x, I have y spare supplies, So I have 6 hours to get to a pharmacy or hospital, unless I annoy them and they hold me, then I could die." Vs having a procedure from an unvetted doctor in an airport...
- grapescheesee 4y agoThey are still damaging/destroying insulin pumps. I had a coworker who was recently stopped ay security. His pump failed to pass at the swab. To pass through security they required the pump pass through the xray scanner. Refusing to retest the swab, and disregarding the damage which could occur. Either causation or coincidence, it broke shortly after.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- hitpointdrew 4y agoAt this point I just refuse to fly…I’m not putting up with this crap.