Making another woman cry at ORD

A gentleman posts in Flyertalk:

While waiting for my now chronically delayed flight from ORD, I noticed a pregnant TSO working around the AIT. The TSO was performing pat-downs, but was constantly moving near the machines. I found it concerning that (1) a pregnant woman would willingly expose herself to a radiation-laden work environment with no protection and (2) that her employers would allow her to do so. At the very least, couldn't they assign her duties that don't have her working right next to the machines

I grabbed a few photos. Then I noticed that the woman she was patting down was visibly upset by being patted down. The lady had gone through the AIT, but was not allowed to leave.

He posted some pictures, including this one:

And then links to the video he made: "I quickly turned on my camera and grabbed the following video:"

'Would you let this man touch your child?'

H/T Mark Fee

Blue uniform = hubris and power

That's what these TSA agents must think:


H/T Mark Fee

Our fear has gone way too far

I received a request from these boys' mother to share photos of her sons being treated like suspects in a dangerous crime. Of course, this happened at the airport (there are more if you click through to the link):


The boys are 15 and 16 years old, respectively. They did not want their mother to make a scene, but she refused to let them get irradiated in a scanner and compromised by requesting a private screening and snapping photos of the process. She tells me she is infuriated when she looks at the pictures - as well she should be!

Patting down a baby

The baby in this photo appears to be between 1 and 2 years old. Mom obligingly holds the baby in place while two agents in blue molest it. (Link via LewRockwell.com)

Parents ought to take a stand here. I can't blame them entirely when they submit at the gate. This is out of a combination of ignorance and intimidation. I like to think that I would protest if I were in that position, but the consequences of this could be quite severe (including separation from my child, which would be frightening even if for only a few minutes), and it's possible that I would ultimately submit. This is why I am now doing my best to avoid these situations by not allowing my child to fly on commercial airlines in the US.

Incidentally, I am curious whether it is possible to get to Europe (in less than a week and without spending a fortune) and avoid these types of rights infringements. Is crossing the US-Canada border still relatively free? Are scanners and pat-downs absent from Canadian airports? Which European airports are best for avoiding the gestapo?