By TAMARA LUSH and SARAH BRUMFIELD Associated Press The Associated Press
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 3:15 AM EST
In Tampa Florida the TSA has voiced reports on being punched, kicked and shoved during pat-downs. One woman is said to have headbutted a screener who was searching her laptop. Airport security officer Ricky McCoy is one who has heard the jokes of what TSA stands for : "The Sexual Assailants."
People are becoming big complainers and accusing the TSA of being too invasive during their searches at security, but the officers want to remind the travelers this holiday to remember they are just doing their jobs and trying to make it safe to fly.
McCoy, who is the head of a local TSA union for Illinois and Wisconsin said, "We just want the public to understand that we're not perverts, we're not sexual assailants." While TSA chief John Pistole has also heard the complaints from travelers and has been trying to be more understanding with the balance of safety with invading people's privacy with the pat-downs.
"We are exploring again ways that they might be less invasive and yet with the same outcomes in terms of detection, but that is really the challenge that we have and that dynamic tension between security and privacy and reasonable people can disagree as to exactly where that blend is as it relates to you as a passenger," John Pistole said to reporters.
McCoy said that most people are more calm when they are going through the airport's security checkpoint, but that he has noticed a change in the atmosphere the past two weeks. One man told McCoy flat out, "I don't know what I might do to you if you touch me," McCoy looked right back at the man and said 'touching an officer would be the worst mistake he's ever made because authorities would be called.' After that the search went smoothly.
The Hawaii chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is said to be planning to give out flyers to passengers before security that explain their rights. This shows the discomfort that is growing with the invasions of privacy that travelers are having issues with.
I have heard a lot of news going on about airport security and also have heard lots of people who have been complaining with lots of anger towards the searches at airports now.
One woman I was talking to the other day went off forever about how terrible and horrible and down right anti-American it was to have it possible for normal travelers to be searched so privately. I understand why the crack-down at air ports has become such an issue and it does concern me and is stressing me out a bit for traveling with my baby for the first time this Christmas, but this woman blew my mind. She kept repeating how they don't need to search us because we don't look like terrorists. I asked her how they would know and who they should search then. I kid you not, her exact words were "They should only search middle eastern men." What?! Has she not watched any news ever? I was uncomfortable with her ease of saying that the middle east was the only target and that no one else could possibly be a threat to the safety of others on an airplane.
I found it interesting how this article was one of the few currently that is showing the TSA as people who are just doing their job to keep the rest of us safe. I thought it was refreshing from all the other reports that are said about the searching. I do think sometimes it might get out of hand and they may not be as respectful as they should be and that is an issue. I do think though that people should be more calm about it, understand the purpose of it and maybe holiday traveling would be a little bit smoother.
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