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Changing Tone of TSA FlyersRights Helps with EU Claim What Kate's Saying Correction
Shoshana's ordeal illustrates the fundamental failing of current air travel security measuresthey rely on procedures that trample the Constitution. Unlimited power is routinely bestowed on people of limited capability. This incident was triggered, not by the TSA, but by local airport security personnel. An entire airplane load of people was needlessly detained, and three innocent people were subjected to unconscionable indignities and humiliation. If any of us are swept up by these people with unlimited power, there is nothing we can do. We have no protection whatsoever from the same jail cell and strip search that Shoshana endured. Do you think "it can't happen to me?" According to the MSNBC article, there were 50 similar incidents across the country on 9/11/11. We can only fix this problem by implementing real security and eliminating Security Theater. Read on.
6 Year Old Girl Groped By TSA http://bit.ly/hxhiLa But the tone at TSA is changing, if slowly and in halting steps. Last week, they announced that child screening procedures will change "soon." Another word to describe this would be "mostly." Children under 13 will not be routinely required to remove their shoes, and will not be subjected to intrusive pat downs that touch private areas of their bodies. However, DHS Secretary Napolitano said that some children will still need to remove their shoes to keep the process somewhat random. Pat downs will be replaced by marching the kids through metal detectors or body scanners several times "to capture a clear picture" and by using more trace detection tools.
No mention is made of "mostly" with regard to pat down replacement, and FlyersRights sincerely hopes that TSA will not randomly touch our children in areas we all teach them to never, ever let anyone touch them. Each intrusive child groping is a victory for the terrorists. As Kate told CheapFlights.com, better late than never. Beyond this change, we've already reported on changes such as the coming "Trusted Traveler" programs and a pilot program to find the bombers, not the bombs. In addition, in spite of EPIC attempts to stop further body scanner deployments, TSA is procuring another 300 of the Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines. However, these machines use millimeter wave technology, not the much more dangerous X-Ray technology of Rapiscan's machines. TSA is also installing new software on the millimeter wave machines (but possibly not the X-Ray machines) that eliminates what they delicately call "passenger-specific images" (meaning electronic strip search) with a cartoon-like image. FlyersRights supports TSA efforts to return some sanity to our air travel experience; however, these programs are either pilots or have extended roll-out schedules. We have a number of questions. If a new procedure is a good idea, why not just do it? Why are extended roll-out schedules necessary? A year ago, TSA insisted the X-Ray machines were far and away the best AIT technology, yet their new machines will be millimeter wave, despite evidence that the whole body scanner idea is ineffective. If X-Ray machines are not absolutely necessary, why not replace them with millimeter wave machines sporting the cartoon images? The video above and Shoshana Hebshi's nightmare vividly illustrate the need for change, and FlyersRights will remain in the forefront of the fight for that change.
included pointers on how to file complaints with the EU, either on their own or through euclaim.com, which takes a percentage of the claim and handles the paperwork. Ruth and her husband were awarded four payments from Delta. Unfortunately, the next step in this process is to extract the payments from the U.S. Airline, which may not be easy. U.S. airlines are frequently less than cooperative in this regard. Our Hotline folks advised Ruth to get in touch with our very responsive contact at Delta, their Director of Customer Service. We'll follow through on this matter until Ruth and her husband's problem is resolved.
Canada.com
Will new consumer protections improve U.S. air travel? - http://bit.ly/qZe1HQ
USA Today
Mica 'willing to compromise' on FAA extension - http://usat.ly/qiaxML
Baruch College
Privacy comes first - http://bit.ly/qZmv0D For the very latest in airline passenger rights news, Facebook users can "like" the FlyersRights Fan Page. Also, please check in on our Flyers Rights Education Fund Cause Page. Twitter fans can also follow us on Twitter
Correction
We need to correct a comment we made two weeks ago in our story on Craigslist airline vouchers. In the article, we noted that our members missed their connecting flight, then asked Delta "why their luggage was transported, unaccompanied, to Las Vegas," implying a problem with that.
FlyersRights member Duane W. asked for a pointer to the specific TSA rule prohibiting shipment of bags without their accompanying passengers. Good question, Duane. In short, your editor violated an old editors' maxim: "The one thing you know is absolutely, positively true...is not." Unable to find such a reference, we asked the TSA the question. They told us, in a response written in class bureaucrat-ese, that they're not going to say what the exact rule is, but it doesn't matter, because all bags are screened anyway. We have already apologized to Delta's Director of Customer Service, and regret the erroneous inference. Delta fully complied with all federal regulations.
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