Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Angry Federal Employee

So I got chosen for the porno scanner at Port Columbus this morning and I had the gall to lower my arms from "the posture" when the irradiation indicator light went off. The angry TSA agent snapped "I said ten seconds! Step aside" and directed me to the groping line where another angry federal employee felt my armpits and studied my watch. He concluded the grope with a terse "Next time she says 'ten seconds' leave 'em up for ten seconds."

In hindsight the irradiation indicator light may have only been on for eight seconds. I couldn't see my watch as it was held over my head in "the posture". It felt like ten seconds to me, but obviously not to the power tripping federal employee.

My preference would be to trade some of my tax dollars spend on TSA bullies for TSA profilers who can tell Tue difference between potential security threats and nuns, six year old girls, grandmothers in wheelchairs and frequent flier water treaters. It works in the far more dangerous airports of the world and it would work here. How long will we have to suffer the wrath of political correctness?

Knowing such a dramatic change is years away, it may be more effective to speak with my travel dollars than my lone vote? I am a devoted Southwest customer. I fly out of CMH a lot. At the other end of the terminal, TSA lets fliers choose which security line they enter. One has the metal detector and the other has the porno scanner. Amazingly, a substantial number of travellers choose the porno scanner. To each his own. I'm fine with others choices, but c'mon Southwest, give us a chance to choose.