User Panel
Posted: 12/22/2002 5:07:49 AM EDT
This just turns my stomach. I would have som many Federal Charges against me..........
[url]http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig3/monahan1.html[/url] "[b]Coffee, Tea, or Should We Feel Your Pregnant Wife’s Breasts Before Throwing You in a Cell at the Airport and Then Lying About Why We Put You There? by Nicholas Monahan[/b] This morning I’ll be escorting my wife to the hospital, where the doctors will perform a caesarean section to remove our first child. She didn’t want to do it this way – neither of us did – but sometimes the Fates decide otherwise. The Fates or, in our case, government employees. On the morning of October 26th Mary and I entered Portland International Airport, en route to the Las Vegas wedding of one of my best friends. Although we live in Los Angeles, we’d been in Oregon working on a film, and up to that point had had nothing but praise to shower on the city of Portland, a refreshing change of pace from our own suffocating metropolis. At the security checkpoint I was led aside for the "inspection" that’s all the rage at airports these days. My shoes were removed. I was told to take off my sweater, then to fold over the waistband of my pants. My baseball hat, hastily jammed on my head at 5 AM, was removed and assiduously examined ("Anything could be in here, sir," I was told, after I asked what I could hide in a baseball hat. Yeah. Anything.) Soon I was standing on one foot, my arms stretched out, the other leg sticking out in front of me àla a DUI test. I began to get pissed off, as most normal people would. My anger increased when I realized that the newly knighted federal employees weren’t just examining me, but my 7½ months pregnant wife as well. I’d originally thought that I’d simply been randomly selected for the more excessive than normal search. You know, Number 50 or whatever. Apparently not though – it was both of us. These are your new threats, America: pregnant accountants and their sleepy husbands flying to weddings. After some more grumbling on my part they eventually finished with me and I went to retrieve our luggage from the x-ray machine. Upon returning I found my wife sitting in a chair, crying. Mary rarely cries, and certainly not in public. When I asked her what was the matter, she tried to quell her tears and sobbed, "I’m sorry...it’s...they touched my breasts...and..." That’s all I heard. I marched up to the woman who’d been examining her and shouted, "What did you do to her?" Later I found out that in addition to touching her swollen breasts – to protect the American citizenry – the employee had asked that she lift up her shirt. Not behind a screen, not off to the side – no, right there, directly in front of the hundred or so passengers standing in line. And for you women who’ve been pregnant and worn maternity pants, you know how ridiculous those things look. "I felt like a clown," my wife told me later. "On display for all these people, with the cotton panel on my pants and my stomach sticking out. When I sat down I just lost my composure and began to cry. That’s when you walked up." Of course when I say she "told me later," it’s because she wasn’t able to tell me at the time, because as soon as I demanded to know what the federal employee had done to make her cry, I was swarmed by Portland police officers. Instantly. Three of them, cinching my arms, locking me in handcuffs, and telling me I was under arrest. Now my wife really began to cry. As they led me away and she ran alongside, I implored her to calm down, to think of the baby, promising her that everything would turn out all right. She faded into the distance and I was shoved into an elevator, a cop holding each arm. After making me face the corner, the head honcho told that I was under arrest and that I wouldn’t be flying that day – that I was in fact a "menace." It took me a while to regain my composure. I felt like I was one of those guys in The Gulag Archipelago who, because the proceedings all seem so unreal, doesn’t fully realize that he is in fact being arrested in a public place in front of crowds of people for...for what? I didn’t know what the crime was. Didn’t matter. Once upstairs, the officers made me remove my shoes and my hat and tossed me into a cell. Yes, your airports have prison cells, just like your amusement parks, train stations, universities, and national forests. Let freedom reign. After a short time I received a visit from the arresting officer. "Mr. Monahan," he started, "Are you on drugs?" Was this even real? "No, I’m not on drugs." "Should you be?" "What do you mean?" "Should you be on any type of medication?" "No." "Then why’d you react that way back there?" You see the thinking? You see what passes for reasoning among your domestic shock troops these days? Only "whackos" get angry over seeing the woman they’ve been with for ten years in tears because someone has touched her breasts. That kind of reaction – love, protection – it’s mind-boggling! "Mr. Monahan, are you on drugs?" His snide words rang inside my head. This is my wife, finally pregnant with our first child after months of failed attempts, after the depressing shock of the miscarriage last year, my wife who’d been walking on a cloud over having the opportunity to be a mother...and my anger is simply unfathomable to the guy standing in front of me, the guy who earns a living thanks to my taxes, the guy whose family I feed through my labor. What I did wasn’t normal. No, I reacted like a drug addict would’ve. I was so disgusted I felt like vomiting. But that was just the beginning. An hour later, after I’d been gallantly assured by the officer that I wouldn’t be attending my friend’s wedding that day, I heard Mary’s voice outside my cell. The officer was speaking loudly, letting her know that he was planning on doing me a favor... which everyone knows is never a real favor. He wasn’t going to come over and help me work on my car or move some furniture. No, his "favor" was this: He’d decided not to charge me with a felony. Think about that for a second. Rapes, car-jackings, murders, arsons – those are felonies. So is yelling in an airport now, apparently. I hadn’t realized, though I should have. Luckily, I was getting a favor, though. I was merely going to be slapped with a misdemeanor. "Here’s your court date," he said as I was released from my cell. In addition, I was banned from Portland International for 90 days, and just in case I was thinking of coming over and hanging out around its perimeter, the officer gave me a map with the boundaries highlighted, sternly warning me against trespassing. Then he and a second officer escorted us off the grounds. Mary and I hurriedly drove two and a half hours in the rain to Seattle, where we eventually caught a flight to Vegas. But the officer was true to his word – we missed my friend’s wedding. The fact that he’d been in my own wedding party, the fact that a once in a lifetime event was stolen from us – well, who cares, right? Upon our return to Portland (I’d had to fly into Seattle and drive back down), we immediately began contacting attorneys. We aren’t litigious people – we wanted no money. I’m not even sure what we fully wanted. An apology? A reprimand? I don’t know. It doesn’t matter though, because we couldn’t afford a lawyer, it turned out. $4,000 was the average figure bandied about as a retaining fee. Sorry, but I’ve got a new baby on the way. So we called the ACLU, figuring they existed for just such incidents as these. And they do apparently...but only if we were minorities. That’s what they told us." |
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"In the meantime, I’d appealed my suspension from PDX. A week or so later I got a response from the Director of Aviation. After telling me how, in the aftermath of 9/11, most passengers not only accept additional airport screening but welcome it, he cut to the chase:
"After a review of the police report and my discussions with police staff, as well as a review of the TSA’s report on this incident, I concur with the officer’s decision to take you into custody and to issue a citation to you for disorderly conduct. That being said, because I also understand that you were upset and acted on your emotions, I am willing to lift the Airport Exclusion Order...." Attached to this letter was the report the officer had filled out. I’d like to say I couldn’t believe it, but in a way, I could. It’s seemingly becoming the norm in America – lies and deliberate distortions on the part of those in power, no matter how much or how little power they actually wield. The gist of his report was this: From the get go I wasn’t following the screener’s directions. I was "squinting my eyes" and talking to my wife in a "low, forced voice" while "excitedly swinging my arms." Twice I began to walk away from the screener, inhaling and exhaling forcefully. When I’d completed the physical exam, I walked to the luggage screening area, where a second screener took a pair of scissors from my suitcase. At this point I yelled, "What the %*&$% is going on? This is &*#&$%!" The officer, who’d already been called over by one of the screeners, became afraid for the TSA staff and the many travelers. He required the assistance of a second officer as he "struggled" to get me into handcuffs, then for "cover" called over a third as well. It was only at this point that my wife began to cry hysterically. There was nothing poetic in my reaction to the arrest report. I didn’t crumple it in my fist and swear that justice would be served, promising to sacrifice my resources and time to see that it would. I simply stared. Clearly the officer didn’t have the guts to write down what had really happened. It might not look too good to see that stuff about the pregnant woman in tears because she’d been humiliated. Instead this was the official scenario being presented for the permanent record. It doesn’t even matter that it’s the most implausible sounding situation you can think of. "Hey, what the...godammit, they’re taking our scissors, honey!" Why didn’t he write in anything about a monkey wearing a fez? True, the TSA staff had expropriated a pair of scissors from our toiletries kit – the story wasn’t entirely made up. Except that I’d been locked in airport jail at the time. I didn’t know anything about any scissors until Mary told me on our drive up to Seattle. They’d questioned her about them while I was in the bowels of the airport sitting in my cell. So I wrote back, indignation and disgust flooding my brain. "[W]hile I’m not sure, I’d guess that the entire incident is captured on video. Memory is imperfect on everyone’s part, but the footage won’t lie. I realize it might be procedurally difficult for you to view this, but if you could, I’d appreciate it. There’s no willful disregard of screening directions. No explosion over the discovery of a pair of scissors in a suitcase. No struggle to put handcuffs on. There’s a tired man, early in the morning, unhappily going through a rigorous procedure and then reacting to the tears of his pregnant wife." Eventually we heard back from a different person, the guy in charge of the TSA airport screeners. One of his employees had made the damning statement about me exploding over her scissor discovery, and the officer had deftly incorporated that statement into his report. We asked the guy if he could find out why she’d said this – couldn’t she possibly be mistaken? "Oh, can’t do that, my hands are tied. It’s kind of like leading a witness – I could get in trouble, heh heh." Then what about the videotape? Why not watch that? That would exonerate me. "Oh, we destroy all video after three days." Sure you do. A few days later we heard from him again. He just wanted to inform us that he’d received corroboration of the officer’s report from the officer’s superior, a name we didn’t recognize. "But...he wasn’t even there," my wife said. "Yeah, well, uh, he’s corroborated it though." That’s how it works. "Oh, and we did look at the videotape. Inconclusive." But I thought it was destroyed? On and on it went. Due to the tenacity of my wife in making phone calls and speaking with relevant persons, the "crime" was eventually lowered to a mere citation. Only she could have done that. I would’ve simply accepted what was being thrown at me, trumped up charges and all, simply because I’m wholly inadequate at performing the kowtow. There’s no way I could have contacted all the people Mary did and somehow pretend to be contrite. Besides, I speak in a low, forced voice, which doesn’t elicit sympathy. Just police suspicion. Weeks later at the courthouse I listened to a young DA awkwardly read the charges against me – "Mr. Monahan...umm...shouted obscenities at the airport staff...umm... umm...oh, they took some scissors from his suitcase and he became...umm...abusive at this point." If I was reading about it in Kafka I might have found something vaguely amusing in all of it. But I wasn’t. I was there. Living it. I entered a plea of nolo contendere, explaining to the judge that if I’d been a resident of Oregon, I would have definitely pled "Not Guilty." However, when that happens, your case automatically goes to a jury trial, and since I lived a thousand miles away, and was slated to return home in seven days, with a newborn due in a matter of weeks...you get the picture. "No Contest" it was. Judgment: $250 fine. Did I feel happy? Only $250, right? No, I wasn’t happy. I don’t care if it’s twelve cents, that’s money pulled right out of my baby’s mouth and fed to a disgusting legal system that will use it to propagate more incidents like this. But at the very least it was over, right? Wrong." |
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"When we returned to Los Angeles there was an envelope waiting for me from the court. Inside wasn’t a receipt for the money we’d paid. No, it was a letter telling me that what I actually owed was $309 – state assessed court costs, you know. Wouldn’t you think your taxes pay for that – the state putting you on trial? No, taxes are used to hire more cops like the officer, because with our rising criminal population – people like me – hey, your average citizen demands more and more "security."
Finally I reach the piece de resistance. The week before we’d gone to the airport my wife had had her regular pre-natal checkup. The child had settled into the proper head down position for birth, continuing the remarkable pregnancy she’d been having. We returned to Portland on Sunday. On Mary’s Monday appointment she was suddenly told, "Looks like your baby’s gone breech." When she later spoke with her midwives in Los Angeles, they wanted to know if she’d experienced any type of trauma recently, as this often makes a child flip. "As a matter of fact..." she began, recounting the story, explaining how the child inside of her was going absolutely crazy when she was crying as the police were leading me away through the crowd. My wife had been planning a natural childbirth. She’d read dozens of books, meticulously researched everything, and had finally decided that this was the way for her. No drugs, no numbing of sensations – just that ultimate combination of brute pain and sheer joy that belongs exclusively to mothers. But my wife is also a first-time mother, so she has what is called an "untested" pelvis. Essentially this means that a breech birth is too dangerous to attempt, for both mother and child. Therefore, she’s now relegated to a c-section – hospital stay, epidural, catheter, fetal monitoring, stitches – everything she didn’t want. Her natural birth has become a surgery. We’ve tried everything to turn that baby. Acupuncture, chiropractic techniques, underwater handstands, elephant walking, moxibustion, bending backwards over pillows, herbs, external manipulation – all to no avail. When I walked into the living room the other night and saw her plaintively cooing with a flashlight turned onto her stomach, yet another suggested technique, my heart almost broke. It’s breaking now as I write these words. I can never prove that my child went breech because of what happened to us at the airport. But I’ll always believe it. Wrongly or rightly, I’ll forever think of how this man, the personification of this system, has affected the lives of my family and me. When my wife is sliced open, I’ll be thinking of him. When they remove her uterus from her abdomen and lay it on her stomach, I’ll be thinking of him. When I visit her and my child in the hospital instead of having them with me here in our home, I’ll be thinking of him. When I assist her to the bathroom while the incision heals internally, I’ll be thinking of him. There are plenty of stories like this these days. I don’t know how many I’ve read where the writer describes some breach of civil liberties by employees of the state, then wraps it all up with a dire warning about what we as a nation are becoming, and how if we don’t put an end to it now, then we’re in for heaps of trouble. Well you know what? Nothing’s going to stop the inevitable. There’s no policy change that’s going to save us. There’s no election that’s going to put a halt to the onslaught of tyranny. It’s here already – this country has changed for the worse and will continue to change for the worse. There is now a division between the citizenry and the state. When that state is used as a tool against me, there is no longer any reason why I should owe any allegiance to that state. And that’s the first thing that child of ours is going to learn. December 21, 2002 Nick Monahan works in the film industry. He writes out of Los Angeles where he lives with his wife and as of December 18th, his beautiful new son." |
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DAMN, this is not right, I have heard stories like this, but I heard another one like it, from a good friend, who got home Friday night, he told me the same things happened to him, and in public, everything from haveing his suitcases dumped out and his shirt removed and pants folded at the waist while some airport security ran there hands around his waist line, you know us heavy set guys are a real threat, they even ran a metel detector over his face and it went off, they told him to open his mouth or they would open it for him, he pulled out his bridge and said here you want to lick it. This happened in the OKC airport,Will Rogers, the airline was American Airlines,
Me I will not fly ever again, while it did not happen to me I can not and will not support a company or organization who treats American citizens like this. My friend told me the whole time, there were people walking by not speaking english, Mexicans and the such, and they were all given the green light to go. My friend is about 55 yrs old, white, and a little heavy, I told him thats the way it is now, Middle aged white guys are the prime suspects, while non english speaking dark skinned males can go about there business with a second look. I told him to complain about, to the airlines, his congress man, and even President Bush, this has got to stop. |
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Know why this state of affairs exists?
Somebody, somewhere along the line, decided that it is easier to give the impression of doing something than to actually do it. All security is there to "make a presence for the purpose of deterrance". The majority of people believe that it is possible for somebody to make them safe. The charade continues, unabated. Nobody will admit that it is not possible to make safety. That would require challenging to many baseless opinions and worldviews. It also means losing votes. People do not judge situations using facts and logic. People judge situations using emotions. They will vote for the guy who makes them feel safest, not for the one who makes sense and means what he says. The people want to be fooled. The people are fools. Sorry to hear of Nick and Mary's ordeal. That is what happens when the masses think that by targetting noncriminals, criminals can be found. |
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That is truly sad. For the people, by the people?
Borrow the $4000 and sue the crap out of them. Find a nice blood thirsty lawyer that will work for 75% of whatever money you get and you may acutally get them to persue it with no out of pocket cost to you. But whatever you do, do NOT let this go. Write letters, send e-mails. Go to the TSA web-site and send e-mails to them via their own site. Send it 50 times a day at: [email protected] |
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In the mean time if you must fly, get some Coppertone QT, a turban and a linen bathrobe and don't bathe for three days before your flight. This will get you the express security check thru.
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I have SO many problems with this story. I only wish I had about $10K lying around to GIVE you so you could get several lawyers.
AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGG [pissed] It makes me not want to get married cuz if anybody touches MY wife like that while shes pregnant or not, I don't know what I'd do. Probably worse than you did. God bless you sir. You, your wife and your child will be in my prayers. |
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I've been on about twelve flights since 09/11. About one in three has some indignant loudmouth flapping his chops about being searched.
I wish the security guys would go straight to a standard cop pat down. That way, I would get to watch these peoples eyes bug out when their genitalia get that firm whack. The only purpose the searches really serve is to weed out the drunk, self important, belligerent and moronic. (From what I've seen, they do it quite well) BTW: Lew Rockwell is a real class act. |
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Due to the continuing appearance of stories like this, I refuse to fly again. Even before 9/11. The last time I flew out of our local airport was a joke and we have driven 2 hours to fly from the next largest airport. I now refuse to fly at all. if the entire industry shut down, tough shit!
Fred |
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Nothing’s going to stop the inevitable. There’s no policy change that’s going to save us. There’s no election that’s going to put a halt to the onslaught of tyranny. It’s here already – this country has changed for the worse and will continue to change for the worse. View Quote Truer words were never spoken. |
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And the airlines wonder why passenger load is way down!
Flying USED TO BE a great way to travel. now it is just a hassle. The TSA morons provide little in protection. Only armed pilots and pissed off passengers stomping to death those trying to hijack can effect security. People who cut toy guns off GI Joe dolls and refuse to allow CHOCLATE guns on aircraft need mental treatment. |
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Umm, do we really know what happened here?
What we have is a letter written by one side, asking for donations, describing a set of events that are certain to inflame our all too ready belief against Jack Booted Thugs. But is it true? I don't know this guy. Is it all a set-up to sue the government? Did he in fact act crazy as the screeners claim or did they in fact overstep their bounds? I grew up in Missouri. Show Me. |
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This is why airport security has been federalized. Even if the guy had the $$, he can't sue without the sovereigns permission...
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Quoted: Umm, do we really know what happened here? What we have is a letter written by one side, asking for donations, describing a set of events that are certain to inflame our all too ready belief against Jack Booted Thugs. But is it true? I don't know this guy. Is it all a set-up to sue the government? Did he in fact act crazy as the screeners claim or did they in fact overstep their bounds? I grew up in Missouri. Show Me. View Quote While we are showing things, why don't you show me where he asked for donations. He didn't ask for any money. The donate button on Lew Rockwell's site is for maintenance of the website. |
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Quoted: And the airlines wonder why passenger load is way down! View Quote ... Assholes, and they still want us to bail them out of their mess! ... Invariably, most every time I've boarded since 9/11 I've gone through the "Full Monty", didn't make a difference if I was smart casual or in suit & tie. So sad, them dumfux are still looking for pointy objects. Intelligent terrorists must be laughing their arses off at the whole friggin' mess. |
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Quoted: Umm, do we really know what happened here? What we have is a letter written by one side, asking for donations, describing a set of events that are certain to inflame our all too ready belief against Jack Booted Thugs. But is it true? I don't know this guy. Is it all a set-up to sue the government? Did he in fact act crazy as the screeners claim or did they in fact overstep their bounds? I grew up in Missouri. Show Me. View Quote I have heard several first hand stories similar to this from friends and family, all who now REFUSE to fly. I have been to the airstalag two times since 9/11 to pick up family and while waiting, I watched as little old ladies and people in wheelchairs are treated like criminals while "suspicious" looking individuals are passed right through. Hey jimmybcool guy....sorry, but no donations were solicited and I'll take ANYONES word over the gubmints. I'm glad you will take the gubmints word, the gubmint likes loyal, docile subjects. I hope the next time you fly you get the "royal" treatment. |
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this is why i fly Dodge.
"Passengers, Please note, this is a concealed handgun trip. if you are not in possession of a concealed handgun please inform the driver and one will be issued to you before the trip begins." |
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Quoted: Umm, do we really know what happened here? What we have is a letter written by one side, asking for donations, describing a set of events that are certain to inflame our all too ready belief against Jack Booted Thugs. But is it true? I don't know this guy. Is it all a set-up to sue the government? Did he in fact act crazy as the screeners claim or did they in fact overstep their bounds? I grew up in Missouri. Show Me. View Quote So I guess the DOZENS of other people who have had similar exeriences all just made it up for attention as well. |
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My sister has flown from North Dakota to Indy twice since 9/11 and had her two little blonde girls with her and she gets stopped every damn time. Yeah, those skinny blondes from North Dakota are the ones we should be watching for...they have a history of being terrorists and psychopaths! Needless to say, I think she would rather drive the 27 hours with two kids than go through that crap again.
This whole situation is FUBAR...I would expect QS to do more than wave his arms and squint his eyes if some airport nazi attempted that shit on me (shoot, I would do more than that if they were searching him!)...yet another reason why I will be more than happy to extend my pitiful vacations and drive to wherever. |
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Man the 6pm & 11pm networks news is still spouting the BS that the security measures are not that bad. They are interviewing traveler after traveler, saying that isn't that bad. Those suckers still don't get the picture, the days of of "just because they didn't report it, it doesn't exist" mentality are over, the widespread use of the internet took care of that. And of blaming the slow down in the airline industry as a part of the overall economy in recession, and not mentioning hassles of security procedures are as a factor at all.
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Id like to thank you for taking the time to explain why I dont fly anymore.
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Here's a little story about your tax money at work -
We have a government employee from Maryland (on the bay) that comes to our office periodically; he refueses to fly, so he drives out for each meeting. Not an efficient use of his time, or our money. |
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Airport security, brought to you by the continuing and successful War on America.
Terrorize the average Americans while allowing terrorist to travel freely. Our freedoms are being taken away, our movements are being restricted, soon we'll not be able to travel freely within our own borders. The airlines will be bought by corporations owned by foreign governments. Flights will be tightly controlled and severely limited. PS. I've superglued my tinfoil hat to my head as it kept slipping off. :) |
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i would have exploded and been either shot or thrown in jail for a very long time.
[%(] |
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Squeeze my wife's funbags... [pissed] those idiots have never seen a professionally rendered performance of the ballet 'Assault With Intent To Commit' before..just drunks and dumbasses.
That's why I won't fly. That sort of treatment of my wife would merit a violent response from me, and rather than make that decision, I just stay the hell out of the airport. Fuck the airlines, let 'em sink. If they'd had real security (not this harassment) that was worth a shit, 9/11 would never have happened. |
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Quoted: Squeeze my wife's funbags... [pissed] those idiots have never seen a professionally rendered performance of the ballet 'Assault With Intent To Commit' before..just drunks and dumbasses. That's why I won't fly. That sort of treatment of my wife would merit a violent response from me, and rather than make that decision, I just stay the hell out of the airport. Fuck the airlines, let 'em sink. If they'd had real security (not this harassment) that was worth a shit, 9/11 would never have happened. View Quote Awww...ain't he sweet?? [:I] |
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I gotta fly overseas in few days. This scares me. I heard that the new bomb sniffing equipment goes off if you have cheese or chocolate in your checked laggage. Even if it was false positive, Feds have the right to break open my suitcase to check the content.
They are asking travelers to not to lock the checked luggage. Is this media trying to shit my pants? I packed chocolates in my suitcase. I hope I will be okay. Don't want to miss the flight because I'm getting interrogated by FBI or something. |
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Yep...
very glad I only have 7 months left on my contract. I can say what I want after that. |
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Doesn't sound right.
Flew Tuesday from LA to Charlotte and walked through security like I was the President. My wife escorted our bags though security where they were x-rayed and swiped with explosive detecting paper. I took care of the dog who's cage got the once over. Come entrance into the passenger terminal we had to remove all metal and place it and our coats in a x-ray machine, the wife had to remove her thick soled boots and we were off. Sure sounds like an urban myth or just one side of the story as I really find it hard to believe that any woman would raise her shirt up in a public place - not even the sheep in our society. |
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Quoted: this is why i fly Dodge. "Passengers, Please note, this is a concealed handgun trip. if you are not in possession of a concealed handgun please inform the driver and one will be issued to you before the trip begins." View Quote [b]continued[/b] 308wood voice: "If you are not familiar with the operation of the HK USP45 that was just given to you, Mrs. 308wood will now demonstrate the proper functioning of this weapon." Mrs. 308wood voice: The HK USP45 is one of the finest pistols in the world. Please take your weapon out of the holster and I will begin the briefing....................Thank you for traveling with 308 Overland Express." |
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Quoted: ...Even if it was false positive, Feds have the right to break open my suitcase to check the content. They are asking travelers to not to lock the checked luggage.... View Quote And just how does this reconcile with firearms being shipped (still legal, right?) in your checked baggage? Anyone have a recent experience, or are they all sitting in a holding cell somewhere? |
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No matter what the screeners do, they get away with it. there isn't ANY set recorse in the "regs" as how to file descrepencies against ANY screener.
There is nothing that can be done. They are the new unbtouchables. Even if a cop does soemthing wrong a citizen can do something about it, file a report talk to superiors, ect. With the Fed Screeners, there is NOTHING!! That is how they set it up and that is how they will keep it until somebody [b]comes back[/b] and blows one away out of complete festering anger from what happened to him, his wife, or child.. Remember they can do strip searches on your children and you can't stop it nor be there!!! THIS CRAP HAS TO STOP IMMEDIATELY I am VERY scared to fly these days, and its not from terrorists or crashing, its from the Screeners, people that aren't qualified to work at McDonalds, and in some cases aren't even legal citizens. I have a metal plate on my leg that will probably set off the metal detectors, it sets off hand held "garrtets" BISHOP |
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Bishop,
Are you serious about the unsupervised strip searches of children? A while back a friend told me this but I was unable to verify this. |
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Quoted: Quoted: ...Even if it was false positive, Feds have the right to break open my suitcase to check the content. They are asking travelers to not to lock the checked luggage.... View Quote And just how does this reconcile with firearms being shipped (still legal, right?) in your checked baggage? Anyone have a recent experience, or are they all sitting in a holding cell somewhere? View Quote To my knowledge, in order to ship a firearm legally on a commercial airline, you have to declare it at the desk and get a tag to put on it. You may also have to show the desk person that it is not loaded. (Gee, just imagine whipping out your AR15 in front of a crowd of nervous sheep to show a clerk who doesn't know anything about guns that it isn't loaded) Reportedly, no note is made anywhere of the fact that you declared a gun, much less the type or serial number. Of course, I'm sure that the untouchable federal agents checking your baggage would [i]never[/i] steal your gun out of it or trump up some nonsense charges against you... |
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Quoted: Quoted: ...Even if it was false positive, Feds have the right to break open my suitcase to check the content. They are asking travelers to not to lock the checked luggage.... View Quote And just how does this reconcile with firearms being shipped (still legal, right?) in your checked baggage? Anyone have a recent experience, or are they all sitting in a holding cell somewhere? View Quote that is a good question! i can just see some guy breaking open my pelican rifle case (that is required to be locked) just because he knows it has a gun in it and finding my m4gery and about 12 loaded mags. oh boy, what fun we will have. and i bet that stupid red tag that says the gun was unloaded won't help me. |
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You WOULD be busted if you were found to have loaded mags. However, if they were not loaded, and the gun was properly unloaded, you'd be fine.
-Troy |
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Quoted: Quoted: Umm, do we really know what happened here? What we have is a letter written by one side, asking for donations, describing a set of events that are certain to inflame our all too ready belief against Jack Booted Thugs. But is it true? I don't know this guy. Is it all a set-up to sue the government? Did he in fact act crazy as the screeners claim or did they in fact overstep their bounds? I grew up in Missouri. Show Me. View Quote While we are showing things, why don't you show me where he asked for donations. He didn't ask for any money. The donate button on Lew Rockwell's site is for maintenance of the website. View Quote Ahh. I followed the donate button.. My bad. I still stand by the rest of it. We do not know the real story. |
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Quoted: Hey jimmybcool guy....sorry, but no donations were solicited and I'll take ANYONES word over the gubmints. I'm glad you will take the gubmints word, the gubmint likes loyal, docile subjects. I hope the next time you fly you get the "royal" treatment. View Quote Turns out the donations were f or the websight. My error. As to the rest, I made a valid point about us seeing one side of the story. You weren't there. Sounds like you love any story that meets your preconcieved notions. All movements LOVE loyal docile members they can motivate with an unsubstantiated story. |
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Quoted: (Gee, just imagine whipping out your AR15 in front of a crowd of nervous sheep to show a clerk who doesn't know anything about guns that it isn't loaded) View Quote No, Mace I'd rather not even imagine that. [:D] |
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Quoted: Quoted: Hey jimmybcool guy....sorry, but no donations were solicited and I'll take ANYONES word over the gubmints. I'm glad you will take the gubmints word, the gubmint likes loyal, docile subjects. I hope the next time you fly you get the "royal" treatment. View Quote Turns out the donations were f or the websight. My error. As to the rest, I made a valid point about us seeing one side of the story. You weren't there. Sounds like you love any story that meets your preconcieved notions. All movements LOVE loyal docile members they can motivate with an unsubstantiated story. View Quote I have heard very similat stories from plenty of other people who I know DID NOT make it up. There are more reasons to believe it, than not. How about the woman who was made to drink her own breast milk. That was all over the national news. |
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The Breast milk thing went from her having to drink 2 bottles (Which I believe) to just tasting some.
I heard that she wasn't even able to prove that the milk was real on her own child. THESE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE STOPPED!!!! Kill as many as you can as they leave thye facility BISHOP |
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Quoted: I have heard very similat stories from plenty of other people who I know DID NOT make it up. There are more reasons to believe it, than not. How about the woman who was made to drink her own breast milk. That was all over the national news. View Quote Hawkeye, I'm not sure where the aggresive behavior is coming from. I have not stated the story isn't true. I have said we are only hearing one side of it. This guy could have been a total idiot at the security checkpoint. We just don't know. As to the woman and breast milk - exactly. It was all over the national news. Seems to me if this woman had to lift her dress in public that too would hit the national news. I smell internet legend. Before I start hanging security screeners (even verbally on the internet) I need some evidence to support the story. As of now, I got one guys word for it. |
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Hmmm.. That is some bad luck...
I flew on Sept 11th this year and security was just about the same as it always has been. I don't really mind if they want to search me, it's not a surprise - jusr something you should expect. |
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May be a stupid question, but doesn't the FBI investigate crimes occuring on federal property?--maybe a few of the Airport Screeners need to be charged with sexual assault in cases like this. The FBI would then sieze the video tapes and it would (hopefully) go from there.
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If this incident really did happen, which I pray it did not, then this proves one obvious fact. Terrorism has accomplished a major goal. Incidents like the ones described on this forum are iron clad confirmation that the liberal hysterics of our Nations's authoritative positions have gone belly up to the terrorists wishes. They have allowed the terrorists to invade even the most private aspects of our lives.[pissed] By not submitting yourself to this type of abuse you are, in my opinion, combating terrrorism.[beer] It is also of my opinion even though some here may disagree, that by not supporting the airline companies who employ these types of invasive tactics with your time, money, and patience, you are combating terrorism.[beer] I am not saying that the air travel industry should be boycotted altogether. This would definitely be a mistake as well as another victory for the terrorists. What I am saying is that we should always be selective in who we support not only with our efforts, but with our monetary resources as well.
[b][red]HAPPY[/red] [green]HOLIDAYS![/green][/b] [:D] EDITED FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS |
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Quoted: Quoted: I have heard very similat stories from plenty of other people who I know DID NOT make it up. There are more reasons to believe it, than not. How about the woman who was made to drink her own breast milk. That was all over the national news. View Quote Hawkeye, I'm not sure where the aggresive behavior is coming from. I have not stated the story isn't true. I have said we are only hearing one side of it. This guy could have been a total idiot at the security checkpoint. We just don't know. As to the woman and breast milk - exactly. It was all over the national news. Seems to me if this woman had to lift her dress in public that too would hit the national news. I smell internet legend. Before I start hanging security screeners (even verbally on the internet) I need some evidence to support the story. As of now, I got one guys word for it. View Quote My apologies. I did not mean any aggressive intent. I was just trying to make the point that lots of this is happening, but very little makes the national news. Only the most outlandish do. Raising your shirt isnt that big of a deal (except to an obviously pregnant woman). Touching her breast could easily be played off as "I just bumbed it while patting her down", or something like that, by the screeners. Again, no malice here [:)], I have just heard too many like this to just discount it. |
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Quoted: My apologies. I did not mean any aggressive intent. I was just trying to make the point that lots of this is happening, but very little makes the national news. Only the most outlandish do. Raising your shirt isnt that big of a deal (except to an obviously pregnant woman). Touching her breast could easily be played off as "I just bumbed it while patting her down", or something like that, by the screeners. Again, no malice here [:)], I have just heard too many like this to just discount it. View Quote Hawk, No problem. You aren't out of line. Some others seem to be taking it personally that I am still sceptical of this story. I DO agree that this type of behavior can not be tolerated. The screeners have a job. They have been tasked to prevent passengers from entering the secure areas with certain objects that the powers that be think are weapons. Their powers in this regard should not be godlike. Reasonable steps should be allowed to verify that a pregnant woman is in fact pregnant and not smuggling something (WTF?) onto the plane. But the dignity and privacy of the passengers is also a factor. We did NOT sign on to body cavity searches and dental work removal just to board a jet. There has to be a line. So far as I am concerned, the system of walk through the portal, get waved by a wand if you beep, some percentage take off their shoes, etc. is a small price to pay. I don't really think it makes us much safer but I travel a lot and have yet to be inconvinienced by it. Oh, warning, do NOT be first to board a jet. That guy always has his carry-on inspected.[;)] If the story is true and if it were me, the lawsuit would go through. I would find a way to get the $4K, or find a lawyer that would start the ball on contingency. The fact that no suit has been filed leads me to suspect his story. It is his word against theirs. But before I start believing in conspiracies I need a motive. Basically, I suspect this guy. I think he said something sarcastic or stupid to start the whole ball rolling. Then he embellished the story a bit. He is after all a writer for Hollyweird. What do you think the guy does for a living? |
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Free Republic has deleted this thread. Guess even they thought something was fishy about it.
[url]www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/811311/posts[/url] |
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