This was a fascinating story by the former Montgomery (MD) County deputy chief of police Deidre Walker on how she didn’t used to question TSA search policy until she became the subject of increased random searches.
As someone who has conducted searches and who understands the vague inconsistancies of current TSA policy, she writes with a nuanced, questioning tone as a now-member of the public:
Over these last few months, I have grown increasingly frustrated with what I view as an unjustifiable intrusion on my privacy. It was not so much the search (then) as it was the embarrassment of being singled out, effectively being told “You are different,” but getting no explanation as to why.
That frustration has been tempered by a combination of my desire to be a good citizen, and my empathy for the TSA screeners. These folks, after all, are merely doing what we, the American traveling public, have permitted and now expect them to do.
I am left to wonder whether my own passive acceptance of these evolving search procedures has contributed to a potentially fatal dichotomy: what we allow TSA screeners to do in order to maximize efficiency and enhance our perception of safety, or what we really need them to do in order to preserve our rights and dignity and enhance our actual safety.
Her experience as a public safety official adds professional experience to a normal citizen’s frustrated perspective, and still finds current policy lacking, confusing, and ultimately ineffective.
– Caroline
It’s beyond time to end this unnecessary jobs program.
By Justin on November 11th, 2009