There is. So. Much. Rage.

[batyatoon]

-- and hey, how's that for a cheery title for my first LJ post in months?

I'd been planning to start posting more often again, and I was gonna make this a What's Been Up With Me Lately sort of thing -- stuff about the apartment we're attempting to buy and the ohmygod job offer I got yesterday and similar. But I decided to save that for a later post.

Because I read this. To which I am linking with permission of the author. (Selkie's a recent addition to my flist; I met her through milliways_bar, which is another thing I will tell you all about next time.)
[ETA: Link removed, as post has been locked -- see below.]

It's about a very personal, very ugly civil rights violation. All perfectly legal and perfectly horrifying.

This story we spread.

Comments

[mtgat]

I want to beat those responsible with large blunt instruments.

Grrr.

[dimloep-suum.livejournal.com]

Not nearly enough, no.

*sigh*

[littlegirltoast.livejournal.com]

wow fuck THAT

[bardling.livejournal.com]

Oh. My.
...and there is nowhere she can complain to??? Being picked out 'cause she was *crying*, for goodness sake??? Even if they had had a reason to suspect her for something, they'd still have to be civilized, they could be bloody wrong!! (Ok, they obviously don't *have* to, but they *should*, dammit!) And... finger? Urm... do I gather they're allowed to, ah, search body cavities on NO MORE REASONS FOR SUSPICION than that someone who's cooperative is CRYING??

*GRRR* Right there with you on the anger... *growls*

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

She can indeed complain and should. Whether it will do any good is another question.

I plan to be as inconspicuous as possible when I fly out on the 24th.

[miriyami.livejournal.com]

Good god.

Wait, no, strike that. That is truly horrible. For the first time in my life, my faith has been truly shaken. I don't know if god is good any more.

I don't know if I'm ever flying again.

And people wonder why I've become agoraphobic. It's because of assholes like those TSA workers.

I'm calling the british consulate when I wake. And then I'll go over by boat.

[ericcoleman]

I love my country ...

but damn I hate my society ...

[chn-breathmint.livejournal.com]

You might want to know, that it is not legal for them to cavity-search you.

The cavity search is illegal.

The actual guidelines are here (http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=25974).
The furthest they can do is a manual examination - a patdown in a private room.

Get the word out.

- Mel

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

I'm getting a 403 Forbidden.

[mrlogic.livejournal.com]

The post has been locked due to some concerns by the poster that it might compromise her freedom to fly in the future.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

That sucks big red rubbery moose.

I hope (but don't imagine) that she had the sense to get the names and badge numbers of all the people involved. More to the point, while they may have been within their legal rights, HOW they do the things they do might well be out of bounds, despite that WHAT they do is technically okay. (IANAL. IDNPOOTV.)

And, naturally, right after seeing this, dglenn posts a link to this story (http://pennandteller.com/sincity/penniphile/federalvip.html) about Penn Jillette coping with the TSA. It helps that he's a celeb, and has money and the confidence to stand up to them -- but it would be good to spread this around, too, so folks know how to stand up to the rent-a-cops the feds are relying on.