The TSA has a secret enemies list of people who've complained about screeners

[mahatmakanejeeves]

FOIA that sucker.

If I'm not on @TSA's Sekrit Watchlist of Americans who speak up about being groped by totalitarian morons for the purpose of security theater, I shall be quite vexed. TSA, is there an application process?

Link to tweet

BoingBoing / CORY DOCTOROW / 12:20 PM WED MAY 30, 2018

The TSA has a secret enemies list of people who've complained about screeners

We all know that the TSA maintains a secret watchlist of suspected terrorists who are somehow suspicious enough that they can be denied the right to fly or be subjected to humiliating screenings (but not suspicious enough to charge with any crime), but it turns out that that TSA has another watchlist of problem fliers -- people who've complained about TSA screeners, as well as people who are accused of having "assaulted" screeners (the definition of "assault" includes women who've removed screeners' hands from their breasts).

The list, called the "95 list" is nominally a list of people whose contact with screeners may be "offensive and without legal justification," including anyone whose behavior presented "challenges to the safe and effective completion of screening."

The TSA is not an intelligence agency and has no institutional capability for assessing risk.

The TSA officially claims that fewer than 50 people are on the list. Government security officials speaking anonymously to the New York Times says the number is much higher, with new names added daily.

[samnsara]

1. i have had nothing but good TSA experiences...

...i travel mostly out of Seattle but in and out of airports across the country. I have never had a bad experience. And OMG carry a 8 week old Golden Retriever puppy thru security and they all leave their post and come over to hug on. I also have a KTN ( known traveler number) so I go thru security quickly.

[CentralMass]

2. I've had no bad experiences with TSA either. They are just doing their job.

[Siwsan]

3. I'm always friendly to them and they have always been friendly to me

Admittedly I generally fly out of a smaller, regional airport, and generally my final destination is to another of the same. Security lines have never been long or stressful and I have all of my documents, ID ready at hand.

The last time I flew I didn't even notice that my boarding pass was labeled 'TSA Pre Screened' until the security guard sent me in the opposite direction of the body scanner. I have NO idea how that happened, but it did, for both my outgoing and incoming flights.

[MosheFeingold]

4. I've had some minor quibbles

I've had my Tefillin (phylacteries -- little black cubes with Torah scrolls inside) examined and even opened by the TSA, along with some pretty hostile questions about what countries I've traveled to.

This was NYC, where you would think they would know about Jewish people, especially given the screener appeared Middle Eastern himself.

I get security, but a (then) octogenarian Jewish military veteran and career civil servant would seem pretty far down the list of people to bother.

[Sophia4]

5. I'm an older woman. Never did anything offensive.

One time when I was being felt (rubbed) down, I simply said to the young woman doing the feeling (rubbing) that I really did not mind because, after all, I have had two children.

I am obviously not a terrorist. Who do they think they are harassing? Why did they harass me?

I suppose they just harass every so many victims.

And I understand that they don't want to discriminate. But really?

Why do they have to be so physically explicit?

It's quite a violation of one's privacy.

[Marcuse]

6. I have had no problems, but two traveling companions had their prostates examined.

[FakeNoose]

7. I wasn't groped, but my camera was stolen

Whoever scanned my soft-sided bag (assuming it was the TSA) saw the Olympus camera in my bag. They punched the bag right at the exact spot where the camera was, and ripped open the zipper. Whoops the camera must have fallen out! Somebody safety-pinned my bag back together and put a "TSA inspected" sticker over it.

It must have happened where I boarded in Philadelphia however I didn't see it until I arrived at my destination in Dallas. The Dallas baggage handlers said it was like that when they received it. Of course no reimbursement for the loss because I couldn't show a receipt for the camera. (It was a gift and I never had a receipt.) What a load of shit. I've never taken a camera on a trip since then, and I've never packed any electronics since it happened about 12-13 years ago.

I think the TSA in Philadelphia is a gang of thieves. I know of other thefts at the same airport. Avoid Philly if you can.