Travel-trained: Americans take security with sigh

[IDemo]

As Christmas looms, resignation replaces fear for air travelers

By CHRIS HAWLEY, TAMARA LUSH
The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Explosive snow globes? You've got to be kidding, Robyn Burford thought when security inspectors at the Portland, Ore., airport demanded she hand over her two glitter-filled souvenirs.

The snow globes might contain explosive nitroglycerin, an officer informed the 16-year-old from Houston. Instead of complaining, Burford did what thousands of other travelers are doing when confronted with pat-downs, body scanners and the other indignities of air travel this holiday season.

She bit her tongue and obeyed.

"I think we're actually getting used to the fact that we have to go through so much to go places," Burford said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40771653/

Das is gut Germans, ja?

[FiveGoodMen]

1. I would SO much rather take my chances with terrorists than with the monster our government

has become.

[Arctic Dave]

2. Should have smashed them on the ground and said, guess you were wrong asshole.

TSA is a bunch of fucking shitbags, fuck everyone of them.

[ixion]

3. The TSA can take a flying f**K at the moon

how's that for a 'sigh'

Don't "get used to it" that's exactly what they want.

[bemildred]

4. I don't fly. nt

[SheilaT]

5. Iit is all such garbage.

I got into an argument yesterday who told me that at the college she attends they've had a bunch of called in bomb threats this past semester. I said that after the first one or two turned out to be hoaxes, the school should just ignore the calls.

She defended the shutdown of the school each time because, well, you never know. I pointed out that I could not think of a single phoned in bomb threat in this country that turned out to be the real thing. She replied, oh, yes, it happened recently in our state. I said, really? I don't recall. Then she mentioned an incident a year or so in which police officers had gone to the house where someone had bomb-making equipment. She didn't really seem to get that there is a HUGE difference between a called in threat (which turns out to be a hoax) and going to a place where bomb-making equipment occurs.

My point is that we haven't exactly had a rash of people trying with anything remotely resembling success to take over airplanes. Let's see, the shoe bomber and the underwear bombers both boarded outside of this country. All someone has to do is suggest that maybe some innocuous something could possibly, just possibly be evil, and TSA confiscates everything. I haven't been on a plane in about three years, and as it stands now I can't imagine being willing to get on one as long as this crap goes on.