Althouse: "One of the most commonly recurring issues involves the TSA’s full-body scanners, which require a TSA officer — often within seconds of seeing a traveler

September 4, 2019

"One of the most commonly recurring issues involves the TSA’s full-body scanners, which require a TSA officer — often within seconds of seeing a traveler — to register that person’s gender."

"The scanner is programmed to look for male genitalia on passengers deemed 'male' by the officer and breasts on passengers deemed 'female,' which can cause transgender individuals to be flagged for additional security."

From "The gender issue posed by TSA’s body scanners" (WaPo).

64 comments:

stevew said...: You can't have TSA Security Theatre without being a farce.; 9/4/19, 6:38 AM
stevew said...: P.S. On the way to Columbus OH from Boston MA last Friday, MIL (87 year old white woman) was taken aside for secondary screening. Mrs. stevew and I are TSA Pre so we got to watch this unfold from the other side of security. When we inquired about this were told she was randomly selected. Ok.; 9/4/19, 6:41 AM
WK said...: You always find it in the last place you look.; 9/4/19, 6:43 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: I would assume people with prosthetic limbs often get this treatment, too.

Since they are not included in the article about TSA agents and their response to bodies outside the expected norm, I gather this is then politics.

And this is why the Left isn't even trying anymore.

In the past they would have sought to include others that are inconvenienced -- others that would seem more sympathetic to flyover folk -- to incrementally get where they wanted.

They are done with increments.

To paraphrase Ace: LOL Get Pegged.

I am Laslo.; 9/4/19, 6:48 AM
jaydub said...: This post is superfluous because TSA won't be a problem after the Nazis ban all air travel.; 9/4/19, 6:52 AM
Ann Althouse said...: They are looking for hidden weapons. Someone who appears to be a woman who has something that looks like male genitalia could have some kind of bomb.

In places with no body scanners, I've been selected for additional security many times simply because my clothing preference was a long, loose skirt. They had to get a hand up in my crotch to check for bombs. Now that I'm sure that was the reason I was picked on, I wear pants, if I fly at all. I feel this is a "discrimination" against me as a woman, but I don't want bombs on planes.; 9/4/19, 6:53 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Clue... the people with dicks are men.; 9/4/19, 6:55 AM
Ralph L said...: I'm pretty sure they want the attention and indignation even more than they don't want their natural sex organs.; 9/4/19, 6:56 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: "I don't want bombs on planes."

So Althouse is discriminating against bombs.

And, by extension, people who require an Emotional Support Bomb.

And the people who keep their Emotional Support Bomb in their Transgender Emotional Support Cock.

I am Laslo.; 9/4/19, 6:59 AM
Fen said...: Trannies should be pulled off for extra screening. They are literally delusional.; 9/4/19, 7:01 AM
Fen said...: I don't want bombs on planes.

Democrats are ticking time bombs.; 9/4/19, 7:02 AM
Fen said...: Clue... the people with dicks are men.

You would think so, but Chuck has a dick and...

David French? Dickless

NRO: Dickless

Powerline: Dickless; 9/4/19, 7:03 AM
campy said...: "This post is superfluous because TSA won't be a problem after the Nazis ban all air travel."

TSA will move into bus stations, train stations, bike paths...; 9/4/19, 7:03 AM
JML said...: In places with no body scanners, I've been selected for additional security many times simply because my clothing preference was a long, loose skirt.

Ann, can you do a little experiment for us? The next 10 times you travel in places that don't have body scanners, wear a full burka. Let's see if the TSA is as selective to a woman covered head to toe in black as is an obvious blond white woman wearing a long, loose skirt.; 9/4/19, 7:10 AM
rhhardin said...: And, by extension, people who require an Emotional Support Bomb.

Carry a bomb for safety. The odds of having two bombs on the same airplane are tiny. old pre-TSA joke.; 9/4/19, 7:14 AM
stevew said...: The next white woman of a certain age, or older, that attempts to bring a bomb onto a plane will be the first; regardless of the clothes she's wearing.; 9/4/19, 7:16 AM
David Begley said...: Wow! Major problem.

Cry me a river.; 9/4/19, 7:25 AM
David Begley said...: How about special screening for under 40 males with the first name Mohammed?; 9/4/19, 7:29 AM
gilbar said...: which can cause transgender individuals to be flagged for additional security

well, since they're certifiably Insane, maybe it's a good thing

Of course; if people are going to be "flagged" for being likely bombers...
maybe we could/should try flagging Arab Males?; 9/4/19, 7:29 AM
Swede said...: These kinds of "issues" crop up when everybody is expected to play make-believe in order to conform to the delusions of trans-people.

Security on an airline shouldn't be compromised because you identify as a llama, or anything else for that matter.; 9/4/19, 7:30 AM
Jaq said...: This is what comes from people not understanding statistics and process control.; 9/4/19, 7:43 AM
Shawn Levasseur said...: On a lesser scale, I had a stupid TSA encounter involving my body. This was long before body scanners and was only a few years after the TSA was formed.

It was the first time security at the local airport had more than a single security person (excepting the sheriff's deputy which became a near-permanent fixture after 9/11). With the airport being little more than a pair of double-wide trailers at the time

After going through the bag scanning and such, the last agent pointed at my belly and asked what I had in there.

Now I'm overweight. I weight about two.... much. Too much. Threatening to drift into three-much. I can see why they would want to be sure that's all it was. I responded, "just my gut."

But the inspector didn't understand or hear clearly and asked again. A rare loss of patience, and an unwillingness to be the only person being embarrased led me to loudly and angrily pronounce, "I'M FAT!"

That's usually something I usually don't have to explain to someone standing in front of me.

That apparently did the trick, as I was then allowed into the boarding area.; 9/4/19, 7:47 AM
Shawn Levasseur said...: On a lesser scale, I had a stupid TSA encounter involving my body. This was long before body scanners and was only a few years after the TSA was formed.

It was the first time security at the local airport had more than a single security person (excepting the sheriff's deputy which became a near-permanent fixture after 9/11). With the airport being little more than a pair of double-wide trailers at the time

After going through the bag scanning and such, the last agent pointed at my belly and asked what I had in there.

Now I'm overweight. I weight about two.... much. Too much. Threatening to drift into three-much. I can see why they would want to be sure that's all it was. I responded, "just my gut."

But the inspector didn't understand or hear clearly and asked again. A rare loss of patience, and an unwillingness to be the only person being embarrased led me to loudly and angrily pronounce, "I'M FAT!"

That's usually something I usually don't have to explain to someone standing in front of me.

That apparently did the trick, as I was then allowed into the boarding area.; 9/4/19, 7:48 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “Powerline: Dickless”

Now be fair. Begley is a regular poster over there. He does the dirty work no one else wants to do, and gets into his car, drives to political rallies (esp, it appears in Iowa) and asks Democrat candidates inconvenient questions. He then reports back at Powerline. One of the things that I really appreciate is his view of them as people. That is so often missed in our heavily stage managed politics these days.

Thanks David. Keep up the great work.; 9/4/19, 8:09 AM
Bob Boyd said...: "Why do you have a blasting cap in your penis, ma'am?"

"It's complicated."; 9/4/19, 8:12 AM
Wince said...: From the excerpt, WaPo seems to intentionally downplay the proportional impact of the system on non-transgender passengers.; 9/4/19, 8:13 AM
Fernandinande said...: Dress for success.

The masses consenting to intrusive unconstitutional searches is a problem.; 9/4/19, 8:23 AM
Fernandinande said...: I feel this is a "discrimination" against me as a woman

Oh course you do; because they don't search men wearing dresses despite the contrary claims of this article.; 9/4/19, 8:24 AM
Fen said...: "Thanks David. Keep up the great work."

Hey David. Paul can't write about a soccer game without turning it into a rant about Trump.

As an experiment, criticise Paul for that, watch how quickly you are banned. Then ask yourself why you would want your name associated with them?

And while it's just a matter of time before Powerline gets deplatformed, they are really no different than the censors. So no sympathy will be extended.

What does it say that Liberal Ann Althouse has a stronger position on freedom of speech than Powerline? I'm banned there for mocking Paul Mirengoff. I taunt Althouse weekly and she hasn't even asked me to leave (and I would if she said the word).

So you gotta ask yourself: are these guys really conservatives? Do they really believe in Liberty? Or are they just as bad as the censors they complain about?

Why are you working for them?; 9/4/19, 8:29 AM
Francisco D said...: I guess we will have to add this horror to the list of micro aggressions that the cisgendered White Supremacists foist upon their poor victims.; 9/4/19, 8:35 AM
tim maguire said...: There was a fad of hijacking airplanes in the 70's. The fad died out without any huge change in passenger sexual assaults.

After many quiet years, there was one instance of plane hijacking in the early 2000's. This time, it didn't get a chance to become a fad as passengers ended once and for all the threat of hijacking. Government responded with a completely unnecessary and ineffectual program to demean and degrade of millions of people daily.; 9/4/19, 8:41 AM
Howard said...: Gender Bender Trigger Post; 9/4/19, 8:47 AM
Dave Begley said...: Paul is really a great guy. I spent a bunch of time with him in Omaha and CB. I also had lunch with him in DC.

The thing about Power Line is that the Big Four write about what they are interested in and usually have some expertise. Sort of like Ann. But Althouse writes enough for ten people and usually with great verve and insight.

Paul is the DC insider who likes baseball and soccer. Scott is the former English lit major. Also a music guy. John is more pragmatic. His beat is global warming and public policy. John loves his beauty pageants and boxing. Steve is the comedian, academic and cartoon guy. Ammo Girl does her comedy return once a week. Combine Power Line and Althouse and the content is 1000x better than the NYT and WaPo combined.

John and Paul were debate partners at Dartmouth. Scott was with them. I was shocked to learn John was a Communist in college. I knew Paul was. John and Paul staged some type of occupation of a building on campus. Paul had to sit out for a semester or year. I can only imagine the reaction of their parents. John's dad was a lawyer in Watertown, SD. Scott was liberal but not as radical as the other two.

I think the conversion of the three from liberalism to conservatism shows the power of redemption and God's love.

I was liberal in college and law school. I can't imagine being a Dem today.

As to Power Line being dickless, they brought down Dan Rather (he richly deserved it) and Scott has done great work on Omar. Scott's job was threatened by liberals. It takes a lot of guts to be a conservative in MN, DC and Cal Berkley.; 9/4/19, 8:49 AM
Caligula said...: "to register that person's gender"?

How non-PC! Haven't we been lectured and hectored endlessly that gender has little if anything to do with genitals? Did you think someone "assigned" your genitals to you ... at birth?

Why has it become so difficult to say "sex" instead of "gender" in cases where that term is obviously more appropriate?; 9/4/19, 8:54 AM
Clyde said...: There's normal and there's abnormal. Abnormal merits a second look. That's just how it is. If you don't like it, abjure being abnormal.; 9/4/19, 8:58 AM
John henry said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/4/19, 9:20 AM
Leland said...: We were pretty effective at keeping bombs off planes prior to TSA. Perhaps not so good with box cutters.; 9/4/19, 9:22 AM
Paul said...: Boy those TSA officers sure get an eye full every minute.; 9/4/19, 9:26 AM
Jeff said...: Security theatre from the TSA, brought to you by The Department of Homemade Security. (I stole that from a William Gibson novel I was reading yesterday and just wanted to share it.); 9/4/19, 9:27 AM
Jeff said...: It was obvious after 9/11 that airline passengers would never again allow a hijacking to succeed. And yet we waste enormous amounts of time and money on the TSA Security Theater. Stupidity like this is one of many reasons why we have a huge deficit and why we are losing our freedom.; 9/4/19, 9:35 AM
Narr said...: The TSA is a wonderful synecdoche for our future, no matter who gets elected to what, when.

People who couldn't get jobs as prison guards are given almost carte-blanche to view, poke, prod, and harass, at whim, innocent travelers. We are being conditioned to expect and go along with transparently fraudulent security theater administered by fools for the sake of . . . what, now?

Narr
As if flying wasn't bad enough; 9/4/19, 9:47 AM
mikee said...: I am grossly overweight, but am dieting. I have lost 40 pounds in 8 months and have 100 pounds to go. Yay, me!

The airline scanners regularly detect my flab as potential contraband and I get patted down and wanded. I always offer to strip right there and start pulling up my shirt, hastening the screening process quite a bit. This farce every time I travel is a wonderful motivator to keep on my diet.

That makes exactly ONE (1) positive thing the TSA has ever accomplished, by my count.; 9/4/19, 9:53 AM
Darrell said...: which can cause transgender individuals to be flagged for additional security

Good thing there's so few of them in the real world, then.; 9/4/19, 10:10 AM
Michael said...: The people banging on about the horrors of TSA are infrequent flyers. The rest of us find it tiresome at worst and humorous at best. Infrequent flyers post negative reviews when their planes are 30 minutes late or the food offerings are not to their liking.; 9/4/19, 10:13 AM
Kevin said...: The problem is the button is for male/female.

The solution is a button marked "penis".

No gender identification implied.; 9/4/19, 10:29 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: Everyone is equal to The Anal Probe.

I am Laslo.; 9/4/19, 10:31 AM
Bob Boyd said...: We need to install pronoun detectors.; 9/4/19, 10:33 AM
Kevin said...: TSA Agent: Place all electronics in separate bins! Empty your pockets! Take off your coats and put them through the machine!

Agent: As you enter the scanner announce in a clear loud voice whether or not you CURRENTLY HAVE a penis. Like this:

Masculine Agent: PENIS!

Feminine Agent: NO PENIS!

TSA Agent: Place all electronics in separate bins! Empty your pockets! Take off your coats and put them through the machine!; 9/4/19, 10:33 AM
Kevin said...: Maybe they could get one of those dogs trained to sniff for penises.

Each man in line would be hoping it would alert.; 9/4/19, 10:38 AM
SGT Ted said...: Trans activists keep telling us that sex is separate from gender, so what's the issue?; 9/4/19, 10:51 AM
Narr said...: Yes, I am proudly an infrequent flyer, and TSA goons are a low form of life.

And the only negative review I have is for TSA.

Narr
So what?; 9/4/19, 11:32 AM
PM said...: Bet that service horse blew up the wand.; 9/4/19, 11:41 AM
Jaq said...: People rank on the TSA, but if ISIS or al Qaeda could have hijacked another plane, they would have. I think they are on to other things, like their own “homeland security” right now.; 9/4/19, 12:22 PM
Jaq said...: I have never had a problem with TSA. I got pulled aside for extra questioning once in London, but I don’t call that "having a problem.” Any problems I have ever had at airport screenings had to do with poor planning on my part for things I knew were coming.; 9/4/19, 12:28 PM
Jaq said...: That being said, I don’t fly unless it’s the only way, being retired, I am happy to drive, even it it takes days, and the train is fun too.; 9/4/19, 12:31 PM
~ Gordon Pasha said...: Anatomy is destiny - again.; 9/4/19, 12:40 PM
Pianoman said...: First World Problems.

It's right up there with people who claim that their miniature horsie is a "emotional support animal".; 9/4/19, 1:18 PM
Mark said...: EVERYONE'S privacy is violated, and EVERYONE is sexually objectified, but let's focus on and cry about the mentally confused.; 9/4/19, 1:36 PM
Matt said...: Fuck the trannies.

All 27 of them.; 9/4/19, 2:56 PM
Krumhorn said...: I once tried to fool 'em with my mangina. Just messing around. Lots of mansplaining. Missed my plane. Wasn't worth it.

- Krumhorn; 9/4/19, 3:04 PM
JaimeRoberto said...: Dicks out for the TSA!; 9/4/19, 5:13 PM
JAORE said...: Males, stick that in this.

Females,stick this in that.

Both of you stand still until the buzzing stops.; 9/4/19, 5:30 PM
CWJ said...: "EVERYONE'S privacy is violated, and EVERYONE is sexually objectified, but let's focus on and cry about the mentally confused."

Sorry I'm late to the party, but BINGO.; 9/4/19, 6:21 PM
Narr said...: Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to get a useful EMV onto an overseas flight now?

Narr
I've researched penis enlargement devices (PEDs) online but can't find any big enough for me; 9/4/19, 9:45 PM