Valerie Richardson
The Washington Times
12/2/2010
A coach-class rebellion against the Transportation Security Administration is brewing as state and local lawmakers challenge the agency’s right to implement its invasive airport-safety protocols.
“I’d like to send Washington a clear signal that these aggressive pat-downs and body scanners may have crossed the line,” said Sean Paige, a member of the Colorado Springs City Council. “We want to maintain airport security, but need to speak up for the passengers who come through our city.”
He has asked the Colorado Springs airport’s aviation commission and director to prepare a briefing on a proposal to replace the TSA with a private security firm. The council is expected to hear the results in January, Mr. Paige said.
Similar discussions are under way in Dallas and in Orlando, Fla., as local officials attempt to gain a measure of control over the safety-screening process. The TSA’s decision to intensify its airport screenings in early November has passengers balking about having their rights violated in the name of security.
Airline passengers in about 70 of the nation’s biggest airports may be required to pass through a body-imaging scan that shows an image without clothes. Those worried about radiation exposure or are uncomfortable with the idea of their nude image being rendered onto a screen may opt for a pat-down by a same-sex TSA officer.
Administration officials say the tighter measures are necessary to keep airlines safe from terrorist attacks, but critics argue that the procedures amount to government groping and may violate the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable search and seizure…
The article continues at The Washington Times.
