Link to NBC article on airport stripdowns
Please feel free to send a copy to airlines, the TSA, and your congresspeople!
Dear Southwest Airlines,
I love, love, love your airline! Your amazing staff, customer service, cancellation policies, and reasonable baggage fees are very much appreciated. As a frequent flier, I enjoyed several free flights on Southwest and it remains my #1 choice.
Unfortunately, because of recent TSA policy changes, which I believe are an unnecessary invasion of privacy, I have not flown this year and will no longer fly until I can do so with dignity. I’m referring to the x-ray body scanners, the groping pat-downs, and the ban on unopened yogurt, toothpaste, and other innocuous liquids.
Of course, I know it’s not Southwest Airlines making these policies, but if all the airlines put pressure on the TSA perhaps it would back down on the redundant and time-consuming screening that has such a negative impact on travelers.
I remember the awful events of September 11 all too well. But in my life no terrorist or other group of people has ever made me feel less secure or less human than the TSA currently does. Also, the new scanners are unsafe for human health, according to renowned scientists at UCSF. Not to mention, their effectiveness in actually catching people who wish to do harm is highly questionable.
I refuse to undergo a strip search as a prerequisite to board an airplane. I implore Southwest and other airlines to ask the TSA to implement common sense policies. For example, the airport in Austria uses a sniffer machine that detects explosives and drugs with incredible accuracy without terribly infringing on passengers’ rights.
I very much hope I feel safe enough to fly with Southwest again soon.
Sincerely,
Jacy
