Patdown, Shmatdown

A little over three weeks ago, the T.S.A., Transportation Security Administration, declared that it would be enforcing much stricter screening procedures in airport security. With this new procedure, T.S.A. agents are free to screen passengers in a much more forthright manner, with little regard for their personal privacy or personal space. The T.S.A. argues that this policy benefits everyone - obviously, any stricter security measures will make commercial flights that much safer.

Yet, I can't help but think that this new protocol is a bit overboard. Obviously, the T.S.A. has a vested interested in maintaining the safety of commercial flights, but, with the technology available to us today, I wonder if these increased, rather invasive measures are necessary.

This new policy has caused a veritable uproar in the weeks since it has been instated, calling into question the scope of the T.S.A.'s power to invade passenger's privacy. The government, and, by extension, the T.S.A., obviously has less stringent prohibitions when inspecting a commercial airline passenger. One could argue that, by traveling by plane, a commercial passenger therefore sacrifices a certain expectation of privacy - one that is obviously foregone with the new T.S.A. policies.

I am ambivalent about this new policy. One the one hand, anything that makes flying safer, and could prevent another 9/11, could be a step in the right direction. But, on the other hand, how much are we willing to sacrifice our rights for this safety? There has to be a limit to the rights that will be sacrificed in order to ensure a safe and pleasant flight. Ultimately, I think that the line should be drawn here. The new screening procedures are clearly far too invasive, and may, in fact, eventually garner even more resentment towards the T.S.A. and the commercial airline industry in general - resentment that neither of them need. I think that these screening procedures should be halted by the T.S.A.