The TSA Choice
November 19, 2010 11:09 AM Subscribe
The TSA Choice
The TSA Choice is an activist site against the deployment of whole-body scanners and the TSA's new "enhanced patdown" procedures. We've created a map and word cloud to show what choices people are making in the security line at airports across the U.S. -- the naked pictures, or the thorough fondling by a gloved stranger? Please share your experience, too!
The TSA Choice is an activist site against the deployment of whole-body scanners and the TSA's new "enhanced patdown" procedures. We've created a map and word cloud to show what choices people are making in the security line at airports across the U.S. -- the naked pictures, or the thorough fondling by a gloved stranger? Please share your experience, too!
The location alert is meant to home in on the airport you're closest to and populate that field automatically -- meant for people on a mobile device currently in an airport. Allowing you to do it by hand is the alternate, if you're submitting well after the fact, or about an airport you're not close to anymore.
As for your errors -- do you mind telling me what browser and platform you're using? This is the first report of this kind we've received.
posted by Andrhia at 12:26 PM on November 19, 2010
As for your errors -- do you mind telling me what browser and platform you're using? This is the first report of this kind we've received.
posted by Andrhia at 12:26 PM on November 19, 2010
Trying again, they're both working for me now, but I'm using FF 3.6.12 on Windows XP. I'm immediately suspicious of any site that wants to either install something or ask for my personal info, so those alerts make me less likely to use such a site, but I can only speak for myself on such things. (It actually made me think "eponysterical" when I first saw it, that is to say, protesting the TSA while at the same time wanting to store people's geolocation info, heh.)
posted by Gator at 12:41 PM on November 19, 2010
posted by Gator at 12:41 PM on November 19, 2010
I hear you on the suspicion. This was initially conceived as a mobile app, but wiser heads than mine said it would do better in HTML5 and not have to worry about app stores and cross-platform compatibility. The locational bit is a holdover from that. ^_^ We'll think about it and maybe take it out if it seems to be turning people off.
Curious about the error. We had a brief report earlier of the header not loading, but that went away on its own, too.
And as for eponysterical -- that was all I could think when I went through the security line at Orlando earlier this week and saw 'Rapiscan Systems' on the back display! ..Truth in advertising...
posted by Andrhia at 2:01 PM on November 19, 2010
Curious about the error. We had a brief report earlier of the header not loading, but that went away on its own, too.
And as for eponysterical -- that was all I could think when I went through the security line at Orlando earlier this week and saw 'Rapiscan Systems' on the back display! ..Truth in advertising...
posted by Andrhia at 2:01 PM on November 19, 2010
Neat. I'd been mulling over the idea of putting together a site that lists the locations of the pornoscanners in various airports, and gives instructions on how to best avoid them (in many cases, at least in places I've been in the past few weeks, you can avoid them by choosing the security lane correctly). Also, calling out which airports are 100% pornoscanner and which are not, as an aid to choosing which airports to fly out of.
You might want to think about something like that; by providing a useful service in addition to the ability to report experiences, you might be able to get more traffic and users.
IMO, there are a lot of travelers who dislike the new procedures and want to avoid them if possible, but may not be on the "activism" bandwagon exactly. Business travelers especially. There is a lot of competition between airports for business, and if you can steer people towards or away from an airport, it could create significant pressure against the TSA. (E.g.: MCO is considering ditching the TSA in favor of private screeners.)
posted by Kadin2048 at 4:35 PM on November 21, 2010
You might want to think about something like that; by providing a useful service in addition to the ability to report experiences, you might be able to get more traffic and users.
IMO, there are a lot of travelers who dislike the new procedures and want to avoid them if possible, but may not be on the "activism" bandwagon exactly. Business travelers especially. There is a lot of competition between airports for business, and if you can steer people towards or away from an airport, it could create significant pressure against the TSA. (E.g.: MCO is considering ditching the TSA in favor of private screeners.)
posted by Kadin2048 at 4:35 PM on November 21, 2010
@Kadin2048: The (mostly) business travelers at FlyerTalk maintain an excellent reference along those lines already. I'd hate to duplicate such a well-informed effort. ^_^
lampshade: Thanks so much for the report!
posted by Andrhia at 5:23 PM on November 21, 2010
lampshade: Thanks so much for the report!
posted by Andrhia at 5:23 PM on November 21, 2010
Would you rather pose for porn or be groped by a total stranger?
Sadly, that tagline makes the situation seem better than it actually is: if you "choose" to go through the pornoscanner, you may still be pulled aside for groping anyway.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:44 AM on December 13, 2010
Sadly, that tagline makes the situation seem better than it actually is: if you "choose" to go through the pornoscanner, you may still be pulled aside for groping anyway.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:44 AM on December 13, 2010
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posted by Gator at 11:43 AM on November 19, 2010