en en en en en id en zh en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en nl en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es en nl en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en nl es en en nl en en en en en en en sq en en en en en en es en en en ar en zh en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground. —THOMAS JEFFERSON, 1788
How much would you pay to get the TSA to grope you less? Do I hear $85?
By Howard Portnoy July 24, 2013January 8, 2014
Do you hate getting patted down or zapped by a full-body scanner at the airport? Do you wish you could avoid removing your shoes, belt, and jacket? Would you prefer to keep your laptop with you rather than risk having the hard disk fried?
If your answer to any or all of these questions is yes, you can now tender a bribe that will get you special treatment.
It won’t even set you back that much — a mere $17 a year. Just make your check payable to “Transportation Security Administration.”
RT.com reports that the TSA has announced it will be expanding its PreCheck program to all comers. Currently, the program, which permits prospective passengers to bypass regular airport pre-flight security, is available only to members of selected frequent-flier programs.
TSA Administrator John Pistole said on Friday that all travelers will soon be eligible so long as they pay $85 for a five-year membership, provide identifying information, pass a background check, and undergo fingerprinting. (Oh, yeah: Sorry about that. You do have to let them fingerprint you.)
At present approximately 12 million travelers are enrolled in PreCheck, but the TSA expect another 3 million people before year’s end. The agency hopes to take in about $255 million from the expanded program.
Washington Dulles International and Indianapolis International airports will be the first two to offer the service starting later this year.
But if you fly out of one of those airports, don’t start counting your chickens just yet. RT warns:
PreCheck does not guarantee expedited screening, and all travelers are still subject to ‘random and unpredictable’ security measures, the agency said in a statement.
[Travelers may] still be subjected to pat-downs and searches if they appear suspicious.
More TSA idiocy: Inspecting parked cars at airports, but only those parked by valet
Decorated, wounded Marine treated ‘shamefully’ by TSA
TSA’s answer to mom reluctant to open baby food jars? Give her a pat-down
A modest proposal for limiting terrorism on airline flights
TSA forces Marine who lost both legs in combat to stand up and walk
Video of TSA patting down 3-year-old in wheelchair
TSA agent nearly bursts cancer patient’s urostomy bag—again
Man carries stun gun used on ex-girlfriend through airport security
Despite pat-down, TSA inspector with bomb in pants waved through security
Need a tribal spear or horse whip? TSA says, ‘We have that’
TSA agent opens and spills jar of human ashes, laughs
Did TSA allow a stun gun through airport security?
Kanye West, Kim Kardashian allowed to bypass security at JFK
TSA pats down another 6-year-old—twice
TSA orders dying, 95-year-old woman to remove diaper during 45-minute search
TSA fails to nab man traveling with no ID and fake day-old boarding pass
Congress entertains legislation limiting TSA’s pat-down of children
TSA fails to nab man traveling with no ID and fake day-old boarding pass
Latest TSA fail: Four massive chef’s knives waved through O’Hare security
TSA staff at JFK fails to detect box cutters in passenger’s carry-on luggage
TSA follies: Intruder sneaks onto plane at JFK
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Posted in: Law and Government
Howard Portnoy has written for The Blaze, HotAir, NewsBusters, Weasel Zippers, Conservative Firing Line, RedCounty, and New York’s Daily News. He has one published novel, Hot Rain, (G. P. Putnam’s Sons), and has been a guest on Radio Vice Online with Jim Vicevich, The Alana Burke Show, Smart Life with Dr. Gina, and The George Espenlaub Show.
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