Open letter to Disney concerning new TSA full body scan.

[jediagh]

Not sure if this is the correct place for this or not.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig11/krolman1.1.1.html

My family & I got back from Disney (FL) last month and we did not have to go thru thr full body scan machines at either midway or orlando. However it appears that the machines will begin to see more use in more airports. As such the growing concern is

1) your image or that of your family being stored and/or uploaded to the web
2) the radiation dosage that you are exposed to each time you take a "picture"
3) the enchanced pat-down that occurs should you opt-out (for now) of the full body scan.

The link above goes to a letter someone wrote to disney regarding this issue and not knowing how to "get to" disney for a vacation.

An Open Letter to the Walt Disney Company
by Arthur M.M. Krolman





Robert A. Iger
President & C.E.O.
Walt Disney Co.
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Dear Mr. Iger,

I am writing for your advice about how to best enjoy a great Walt Disney World experience with the new prohibitive TSA/commercial airlines "security" shenanigans.

My wife and I have two children (one strapping 14 year old boy and our beautiful little girl, 12). They would just love to go to Disney World and we would love to take them – but now we don't know how to get there!

Please allow me to graphically explain. On the way to Disney World at the airport, United States government agents now force children and their parents to make a difficult choice between:

1. a dose of ionizing radiation concentrated almost entirely on your skin to create a nude image on the government's computer screen. They call this Whole Body Imaging, or WBI. Please see attached sample image of a male subject, also here. Note that the detail of the image, even before zooming in, allows the viewer to see that the glans is uncircumcised.

2. a government agent using his gloved fingers to grope/frisk/probe the exterior of the child's entire clothed body (including inspection of private parts) in order to ascertain the same detail of information as the WBI would have done (see above). They call this Enhanced Pat-down.

3. police escort to interrogation by TSA security as to your reasons for refusing the above two choices...followed by confirmation that you did not verbally abuse any government agents...followed by being permitted to turn around and go home.

As you can imagine, none of these choices appeals to us. Other than a fleet of Disney private planes or opening scaled-down Disney World resorts all across the country, how do you recommend that paying customers get to your resorts if decent caring for their children now prohibits them from using commercial airlines?

Now that you are aware that children must submit to nude photography or inspection of private parts in order to enjoy the Disney experience (and on the way home), your silence on this issue may be seen by many as passive agreement with this new pathway to your business, which I am sure is not the case.

Please confirm.

Regards,
Arthur M.M. Krolman
CFA Founder and President
Krolman Corporation
56 Roland St., Suite 201 Boston, MA 02129

 

[pr surfer]

I agree with the points, but I believe the only aspect of air travel that Disney gives a flying fig about is increasing air service to MCO primarily, and to SFB, DAB, MLB, and TPA to a lesser degree.

Especially since they continue with bag searches at the gates, when one could just as easily sneak something into their park in their pocket, on their body, and in their body.

 

[Brian Noble]

I'm sure that letter will be filed right in the ol' "circular file."

The solution to all of this is simple. If you're not willing to fly under these circumstances, don't fly. If enough people refuse to fly, then TSA will back off, because the airlines will more or less force their hand. TSA does not operate entirely outside of the pressures of business.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Don't want to subject yourself, don't fly. As inconvenient as that may be, flying has never been and never will be a right. Just as it is a priveledge to drive and that you must submit to a breathalyzer (or suffer the consequences).

Additionally, the author of the letter also fails to understand that any amount of radiation that a person is subject to during the screening is far, far less then the amount they are subjected to when flying. I also love the dramatization that the "radiation concentrated almost entirely on your skin."

 

[bumbershoot]

Not sure what Disney will be able to do about it.

We'll just take the patdown. If they allow it that is; they did NOT allow hubby to take the patdown, FORCED him to go into the machine, on a recent flight through an airport with these machines...specifically Charlotte.

And we'll get to have the fun going both ways, SEA to MCO and back.

I don't really mind the patdown for me or DS. Either one of us could be anyone, they don't know, I could have hidden something on DS...any parent could be a horrible person with a conviction that is bigger than the individual lives of them or their children, they could have put anything on a child. So I don't mind a patdown, as long as they don't mind DS getting the tickle-giggles. Or me, for that matter.

For me, I feel that radiation is cumulative, and I want to minimize every last bit that I get. 2 minutes in the air is actually getting me somewhere, it's useful to me...2 minutes' worth of extra radiation from a machine isn't getting me anywhere, isn't getting useful info on broken bones or cavities in my teeth etc etc...patdown please. We're 2-hours-before-our-flight people anyway, we'll have time.

 

[pr surfer]

Don't want to subject yourself, don't fly. As inconvenient as that may be, flying has never been and never will be a righ

Err... actually, transit through the navigable airspace is a right.

Anyway, that's not an option for all of us. Saying "opt out" is though, for now.

 

[dburg30]

I really get a kick out of letters like that.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Err... actually, transit through the navigable airspace is a right.

I guess I should be specific, transit on a commercial airline that is subject to governmental rules and requirements is not a right. If you want to build or buy your own private plane/jet feel free, then you won't be held to the TSA or governmental security scanning.

 

[pr surfer]

Actually, YGPM

 

[dburg30]

I guess I should be specific, transit on a commercial airline that is subject to governmental rules and requirements is not a right. If you want to build or buy your own private plane/jet feel free, then you won't be held to the TSA or governmental security scanning.

But for any distance at all, you would be held to FAA regulations and where you can / cant fly, but you are right you could take water with you!!!


ie: not sure how an ultralight falls into the rules..

 

[ls1222]

OP.....I agree 100% with your letter, but you better watch having an opinion on here, they will delete your stuff if you don't agree with them.....lol It just cracks me up, wonder if they delete people in real life that do not agree with them )

 

[DCTooTall]

I see the Guy is in Boston. Someone should just tell him to Drive to DC and take the Autotrain.

 

[maxiesmom]

I don't understand at all how Disney is supposed to control what the TSA does and doesn't do.

OP, go ahead and write your letter. But I really hope you rethink the parts about inspection of private parts and nude photography, becasue it makes you sound a little nutty. Which will just get your letter ignored.

Also, you need to realize you get more radiation from the actual flight than you do from the scan. So not sure what adding that bit into your letter helps.

It would be better to say you are concerned about the lack of privacy, and are worried about the images getting on the interent.

As to how you get to WDW, you can still drive or ride a bus or ride a train. Sure it is not as fast, but you are not owed a flight on a commercial airline. It is not a right as an American to fly without being screened, or only doing what kind of screening you think is ok.

it is unfortunate that this is the world we live in, but it is. If everyone could fly with only what screening doesn't offend people, or then that would be a worthless security mesure.

 

[princesspeach]

Anybody that disagrees with you will tell you not to fly. That's the only solution that they can come up with. They will also tell you to leave the country. Personelly I think people that oppose people who oppose the government should move to cuba. Then they won't have to deal with people that oppose the government because they will all be in jail. Anyway I like your initiative at least you are being proactive. Thats what America is all about. I still believe in the power of the people and people should have a say in what laws are imposed on us.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

I'm not a big fan of the scanning thing, however, I will gladly subject myself and my family to it if it means EVERYONE on that plane has been screened also.
I may be of an unpopular opinion here, and I am throwing political correctness aside here... I PANIC whenever I see one or two 20-something middle eastern men travelling with either no carry on or just a small laptop bag. Yes, I know 9 years have gone by now since 9/11, but coming from Staten Island it had a huge impact here. So, forgive my opinion if you disagree, but I'll deal with the miniscule amounts of radiation and I'll be happy that everyone else does too.

 

[pr surfer]

Personelly I think people that oppose people who oppose the government should move to cuba.

Yes. Leave a country founded on opposition because you oppose!

 

[rie'smom]

Can they see tattoos? I'd be tempted to have one showing them the middle finger. They can't prove that I'd done it just for their viewing pleasure.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm not a big fan of the scanning thing, however, I will gladly subject myself and my family to it if it means EVERYONE on that plane has been screened also.
I may be of an unpopular opinion here, and I am throwing political correctness aside here... I PANIC whenever I see one or two 20-something middle eastern men travelling with either no carry on or just a small laptop bag. Yes, I know 9 years have gone by now since 9/11, but coming from Staten Island it had a huge impact here. So, forgive my opinion if you disagree, but I'll deal with the miniscule amounts of radiation and I'll be happy that everyone else does too.

On one flight last year there was a young man that kept getting up, walking towards the front of the plane, and then walking back. I was watching him wondering what the heck was going on. Because if it was becasue the lav was occupied, there were more towards the back of the plane. I did see too that I was not the only passenger watching him.

So yeah, if the old security measures have been show to be ineffective, I am all for something better. Sorry if it offends you to have a snapshot taken of your general body image (which looks nothing like a nudie pic) and you don't like the pat down. Pick one or don't fly. Those are your options for now, until they can come up with something better.

 

[princesspeach]

I'm not a big fan of the scanning thing, however, I will gladly subject myself and my family to it if it means EVERYONE on that plane has been screened also.
I may be of an unpopular opinion here, and I am throwing political correctness aside here... I PANIC whenever I see one or two 20-something middle eastern men travelling with either no carry on or just a small laptop bag. Yes, I know 9 years have gone by now since 9/11, but coming from Staten Island it had a huge impact here. So, forgive my opinion if you disagree, but I'll deal with the miniscule amounts of radiation and I'll be happy that everyone else does too.

Profiling would be easier, but that would offend a small minority.

 

[Brian Noble]

people should have a say in what laws are imposed on us.

Of course they should. But, I was not aware that Bob Iger had a hand in writing legislation!

That letter (minus some of the more fringe issues that are dubious at best) would be better served sent to your legislative representative and senators.

Profiling would be easier

Only if you know what a "bad guy" looks like.

And, don't rule out the notion that TSA is profiling anyway...I work with several people who are guilty of Flying While Middle Eastern. They are selected for "extra screening" at the checkpoint much more often than this ol' white boy from the Midwest.