Maybe he should change his law to "Don't be a molester."
April 7, 2011 8:47 AM Subscribe
Wil Wheaton had a very unpleasant encounter with the TSA.
Nobody should have to choose between a virtually-nude body scan or an aggressive, invasive patdown where a stranger puts his or her hands inside your pants and makes any contact at all with your genitals or breasts as a condition of flying.
I'm a little surprised to not see this already on the Blue, but it may because it seems a bit thin for FFS, even to me. But reading about this happening not just to Wil Wheaton, but many of us all over, I thought it bore perhaps some discussion.
Nobody should have to choose between a virtually-nude body scan or an aggressive, invasive patdown where a stranger puts his or her hands inside your pants and makes any contact at all with your genitals or breasts as a condition of flying.
I'm a little surprised to not see this already on the Blue, but it may because it seems a bit thin for FFS, even to me. But reading about this happening not just to Wil Wheaton, but many of us all over, I thought it bore perhaps some discussion.
This post was deleted for the following reason: a single link to a popular blogger's blog does not change this from being essentially a TSA outragefilter post. -- jessamyn
Wah wah. The war on terror has gone too far when AMERICANS are subject to such occasional indignity.
posted by Philosopher's Beard at 8:50 AM on April 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Philosopher's Beard at 8:50 AM on April 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
Yeah, take that Wil Wheaton! You're white!
posted by Mister_A at 8:53 AM on April 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 8:53 AM on April 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
First they came for Wil Wheaton,
and I did not speak because he ruined Star Trek and hell mend his genitals.
posted by fire&wings at 8:54 AM on April 7, 2011
and I did not speak because he ruined Star Trek and hell mend his genitals.
posted by fire&wings at 8:54 AM on April 7, 2011
This will just encourage them to make the whole 'Fly the Friendly Skies If You Are A VIP or Can Pay and Aren't Muslim or a Leftist' thing a federal program.
posted by ennui.bz at 8:55 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ennui.bz at 8:55 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Umm... don't fly? You knew what the state of affairs of air travel currently are.
Outrage, I tell you, outrage.
posted by TheBones at 8:55 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Outrage, I tell you, outrage.
posted by TheBones at 8:55 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
SARCASTIC COMMENT ABOUT WHITE PEOPLE
posted by Hoopo at 8:55 AM on April 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Hoopo at 8:55 AM on April 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Wow, can you guys screw up this thread any harder?
posted by demiurge at 8:56 AM on April 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by demiurge at 8:56 AM on April 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Is Wil Wheaton the new Gaga?
posted by londonmark at 8:56 AM on April 7, 2011
posted by londonmark at 8:56 AM on April 7, 2011
Oh man this is nothing. Did you see Quark's blog post about being detained by the TSA for 48 hours on a return trip from Ferenginar?
Surely this!
posted by basicchannel at 8:57 AM on April 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
Surely this!
posted by basicchannel at 8:57 AM on April 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
Is there a button for "flag every single comment?"
posted by tyllwin at 8:57 AM on April 7, 2011 [16 favorites]
posted by tyllwin at 8:57 AM on April 7, 2011 [16 favorites]
It's important to keep this civil liberties issue in public discourse. I'm delighted that some demi-celebrity uses his fame (and, I hope, his wealth) to call attention to the current screening procedures.
posted by Nelson at 8:57 AM on April 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 8:57 AM on April 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
liketitanic: "Because it happened to Wil Wheaton it's news? This is not new--the only thing new is a somewhat well-known white dude's sense of public outrage"
Yes, yes. The argument against invasive searches is hurt by the white man's participation. I'ts like, stay out, cracker. We don't need you in our tent.
posted by boo_radley at 8:58 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yes, yes. The argument against invasive searches is hurt by the white man's participation. I'ts like, stay out, cracker. We don't need you in our tent.
posted by boo_radley at 8:58 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Is Wil Wheaton the new Gaga?
No, new Wil Wheaton is the old Wil Wheaton. 6 months behind the times!
Seriously, frequent flyers (VIPs or not) have been dealing with this issue for months. Poor guy must not be getting very many speaking gigs these days.
posted by cabingirl at 8:58 AM on April 7, 2011
No, new Wil Wheaton is the old Wil Wheaton. 6 months behind the times!
Seriously, frequent flyers (VIPs or not) have been dealing with this issue for months. Poor guy must not be getting very many speaking gigs these days.
posted by cabingirl at 8:58 AM on April 7, 2011
Good grief, people. Are you saying Wil Wheaton doesn't have the right to complain? Of course he does; he has exactly the same rights as every other American. We all agree that TSA abuse and molestation has to stop. The only thing that will make it stop is public outcry, and if the face of that outcry has to be Wil Wheaton, then I'm glad he's stepping up. Celebrities have taller soapboxes; that's all. Now quit with the stupid Wesley jokes and focus your rage and/or snark at people who actually deserve it.
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:58 AM on April 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:58 AM on April 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
Is there a button for "flag every single comment?"
How about flag the post and have it deleted, it's a pretty thin post to begin with.
posted by TheBones at 8:58 AM on April 7, 2011
How about flag the post and have it deleted, it's a pretty thin post to begin with.
posted by TheBones at 8:58 AM on April 7, 2011
While I think the security theater is wasteful joke, I'm not sure why Wil Wheaton's opinions on the matter should be afforded more attention than anyone else's.
posted by entropicamericana at 8:59 AM on April 7, 2011
posted by entropicamericana at 8:59 AM on April 7, 2011
Wow, can you guys screw up this thread any harder?
yeah, because the trailing paragraph in the FPP hasn't already screwed the thread pretty hard.
posted by edgeways at 8:59 AM on April 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
yeah, because the trailing paragraph in the FPP hasn't already screwed the thread pretty hard.
posted by edgeways at 8:59 AM on April 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
If he'd just shave more often, he'd look less like a terrorist and this wouldn't happen.
posted by straight at 8:59 AM on April 7, 2011
posted by straight at 8:59 AM on April 7, 2011
I'm so confused. Why does the fact that he's white and/or famous make it OK that he got his junk fondled? What's wrong with you people?
posted by phunniemee at 9:00 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by phunniemee at 9:00 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm trying to frame this in the most compassionate way possible, but it's difficult. I agree with Mr. Wheaton's point, but at the same time harassment by TSA agents has been going on for years - far longer than the recent "OK, we'll start feeling up everybody if y'all insist" rules.
I admit I have a kneejerk reaction when some famous blogger is like, "This issue that is older than dirt STARTED AFFECTING ME!!! I didn't care before BUT I DO NOW!!!" I'm sorry that Wheaton had to go through this. I wish that certain influential bloggers could care about issues that don't directly affect them.
posted by muddgirl at 9:00 AM on April 7, 2011
I admit I have a kneejerk reaction when some famous blogger is like, "This issue that is older than dirt STARTED AFFECTING ME!!! I didn't care before BUT I DO NOW!!!" I'm sorry that Wheaton had to go through this. I wish that certain influential bloggers could care about issues that don't directly affect them.
posted by muddgirl at 9:00 AM on April 7, 2011
I'm flying for the first time since the pornoscanner where installed, next week. I way just shove some dirty socks down my pants for them to fondle.
posted by edgeways at 9:01 AM on April 7, 2011
posted by edgeways at 9:01 AM on April 7, 2011
The system's messed up even when it's not traumatic to the traveler. I went through a backscatter machine last week, and I guess I pinged something because I had to stand there afterward and get wanded, and then patted down. No, I am not carrying any change or keys or any other metal in my pocket. No, I don't have an artificial hip or a pin in my leg. No, my jeans don't even have rivets. Really, this magical save-us-all-from-terrorists machine couldn't figure this out by itself? Great, I feel really fucking safe now that I know someone at a remote location has seen my nakie pictures and the TSA still can't figure out whether I'm packing a box cutter.
posted by padraigin at 9:01 AM on April 7, 2011
posted by padraigin at 9:01 AM on April 7, 2011
Hey, I already conceded I thought it was thin to post. It doesn't make no nevermind to me if it gets removed.
But I am finding all the snark pretty enjoyable.
posted by Kitteh at 9:02 AM on April 7, 2011
But I am finding all the snark pretty enjoyable.
posted by Kitteh at 9:02 AM on April 7, 2011
Are you saying Wil Wheaton doesn't have the right to complain?
No, actually, we're used to it.
posted by Gator at 9:02 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
No, actually, we're used to it.
posted by Gator at 9:02 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
basically if you haven't complained, consistently, every day, all the time you have lost your right to speak on the issue, and your personal experience as a data point is completely meaningless and in fact damages the cause.
posted by boo_radley at 9:03 AM on April 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by boo_radley at 9:03 AM on April 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
...and hell mend his genitals
And just how will hell mend his genitals?
posted by aught at 9:03 AM on April 7, 2011
And just how will hell mend his genitals?
posted by aught at 9:03 AM on April 7, 2011
so... essentially you couldn't be bothered to make a good FPP by your own standards?
posted by edgeways at 9:03 AM on April 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by edgeways at 9:03 AM on April 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
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