The note below was just sent to the IND airport authority and to Continental Airlines. I am sitting at IND waiting for a flight right now...
<begin letter>
As I write this, I am sitting in the IND airport. I'm just your average looking 44 year old business guy catching a flight to Houston. I commute pretty much every week to Houston. For the past year I have been flying out of SDF. I had heard the ruckus about the screening, but had not seen these new procedures for myself until today. I just went through the line and found out for myself why people are upset.
As a VERY frequent flier, I have the "normal" security stuff down cold... until now. This time it's remove belt, wallet, EVERYTHING. Not only did I go through the millimeter wave machine but after that, they decided to give me a frisking as well. The officer was doing his best to be professional and reading from the script. I assured him it was ok and just to get on with it. I was respectful and kept my opinions to myself. That said, there is NO way that I would want my family going through this kind of search - especially in the absence of reasonable cause. The frisking that I received would have been considered groping and molestation in any court in the country. It is my opinion that in the absence of evidence that would indicate greater caution - the security measures that are being used are WAY over the top. Name me one other business where customers get subjected to this intrusive of a search with zero cause! If there was cause to believe me a likely threat - then fine - please search me in great detail! But in the absence this evidence, there is NO reason for the over the top practices that TSA is using.
People may argue about the Constitutionality of the search. I am not a Constitutional scholar and I won't go there. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. The bottom line is that this is NO way to treat your customers! As someone who is on these planes a LOT, I have an interest in a safe flight. I am totally ok with REASONABLE screening. This is NOT REASONABLE!
That said, I believe in the power of the marketplace. My frequent flier number is listed below. From now forward I will NOT book flights out of IND until these policies are revised. Perhaps Contintental/ IND / etc. will listen to their customers. Perhaps not. I will book all future flights out of SDF, in spite of my preference for the larger planes that use IND. In the future, should SDF go to these procedures, I will find an alternative means of transportation.
You as an airport have the right to opt out of the TSA screening system. I heartily encourage you to do so. I am opting out of using your airport until this happens.
Respectfully,
[ArmedProgrammer]
Continental Frequent Flier Number XXXXXXXXX
<begin letter>
As I write this, I am sitting in the IND airport. I'm just your average looking 44 year old business guy catching a flight to Houston. I commute pretty much every week to Houston. For the past year I have been flying out of SDF. I had heard the ruckus about the screening, but had not seen these new procedures for myself until today. I just went through the line and found out for myself why people are upset.
As a VERY frequent flier, I have the "normal" security stuff down cold... until now. This time it's remove belt, wallet, EVERYTHING. Not only did I go through the millimeter wave machine but after that, they decided to give me a frisking as well. The officer was doing his best to be professional and reading from the script. I assured him it was ok and just to get on with it. I was respectful and kept my opinions to myself. That said, there is NO way that I would want my family going through this kind of search - especially in the absence of reasonable cause. The frisking that I received would have been considered groping and molestation in any court in the country. It is my opinion that in the absence of evidence that would indicate greater caution - the security measures that are being used are WAY over the top. Name me one other business where customers get subjected to this intrusive of a search with zero cause! If there was cause to believe me a likely threat - then fine - please search me in great detail! But in the absence this evidence, there is NO reason for the over the top practices that TSA is using.
People may argue about the Constitutionality of the search. I am not a Constitutional scholar and I won't go there. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. The bottom line is that this is NO way to treat your customers! As someone who is on these planes a LOT, I have an interest in a safe flight. I am totally ok with REASONABLE screening. This is NOT REASONABLE!
That said, I believe in the power of the marketplace. My frequent flier number is listed below. From now forward I will NOT book flights out of IND until these policies are revised. Perhaps Contintental/ IND / etc. will listen to their customers. Perhaps not. I will book all future flights out of SDF, in spite of my preference for the larger planes that use IND. In the future, should SDF go to these procedures, I will find an alternative means of transportation.
You as an airport have the right to opt out of the TSA screening system. I heartily encourage you to do so. I am opting out of using your airport until this happens.
Respectfully,
[ArmedProgrammer]
Continental Frequent Flier Number XXXXXXXXX
I know not every one will see it, but that was a brave thing to do. We need more people writing letters like this.
That is what I read on a Yahoo News! article in which the reporter stated that it was TSA guidelines and part of your "contract" when you buy an airplane ticket. 
