IF this is how diplomats are treated, what chance do we have?

The Indian Ambassador to the United States visited Jackson, Mississippi last weekend and had a very pleasant trip—that is until she got to the airport to fly back to Washington. I’ll let you read the rest.

Indian Diplomat Gets Violated

(Frank II)

Comments

[Maria]

Reading such about the TSA does not surprise me. What I find extra difficult to take - some of the comments posted at the bottom of the article, such as the following:

"I live in Jackson, Mississippi; and I am pleased that our TSA folks are doing their jobs as required. Our politicians should commend them for their attention to duty." billmcg3 (0 friends, send message) wrote: 3h 13m ago


"Why should an India Diplomat be treated different than the law abiding american citizens are treated when they go through security at the airports ? The Diplomat could had been a terrorist. Since there was no scanner at this particular airport & considering how she was dress, a pat down on her was the right thing for the T. S. A. agent to do. The T. S.A. agent who did the pat down should be made the employee of the month, if not for the year." by prankster (0 friends, send message) wrote: 3h 28m ago


Sad isn't it? Or mind-numbing!

[Till]

As much as I dislike the TSA, as y'all know, I think she was just the victim of an ordinary and legal pat-down like thousands of other travelers (60,000 per day as per the figures from the article stating TSA says it gives pat-downs to 3% > 3% of 2M = 60,000.).

The thing is, if it happens to an Ambassador people will actually notice that it's outrageous. But if it happens to Jane Doe and John Schmoe, nobody cares.

Plus, it's really stupid to mess with an Indian female Ambassador, which shows that either the TSA agents there weren't so smart or they were so sure of their protected status that they are playing games. Maybe both.

The only thing I see that might allow for a real complaint is that she asked for a private pat-down and that was not done.

It says the "new guidelines do not expressly exempt foreign dignitaries" but I'm unsure if being exempt from administrative searches is not perhaps one of the privileges you enjoy as someone who holds a CD passport, and actually in this case as the ambassador of the biggest democratic country in the world. For example their luggage cannot be searched by customs without a special warrant.

I'd be interested to know what will happen. Being a diplomat she will most likely not complain officially but under the table. They will make a special TSA internal note not to ever do that to her again. She'll get an under the table personal apology from Pistole. MS will be screwed for business with India. Other diplomats will get very wary and insist on special treatment.

[Charles]

"I regret the outrageous way Indian Ambassador Shankar was treated by the TSA while visiting Jackson."

But not the outrageous way EVERYONE else gets treated?

F*** YOU TSA GOONS

[Dan]

I wonder if a situation such as this would have occoured
if the airport security was privatized.Hopefully it would
attract folks who would be able to discern and choose
passengers for pat down based on their demeanor rather
than the outfit the passenger is wearing. In this case a sari.

[Monte]

In my opinion the privatization of government functions and responsibilities does not lead to better service nor to less expensive costs. Two examples that lead me to this conclusion are the use of private contractors by the military and State Dept. and the privatization of prisons by states. The use of fake soldiers has been a disaster from the standpoint of money spent and results accumulated, and the loss of good will the rogue fakes soldiers have caused.

The second, privatization of prisons has, in the long run, not saved states money. There are several lawsuits by human rights groups and the ACLU against private prison corporations and the states that have allowed them.

If the state has the responsibility to look after our safety, provide security to citizens, and discipline its people who are found guilty of law breaking, that state should fulfill that responsibilty itself, not subcontract it to private corporations.

[Till]

Right on, Monte. I can only second that. The only problem is that the state's soldiers and prisons aren't exactly doing so well, either. :)

Here is a little video from CNN about the incident:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/12/09/pkg.indian.ambassador.airport.WAPT?hpt=T2

[obie]

She suffered the same humiliation that tons of US citizens face on a daily basis. I wonder if all US elected officials had to go through the same TSA procedures every time they fly, would they change the rules?