Pilot Security Rant

There’s a lot of talk about the full body scanners now being used as part of the security ritual being used by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States. Current rules say that travelers have a right to refuse a scan and instead to opt for a pat down. This has become a major bone of contention for frequent travelers. As someone who doesn’t travel very much I don’t really have an opinion on whether or not this particular step is necesary in the security process. But someone else does.

Last week a pilot refused both the scanner and the pat down and was not allowed onto the flight he was supposed to captain. His argument was that being scanned and/or frisked on his way to work was an infringment on his civil liberties. I definitely understand his point. Who’d want to go through such a rigorous procedure just to get to work?

The thing is that these procedures (whether you agree with them or not) are known. I can understand if you disagree with them and you’d like to make a statement against them. That’s your right. If you have concerns about the body scanner then by all means opt out and go for the pat down. But the scan/pat down choice is known to be part of the process anybody boarding a plane must comply with. If you don’t like it then find another job.

To lobby for changes to security procedures is fine but to say you’re entitled to skip a whole step of a security procedure because it’s your workplace is ridiculous. The pool of pilots is just as likely to be poisoned by someone involved in a terrorist plot as the pool of passengers so why should pilot not be subject to the same security procedure? So once again, if you don’t want to conform to the security procedure find a job that doesn’t require it.

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