After living in China and traveling to many parts of Asia this past year, it was a real shock coming to the United States a few days ago. The feeling of helplessly facing unbridled power was greatest when encountering the TSA gang in the land of liberty. Going through security in China, an officially Communist nation, is a pleasant breeze. They are fast, friendly, and respectful of personal privacy, in my opinion. Not so TSA in the United States. Not only are lines longer and slower than in many Asian nations, so it seems to me, but the procedures and attitudes seem more like what one would expect from a totalitarian power.

After flying from Shanghai to San Francisco, TSA caused me to miss my connection to Salt Lake, resulting in an 8-hour delay for the next available flight. After waiting through a long line, I had the choice of doing the objectionable "nude scan" or having the objectionable personal pat down. I would have preferred the pat down as a matter or principle, but could see that time was running out and so, to save time, submitted sheepishly to the nude scanner. Unfortunately, I still had on a simple knee brace and a money bag. I offered to take them off and go through again, but they refused to consider that option. I wait to wait a long time for a personal pat down, and then that wasn't good enough, so they took me to a private screening room once it became available for a more invasive pat down. They had to thumb through my cash in the money belt and ask me questions about it. America is safer, but I missed my flight. Ugh.

And then this morning, the pat down in Salt Lake was way too personal. Offensive, invasive, abusive. Just an ugly experience. It was more invasive than the TSA group in San Francisco. Did you really have to prod and touch like that?

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