The new TSA policies are ludicrous. No matter how you look at it, personal space is always supposed to be respected.

Airport security used to be a simple process. However, it now requires you to basically jump through hoops and perform a variety of complicated maneuvers just to get through.

Putting liquids in a quart sized bag and buying the annoying three ounce bottles of anything you may possibly need is bad enough, especially with new policies charging money for non-carry-on baggage.  As is deconstructing your outfit as you remove shoes and jackets in order for the scanner to work properly.

These procedures truly are in the interest of security, even if they are absolutely annoying.  However, the TSA has now decided that these procedures are not enough to promote sufficient safety.  Currently, they are promoting measures that are somewhat controversial.

As of Nov. 1, 2010, the TSA now has the right to perform full body scans and pat-downs.  These pat downs are now referred to as “pat down procedures,” which gives the TSA officials the right to touch every outside area of the body in order to search for potential weapons.  Full body scans can now literally see every part of your anatomy.  Your body is not clothed in these scans.

In the past, only metal detector-like scanners and wands were used as opposed to full body X-ray scanners and invasive pat downs. It is not necessary for a pat-down to take two minutes, and random strangers were not supposed to know my personal anatomy, all in the name of “security.”

Is it really necessary to get up close and personal with every airline passenger just to make sure they aren’t dangerous?  I may not be the entire travelling United States of America, but personally, I’m leaning towards a ‘no.’

Just this past month, I experienced an awkward and uncomfortable TSA “full body scan,” and a patdown soon followed. I guess even teenagers travelling with their entire family are now likely criminals.

It should be acknowledged that the TSA policies do have good interests at heart.  The overall goal is to keep the travellers of America safe.  In some cases, these measures may be able to prevent major crises and ultimately, save the lives of passengers.

Despite these possible perceived benefits, the fact still remains that the new TSA policies are overly invasive, and enforcing these unjust policies upon travelers is never acceptable.

Maybe if each traveler boycotts these policies, the TSA will get the message: you can respect our space and still keep us safe.