About
101 Pat-Downs is an exploration of all things airport security from a passenger, crew and security officer point of view.
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Amazon • Barnes & Nobles • Potomac Books
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Do you have a good/bad/ugly TSA story? Want to share your experience working as a TSO? Be in touch!
Airport Security History
Did you know airport security didn’t start until 1973? In 101 Pat-Downs, you’ll learn about the evolution of airport security since the start of the TSA in 2001 including how infamous policies like the shoes-off rule and limitations on liquids and gels got started.
Complex Technology
What started as a quick stroll through a metal detector eventually evolved into a complex, technology-driven system with major implications for personal privacy. In 101 Pat-Downs, you’ll be asked to question why your choices to fly are limited to getting scanned through your clothes or having a stranger touch your private parts.
A now taken-for-granted response to terror
The TSA was created just months after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Now, nearly 20 years later, the TSA is a taken-for-granted part of U.S. culture, especially for younger people, many of whom were in diapers or not yet born when the attacks occurred.