By Russell Kanning

Following in the tradition of one of my friends, I sat down in the Manchester airport terminal with a sign that said,"Report TSA Abuses Here." When I arrived at the airport, the "Security Checkpoint" lines were not long and seemed to be moving along. I picked a bench that faced one of the lines, leaned my sign up against my leg, and took out my notepad.

Just as I was starting to write something down, a friendly voice greeted me from a TSA (Transportation Safety Administration - the guys that grope you at the airport) employee. She was excited that I was allowing travelers to voice their complaints and started telling me about all the wonderful ways airport security was changing to meet the wants of the public. She told me about "Checkpoint Evolution", which aims to make people feel more comfortable throughout the process. So I asked if there would be less patdowns administered. She gave a long response, that I couldn't quite follow.

After a few more minutes, I asked if I could use her name in my article. She said that the TSA workers are not allowed to speak to the press. After she learned I was from the paper, she directed me to the airport's PR man. I guess I can look him up sometime. She also mentioned to our photographer that she didn't want her picture posted.

During this interaction and afterwards, a few curious flyers checked us out and read my sign. Noone was being terrorized by the TSA, while I was there and I imagine they would be reluctant to report any abuses, since they had not made it through the checkpoint.

All was well at the airport screening area. The TSA is getting more friendly and is ready to hear your complaints, so rejoice the Homeland is Secure and customer friendly.

If you wish to share your stories about the TSA, please email editor@newhampshirefreepress.com.