Slog
News & ArtsThursday, April 19, 2012
Etiquette Nude but Not Lewd
Posted by Gillian Anderson on Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 11:10 AM
I'm not sure why I find it so satisfying, but I admire the guy who protested what he saw as unfair treatment by security by taking off all his clothes at the Portland Airport.
Slowly and calmly, the 49-year-old high-tech consultant took off all his clothes. Yes, even his socks… "He asked me to please not do this," John Brennan said. "He asked me to put my clothes on. I said I believed I had a right to be nude."
1
Apparently he’s a monthly flyer and has complained of being harassed. In one version of this story he had been told that there were traces of explosives on his clothing.
“…covered their children’s eyes…” that’s some reactionary parenting right there, for sure.
“…covered their children’s eyes…” that’s some reactionary parenting right there, for sure.
2
@ 1, while I wouldn't cover my kids' eyes if this happened before me (although my older girl doesn't really like shirtless guys, for some reason - she'd probably cover her eyes on her own), doing so is too much of the norm to be considered "reactionary."
3
What's wrong with demonstrating you have no explosives or dangerous weapons on you when going through airport security? Wouldn't removing all of one's clothes do that?
6
He's from Portland. Being naked and riding bikes in protest is part of their community standards.
Same applies to Fremont in Seattle.
Disband the TSA. Nothing they do is effective against trained terrorists. Nothing.
Same applies to Fremont in Seattle.
Disband the TSA. Nothing they do is effective against trained terrorists. Nothing.
7
a couple years ago in Ohio (I think) a guy was arrested for a sex crime when a neighbor saw through a window that he was naked in his own house, brewing coffee to start the day. It took 2 years to clear his name. So if you wake up, head into the kitchen to make coffee--while naked--before jumping in the shower and can be chaged as a sex criminal because your neighbor was looking in your windows...why wasn't this guy arrested for being a sex criminal?
I'm not saying he should be, but we have become so strident and reactionary in our fear of nakedness, public morality, sex and the body as criminal ("But what about the CHILDREN?!?"), then I'm just utterly confused about how this could ever have happened.
I'm not saying he should be, but we have become so strident and reactionary in our fear of nakedness, public morality, sex and the body as criminal ("But what about the CHILDREN?!?"), then I'm just utterly confused about how this could ever have happened.
8
Matt, @2 I wouldn’t cover my kids’ eyes (not only because I don’t have three hands), but to react to a non-sexual presentation of male nudity by showing your kids just how powerful a penis is that one must avert one’s eyes when exposed, seems like it would only spark a child’s curiosity and intrigue. I would rather under-play a situation like that.
But to the parents’ defense – they had no idea where this was going to go. They likely could not have known this wasn’t a lewd act. So, I’ll listen to your wisdom and stop being so harsh and judgey.
@3 my thought exactly. If they were accusing him of having explosives on his clothing, removing them would be the best and fastest way of proving there are no bombs.
But to the parents’ defense – they had no idea where this was going to go. They likely could not have known this wasn’t a lewd act. So, I’ll listen to your wisdom and stop being so harsh and judgey.
@3 my thought exactly. If they were accusing him of having explosives on his clothing, removing them would be the best and fastest way of proving there are no bombs.
9
Sadly this wasn't so much a protest against the absurdities of the TSA, instead being a protest against the community norms that demand clothing.
10
Did they send him through the backscatter machine anyway?
(also wondering if one of Allyn's kids has just one eye)
(also wondering if one of Allyn's kids has just one eye)
12
@ 10, you must have tiny hands if you can't cover both of a kid's eyes with one.
I'm going to guess that Allyn has three children.
I'm going to guess that Allyn has three children.
14
From the reported facts, it doesn't look like his arrest for disorderly conduct was even legal. Breakin' it down:
166.025¹
Disorderly conduct in the second degree
(1) A person commits the crime of disorderly conduct in the second degree if, with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, the person:
(a) Engages in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior; -- no reports of anything violent, tumultuous or threatening about his standing there naked
(b) Makes unreasonable noise; -- no reports that he was noisy about it
(c) Disturbs any lawful assembly of persons without lawful authority; -- iffy. I'm going to assume that there's case authority somewhere that says that merely being naked in public does not constitute a disturbance in & of itself. also I'm guessing the language "lawful assembly of persons" is construed to mean more than propiniquity by mere happenstance.
(d) Obstructs vehicular or pedestrian traffic on a public way; -- no accusation that he obstructed anybody. the photos show him fairly out of the way.
(e) Congregates with other persons in a public place and refuses to comply with a lawful order of the police to disperse; -- didn't congregate with other persons, so nope
(f) Initiates or circulates a report, knowing it to be false, concerning an alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, catastrophe or other emergency; or -- nope
(g) Creates a hazardous or physically offensive condition by any act which the person is not licensed or privileged to do. -- nothing hazarous. and "physically offensive" means more than visibly naked.
so, yeah. I'm calling this arrest questionable.
More...
166.025¹
Disorderly conduct in the second degree
(1) A person commits the crime of disorderly conduct in the second degree if, with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, the person:
(a) Engages in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior; -- no reports of anything violent, tumultuous or threatening about his standing there naked
(b) Makes unreasonable noise; -- no reports that he was noisy about it
(c) Disturbs any lawful assembly of persons without lawful authority; -- iffy. I'm going to assume that there's case authority somewhere that says that merely being naked in public does not constitute a disturbance in & of itself. also I'm guessing the language "lawful assembly of persons" is construed to mean more than propiniquity by mere happenstance.
(d) Obstructs vehicular or pedestrian traffic on a public way; -- no accusation that he obstructed anybody. the photos show him fairly out of the way.
(e) Congregates with other persons in a public place and refuses to comply with a lawful order of the police to disperse; -- didn't congregate with other persons, so nope
(f) Initiates or circulates a report, knowing it to be false, concerning an alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, catastrophe or other emergency; or -- nope
(g) Creates a hazardous or physically offensive condition by any act which the person is not licensed or privileged to do. -- nothing hazarous. and "physically offensive" means more than visibly naked.
so, yeah. I'm calling this arrest questionable.
15
we're all safer. people are trying to kill us all day every day. that man is a monster and hates freedom, puppies, and apple pie. but he loves to eat.
18
I've wanted to do this for a couple of years. I have one of those silly Utilikilts, which will come completely off with one yank, so between that and a T-shirt I can be down to my socks and shoes in about 3 seconds. Too cowardly to screw up my flight, unfortunately.
20
Weird that none of the news reports ask why this dude tested positive for explosives? Or does everyone assume he's just on some random TSA shitlist?
21
An appallingly cute college student pulled this stunt a few years ago. Couldn't you have posted his picture instead?
22
@20: "Weird that none of the news reports ask why this dude tested positive for explosives? Or does everyone assume he's just on some random TSA shitlist?"
Oh bullshit. I request a patdown every time, then without fail "test positive" and every single time require the full, more private search that finds nothing.
"test positive" does not mean that you are suspicious of anything.
Oh bullshit. I request a patdown every time, then without fail "test positive" and every single time require the full, more private search that finds nothing.
"test positive" does not mean that you are suspicious of anything.
24
@18
Shoes? Shoes might be bombs, son. Better invest in some flip-flops or something to top off the ensemble.
Shoes? Shoes might be bombs, son. Better invest in some flip-flops or something to top off the ensemble.
26
My oldest daughter passed through airport security with an old Argus camera from the late 50s that she had purchased for me as a gift. An old Argus doesn't look like today's modern cameras, so it attracted a great deal of attention, and it tested positive for explosives (it still had film from the previous owner, I think it was probably the silver nitrates in the film). However, the camera was not confiscated and she was not detained.
So, @20, it's not that he tested positive for an outright explosive, but he tested positive for a component that is known to be used in explosives. And those compounds are so common in every day use, the paper test is largely useless.
So, @20, it's not that he tested positive for an outright explosive, but he tested positive for a component that is known to be used in explosives. And those compounds are so common in every day use, the paper test is largely useless.
27
#26 Don't hot dogs have nitrates, too? Dude looks like he might have tested positive for three or four of those, just recently.
28
I don't get this. The guy is upset about an invasion of his privacy, and his reaction is to throw away ALL of his privacy. He's worried about getting pushed off the porch so he jumps from the 20th floor.
I don't get this.
I don't get this.
29
I've only flown once since all this and passed the pat down. I threw my hands up "I'm not nuclear!" and skipped off. They just wanted to touch my nuts. They only want to touch them through pants though, apparently.
30
More importantly the headline should read "suspected terrorist proved TSA wrong by doing everything in his power to prove he was no threat to anyone on that plane in any way shape or form". Not his fault. He just loved America too much.
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