Two million people fly commercially every day in the United States,
and every single passenger must interact with members of airport
security. Why do travelers put up with long lines and invasive
screenings? Why do Transportation Security Administration officers
(TSOs) put up with the disrespect and anger directed at them?
Shawna Malvini Redden asked these questions for years�interviewing
passenger and security officers alike, taking note of everything
from carry-on bananas to passengers who fumed when their water
bottles were confiscated. Malvini Redden encountered a range of
passengers: the entitled business travelers; the parents with
toddlers; the hot mess, travels-once-a-year,
can't-figure-out-how-to-get-through-the-security-checkpoint-without-crying
flier. The answers, Malvini Redden admitted, were far more complex
than she anticipated.101 Pat-Downs is the story of Malvini Redden's
research journey, part confessional, part investigative research,
and part light-hearted social commentary. In it she illuminates
common experiences in airport security checkpoints specifically
focused on emotion and identity, presenting the inside scoop on
airport security interactions via her experiences and those of
passengers and TSOs. Along the way Malvini Redden introduces common
characters of airport security, humanizing the stereotypically
gruff TSO and explaining in a social-science framework why so many
passengers feel nervous inside TSA checkpoints. Ultimately, Malvini
Redden shows how people navigate communication in complex
interpersonal situations and offers research-driven suggestions for
improving interactions for passengers and TSOs alike. �