NYT: Many Women Say Airport Pat-Downs Are a Humiliation

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/23/business/23grope.html?ei=5094&en=b5881a8201ea1f03&hp=&ex=1101186000&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print&position=

At a security checkpoint recently at the Fort Lauderdale airport, Patti LuPone, the singer and actress, recalled, she was instructed to remove articles of clothing. "I took off my belt; I took off my clogs; I took off my leather jacket," she said. "But when the screener said, 'Now take off your shirt,' I hesitated. I said, 'But I'll be exposed.' " When she persisted in her complaints, she said, she was barred from her flight.

Heather L. Maurer, a business executive from Washington, had a similar experience at Logan Airport in Boston recently. And a few weeks ago, Jenepher Field, 71, who walks with the aid of a cane, was subjected to a breast pat-down at the airport outside Kansas City, Mo.

These women and a good many others, both frequent and occasional travelers, say they are furious about recent changes in airport security that have increased both the number and the intensity of pat-downs at the nation's 450 commercial airports. And they are not keeping quiet.

In dozens of interviews, women across the country say they were humiliated by the searches, often done in view of other passengers, and many said they had sharply reduced their air travel as a result.

[phaseolus]

1. Men, too

...though not as bad.

Since I usually travel on the spur-of-the-moment I'm pulled aside for special screening fairly often. While the TSA people are *usually* professional, you occasionally get an assclown like that jerk at the Milwaukee airport. Now, since my personal space bubble is a little larger than most people's, I flinch a little while being patted down. And having some shithead like that guy joke about it doesn't help matters any.
:mad:

[saigon68]

44. They do this when they aren't "STEALING " from your Luggage

I WON'T FLY BECAUSE OF THIS after they strip searched my wife-- that was it for me ----they can suck my ass.

[ekhunter]

61. wow, i did not realize they went to that extent.

i don't blame you for not traveling. a strip search is a little much.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. I was really offended when they waved that wand slowly around

my ass. I wondered why they didn't just bring on the sniffing dogs.

[fortyfeetunder]

5. Just don't commit flatus!

If you decide to fart in front of those wands, you may be labeled a weapon of mass destruction...

[DELUSIONAL]

3. Sexual Molestation at the airports

So far, the protests have been mostly rumblings, but Norman Siegel, a prominent New York civil rights lawyer, has been retained by Rhonda L. Gaynier, who said she recently decided to go public with her objections to routinely receiving "a breast exam in public" at airports. He has assembled a legal team to research grounds for a class-action lawsuit.

For women who have been molested as children -- this WILL cause flash backs.

And I am prepared to open my mouth and SCREAM BLOODY MURDER.

This continual assault on our privacy and our right not to be sexually abused by color of authority could be part of a pattern to keep everyone fearful.

It is also a fact that some males are turned on by women handling other women's breasts -- these "pat downs" are video taped -- perhaps by later viewing. THIS aspect should be part of the class action law suit.

I just sent off an email to my Congressional Rep -- if enough of us do this - the sexist pigs will have to back off.

WOMEN DO NOT WANT TO BE HANDLED IN PUBLIC. At least normal women don't.

[Cadence]

19. As far as the flashbacks thing

I agree. I'm afraid to fly for just that reason. I was abused as a child and even though I'm healing I have a hard time sticking up for myself when I'm put in a vulnerable position around people of authority and the terror can overwhelm me. Just the thought of potentially being groped in public makes me never want to fly again.

[DELUSIONAL]

26. This was the topic of my email to my Congressional Rep

he is one of the good guys --

The Airline Attendants came to him when the rent-a-cop security decided to molest them when they went through the security lines.

The flash backs are horrific -- and when someone in power can do this to women -- I just wonder what else they will try?

[thinkingwoman]

31. I'm not afraid, but I do refuse

I refuse to fly because I refuse to subject myself to a sexual assault.

I have been sexually assaulted before and, frankly, I fail to see the difference between that experience and these pat downs. If someone touches me without my consent, that is assault.

I haven't flown since 9/11 and I won't start anytime soon. It's possible not to fly. We don't have to allow ourselves to be subjected to such nonsense.

Given the training and pay level for these "screeners" it's akin to letting the local McDonalds worker screen people. I can't trust the local McDonalds worker to make my sandwich the way I order it. Why would I trust them to keep me safe in the air. It's just silly.

Let all the airlines go bankrupt. It's fine with me.

[LibDemAlways]

4. These searches are intrusive and

stupid. I was subjected to a bra pat down last summer in Seattle which was just plain ridiculous. After unloading everything that might have set off the metal detector, surgical screws in my ankle from an old ankle injury set it off anyway. I showed the screener the six inch scar and invited him to "wand" it.

Instead, he yanked me out of line, called for a female screener, and soon an overly officious smarmy woman was feeling me up in full view of my 11-year-old daughter and everyone else passing by. While this was going on, a hunched over woman in a wheelchair who had to be 90 was physically lifted out of the chair, wanded, and separated from her shoes.

I'm all for intelligent security and identifying threats, but this is completely beyond the pale. I'm glad more people are complaining. I was pretty vocal while being abused by TSA, and was probably lucky not to have been arrested.

[Synnical]

6. Bounce your boobies

Been there, done that. And yeah, it's humiliating. Take off your shoes, take off your belt, take off your jewelry, let me wand you again. "Do you mind if I touch your breasts?" (Only females have inspected my tits. But men have demanded that I remove articles of clothing and IMO received a cheap strip-tease in the process.)

Damn straight, I find it humiliating. But if I don't allow them to feel me up, I can't get on the plane.

Girlfriends, bounce your boobies! Don't wear a bra when you're traveling! Express yourself!

te-heee

[VegasWolf]

7. I second that idea 100%!!! n/t

[corporatemedia]

9. the boobie motion has a 2nd. gentlemen: yeas and nays please

AYE

[signmike]

10. Aye Aye, Sir!

[eowyn_of_rohan]

36. te-hee?

I think you are really a man...

[qs04]

8. All the while they ignore...

Last I knew they were ignoring the possibility of an inside job. A while back I was trying out for a job at Oakland International out on the ramp and had an acquaintance who already worked there and offered to show me around. So I showed up one day and this person took be through a door behind one of the ticket booths, through the bagage handeling area and near a parked aircraft so I could get a look at the work I would be doing. Remember as I was *trying* for a job at this time, I was not authorized to be there. I was never asked for ID. I never passed any checkpoint or security guard. There was nothing in place to stop an employee either placing explosives or smuggling in weapons. Nothing.

So what security measures will be put in place when someone hides explosives in a body cavity?

[berni_mccoy]

27. Exactly...

Once someone shove's a pound of C4 up their ass and blows themselves up on the plane, we're going to be in deep shit (literally).

[signmike]

11. The pat-downs are humiliating, AND...

...they don't last nearly long enough! ;-)

[bobo4u]

12. Hey, where do I apply?!...

Always wanted a job like that. ;-)

[donheld]

13. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[Skittles]

15. see, that's what kinda makes us sick

nt

[eowyn_of_rohan]

35. "Kinda" is putting it mildly, isnt it......

To turn this humiliation and invasion of our privacy into something titillating, puts it way over the top. I havent flown since 9/11--actually since June, 2000 (a pleasure trip to NYC, last night of which was spent at the top of the WTC in the Greatest Bar on Earth...) 90% of my flights before that were for pleasure trips. All the pleasure has been taken away. At first I was afraid to fly, but then it turned into a boycott. When my friend's 80-year old mother was taken out of a wheelchair and she and her tin of Christmas cookies were searched, I thought WTF?!? The government was doing nothing about border security, NOR x-raying checked bags on planes (and MORE, which I wont get into), but they were treating us "regular" Americans like this... I refused to subject myself to harassment and degrading treatment of the kind you and others here are describing. While I long for another European vacation, I am content with my memories, and until they make some changes in the airline industry, I will just keep taking road trips.

[Skittles]

14. I swear an 80 year old woman felt me up at Gatwick Airport in England

she asked me DO YOU KNOW WHY I'M DOING THIS and I replied WELL I FREAKING *HOPE* IT IS FOR SECURITY REASONS. :o

[eowyn_of_rohan]

32. Did she have a response? nt

[Skittles]

58. no but nearby travellers laughed their asses off

nt

[NVMojo]

16. they are public security gropings...

[noamnety]

17. it's happened to me too

not groping, but they had me stand with my arms out to the side while they wanded me. And then they lifted my sweatshirt up above my bra - I was shocked, it was a business trip with my coworkers. I was pretty pissed off, but - same deal as in the article, you're afraid if you smack them (my gut reaction), you'll be carted off somewhere. The screener just said, I figured you were wearing another shirt underneath. wtf?

[Zan_of_Texas]

23. I think it has very little to with airline security, and a lot to do with

making us feel like we're all suspects. It's a creeping police state, with everyone presumed guilty until proven innocent.

When they refuse to board Teddy Kennedy (more than once) (and another liberal congressman) because he or his name is on a terrorist watch list, you know these Homeland Security people are thinking with bags of hammers instead of brains.

The number of airline and food and baggage and other employees who have access to planes is thousands and thousands -- that used to be the obvious portal if someone wanted to do something bad to a plane -- maybe they've tightened it up, but the experience related above says, hmmmm, maybe not.

I don't know what to do about it -- Teddy went to the top, but it STILL took several tries to get his name off their secret list.

I have cut back on my flying because I am not interested in being treated like that, especially by people with little training and a lot of power.

[hlthe2b]

18. Bastards-- I've been humiliated in front of male coworkers too...

This isn't security, it is legalized sexual assault. I worked in Saudi Arabia and women pat down women if it is necessary and never in public--always behind a screen. There is no excuse for what is happening now--NONE.

[CityDem]

20. Tough shit

I am tired of having to take my shoes off and have someone wave a wand around my entire body each time I travel. It is a minor inconvenience associated with traveling by air today.

[WindRavenX]

22. I think your tune would change

If they manhandled your package.
Grabbing our breasts is extremely violating in front of the public.

[lastliberalintexas]

37. Really?

Then let me grab your nuts and force you to disrobe in a public place with wannabe law enforcement (ie, Homeland Security) men and women leering in the background. It isn't a pleasant experience, and it's far worse than even the normal, overly intrusive searches.

I was subjected to this kind of molestation, and until you've gone through it, you have no idea how bad you feel. I won't say you have the exact same feelings as being raped, but you certainly feel violated.

And for some reason they kept trying to get me to consent to being screened in a private room. That sounded too ominous to me, so I refused- I was really afraid of what might happen or materialilze in that private room. Besides, I also wanted the other passengers to see what could happen to them, so I forced them to do mine in full view.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with security. They assaulted me, wanted me to undress (I refused at that point and would have driven to Dallas instead and been late for court), and groped me- but did *nothing* to my bags! I could have been carrying a bomb in my laptop, but that was ok because I didn't have an AK in my bra. :eyes:

[SemperEadem]

62. better yet, let's see it happen to his young daughter

and see how "tough shit" he is about it then.

[hlthe2b]

50. I'm sure the crowd will enjoy the snarfy comments made about your

package as you are groped.... Maybe then YOU will understand. Until then, take your insensitive attitude back over to F.R. where it is appreciated. :mad:

[warrens]

21. Shaddup, shaddup, shaddup, you damn lieberals

I just got a job in the airport for $5.73 an hour and that is the only thing than gets me up everyday. Sexual abuse, legal. Does it get better than that?

[drunkdriver-in-chief]

24. SO DON'T FLY. I've never been on a plane in my life -eom

eom

[SleeplessinSoCal]

25. my broken ankle makes it really tough

Because I have a metal plate with 8 pins in it on my ankle, I set off the metal detector. And because I must fly as my career requires, this means even a note from a doctor will not excuse me from a full body scan.

This makes me crazy and it is very uncomfortable. It does depend on the security person, but some of them are abusing their authority.

[fugue]

29. Some people don't have that option

Many of the job postings I saw when I was laid off read "Willingness to travel required." If I hadn't found my telecommute, what would I have done? Gotta pay the rent.

[lostnfound]

28. Watching your toddler be separated from you is horrifying too..

WHen he was an infant, they'd make me wake him up from a sound sleep to take him out of a cloth infant carrier. When he was just barely able to walk, they started making him go through security 'by himself'. And the worst part was when they pulled me aside for special screening. Little child doesn't understand why the strangers are stopping him from being with his mommy. And mommy is pondering how in today's world, with insensitive and inhuman attitudes, bureaucratic slipup are frighteningly common.

[alittlelark]

49. My 9 year old got a full search

We still do not know why she beeped. She was scared, and I had to stay behind the line, her eyes started welling up, and I just got ANGRY. Fortunately an older lady working there saw what was happening, and told him "that's good enough". It was a disgusting experience.

[tyedyeto]

30. It's not just women...

My fella was coming home last week after a business trip, when he was told he was selected for further searching. Called me up right after the search and said he had been 'strip searched' including handling his gonads. WTF???

[MadHound]

33. Boycott the damn airlines as much as possible

This is utter abuse of authority by people on a power trip. And quite frankly, it is designed to gradually inoculate the populace to the idea of instrusive seaches whenever we go out in public. This shit has to stop, before the government decides to have intrusive searches everywhere. Boycott the airlines whenever possible, most of them are on the brink anyway. File lawsuits, complain loudly, and don't submit like a goddamn sheep. This is what these people want you to do.

If you have to travel for business, start telling your boss to allow you time to drive there. If you have to go overseas, make your airport of departure in Canada.

This is just a warm up people, wake up. If this isn't stopped at the airports, then you will start facing this kind of BS at your local post office, county courthouse, even the grocery store.

There are much less intrusive ways of determining whether a person is carrying something dangerous. Force the bastards to spend the money on the tech, and the time on training their personell. Otherwise a strip search will become the norm whereever you go, even in your home town.

[lastliberalintexas]

39. I quoted the 4th amendment to them

as they were groping me. I'm sure I'm on some "further" watch list now, since I lectured them on our Constitutional guarantees of freedom the entire time. And this was in my hometown, and I've been traveling from this airport at least 6 times a month for the past several months. You're correct- it has nothing whatsoever to do with security.

And I'll just have to keep doing that, since I have to travel quite a bit for my job. But I won't be on a plane for a pleasure trip in the near future.

[Almost_there]

59. Does the 4th amendment actually apply?

I don't know that the 4th actually applies here, only because search and seizure is really pertaining to a public situation or in your own home / property. The airport and actually air travel is neither. You do NOT have to put up with the pat down, but, they don't have to let you through the gates. Its one of those. The 'gate' is where the line of the constitution ends, and I believe that one has been tested over and over in various courts and the 4th doesn't apply.

I really do believe especially after Chechnya and the women with C4 that is not picked up by metal detector, either large or small, searches of some nature are necessary to ensure public safety. UGH! I hated saying that. Yuck.

~Almost

[Jim__]

40. Absolutely - don't fly

If its at all an option - drive.

After 9/11, I decided to drive anywhere within 1000 miles to avoid the bullshit at the airport. Now, I won't fly - period.

I work as a software engineer and my company is hiring in India and China. I just tell people I'll visit them after I'm laid off and I have the time to drive.

[Danmel]

34. Be glad you don't have a disability.....

I have a prosthesis and traveled this summer with my husband and two kids to Seattle. At Kennedy airport, I of course set off the alarm. They wanded me and I told them I had a prosthesis- the woman felt my leg through my jeans and sent me on my way- no problem at all.

On the return trip at SeaTac, an airport I will never travel to again, however, I was subject to 25 minutes of not just wandings,pat downs and examination, but I was DUSTED FOR EXPLOSIVES!

They made me take off shoes, belt. (They did not grope my breasts- and I have taken to wearing sports bras when I travel so that there is no additional metal to arouse suspicion)

But they made me lift my pants above my knee (fortunately they made it over, or I'd have been taken aside and stripped) and dusted my leg for explosives. They also dusted my hands for explosives- I hope that's all they did- for all I know, I'm now in some DNA data bank. They did not tell me what they were doing until I asked them what on earth they were doing. Aside from any discrimination against anyone with a disability the whole thing just defied common sense.

I am a 5 foot tall 44 year old woman, traveling with her entire family, on the RETURN leg of a round trip ticket.

And you know, if I was gonna blow myself, my husband and children and an entire plane load of people up, why would I care which leg I put the explosives on? They didn't check my other leg.

My kids were pretty freaked out by the whole thing & everyone was staring at me. It was insulting. And it doesn't really make me feel safer that they spend all their time on people who pose no threat

On the plane, a young Israeli man, traveling alone, ONE WAY ,to go to college in NY told me no one ever checks him. He said he'd feel a lot better if they checked people like him instead of people like me. So go figure.

[prayin4rain]

47. Jeez, that is just ridiculous!! n/t

[LibDemAlways]

53. SeaTac is awful.

My husband is in and out of there all the time and has seen the explosives dusting more than once on children's toys. God knows what chemical they use, but they swab it all over a kid's teddy bear and then hand the toy back to the kid for him to put in his mouth.

The American public is paying bigtime for the chimp's failure to stop 9/11. These airport morons wouldn't know a real terrorist if one bit them in the ass. Furthermore, someone determined to create havoc on board an airliner doesn't need to sneak something aboard to do it. The airlines themselves provide plenty of potential weapons. And breaching the cockpit would still be pretty easy as even on the Seattle-LA run, which my husband does practically weekly, the pilot and co-pilot emerge from the cockpit several times to use the bathroom. Must be all that coffee the attendants keep opening the door to bring them.

[Corgigal]

38. As I read some of the horror stories here

I just had to share my own. I got the full pat down treatment and didn't even have a damn ticket. I was just walking my son to his gate. He was 16 at the time and just wanted to give him a hug before he boards like I have done thousand of times before.

Forget that. I now just give him a hug way before those bitches can get a hold of me again. Of course I like to tell the kids, your momma is a radical and once gave PETA 10 bucks. I'm such an outlaw.

[napi21]

41. I've heard about the shoe thing, but not the feeling breasts and

removing your blouse! Is this a random search? What in heavens name can they be looking for in a bra that wouldn't show up on a wand scan? Are these physical searches only done if the scanner sounds the audible alarm, and they're just doing a more thorough search?

The shoe thing was started because of that nut who had explosives in his shoe, but what caused this excessive body searching to be added to their techniques?

[RamboLiberal]

43. The boob search is because they suspect Russian planes

were blown up by women terrorists wearing explosive packed bras.

[Sivafae]

42. So are chicks with bigger boobs targets?

I mean think about it. I have bigger boobs, and I am un-thrilled about the prospect to being a target.
To be really quite honest, I believe that anyone affected and humiliated by this experience should fine a complaint. This is just way beyond what anyone needs to experience when trying to get on a plane. I wonder if they will let you take pictures of your "pat down."

[yellowcanine]

45. "Do you have hard boobs or are those a couple of hand grenades?"

The possibilities are endless.

[Politicub]

46. Just more opression of women by BushCo

Nothing to see here. Move on.

[Demeter]

48. Israeli Security Experts Have Said

the US has a system designed to annoy people, not to prevent terrorism
Why not go to the Israelis, and learn how to do it properly and politely and EFFECTIVELY????
For God's sake, and our own.

[Forkboy]

51. The Lighter Side of Global Terrorism

Lyrics by Jello Biafra

Can I touch you here?
May I search your bags?
You have randomly been selected
Got a funny name and you look the part
Plus,I like the way you bulge in your clothes

Yehhh-I love my job!
Rock bottom pay never felt so hot
Big man,uniform and badge
Pedophile Santas ain't got nothing on me!

Ha!

I love to feel sexy things
Other people's sexy things
I love to peek at people's things
Other people's private things

When I was young and someone's guest
I'd find a way to sneak upstairs
Peek in the closet,paw through through the drawers
And feel a funny tingle up from below

Oh,how I love to find
New playthings for my mind
I file these thoughts away
Until I go on break when I can finally touch myself!

See your shiny jewels
On your neck and wrists
They could be weapons
We must play it safe

So fork 'em over
Or you're under arrest
Maybe you should have packed them in your suitcase

Meanwhile,down below
What have we here?
Let's open this one up
Pills! Cash! Electronics to fence!
Let's see you prove that they were there in the first place!

Who is that behind
The one way mirror blind
Just little ole me
And my non-dairy cream
Gotta wipe it up and go select someone new!

Woooo!

[lazarus]

52. alternatively

we could break the system.

Last time I flew, I refused to take off my shoes. I had several reasons: I'm disabled (arthritis) and it's painful to do so; I don't wear socks, and refuse to walk around on a filthy floor in my bare feet; I just didn't feel like it.

So they had to pull me aside and wand me.

Now, what do you supposed would happen if EVERYBODY refused to take off their shoes? Let's break the freaking system.

[noamnety]

54. This and another post reminded me of a letter

I wrote a series of letters this summer, and I forgot I wrote to Ashcroft on this subject. I hope this hasn't come about as a result of one of my suggestions.

Letter to Ashcroft
Jul 25 '04

Dear Mr. Ashcroft,

Last week I received my mammogram results from my doctor, and I thought of you. I’ve heard about suspected terrorists Ms. McGarry and Colleen Carboy, who attempted to bring a suspicious substance that they referred to as “breast milk” on board an airplane. I am thankful that security screeners were on their toes in both cases, and made the women sample the liquid before boarding, to assure our safety.

My mammogram came back negative, but it made me stop and think. If a woman can smuggle weapons of mass destruction in her breast milk after it’s been expressed, what’s to keep her from smuggling them in her milk while it’s still in her breast? I know that I would feel more secure if your office could screen all mammogram records, and check for suspicious lumps. Perhaps women who have these lumps could be added to your no-fly lists. And women who don’t have a mammogram on file with your office could be pulled aside for a breast-exam by one of your screeners. You will probably get a few liberals protesting this, but be assured they are out of touch with mainstream America. The majority of women welcome the government into our private lives, if that’s the cost of freedom.

Proud to serve as your eyes and ears (and breasts!).

[lies and propaganda]

55. hahaha...i have piercings here and there

so i always go off. And i adore when the machine keeps buzzing but they have patted me down 15 times, and then the look on their face when they figure it out. Classic.
Its the small things that make the airport tolerable for me.

[saigon68]

56. Sex Deviants as Screeners

Nice</sarcasm>

[skippysmom]

57. Ugh

Security screening is enough of a pain in the ass. And now we have people getting felt up. Argh.

My husband got a little squirmy when a screener got a little too aggressive in the wand department. And it wasn't at the airport -- it was to go to a basketball game!

[porkrind]

60. Attn: SUV/Security Moms...

Here is the security/police state you requested. Enjoy the oppression.
:eyes:

---

Read about the Right-Wing "Master Plan": http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/sam/sam-contents.html

Have you read "War is a Racket"?: http://lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm

Read George Orwell's classic "1984" free online here: http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984