Don't touch my junk: TSA workers face a tough job

[steve2470]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101123/ap_on_re_us/us_airport_security_tsa_officers

TAMPA, Fla. – They've been called molesters, threatened with physical violence and ordered not to touch "my junk." One woman headbutted a TSA officer who was searching her laptop. Other screeners report being punched, kicked and shoved during patdowns. However, security officers performing increasingly invasive searches say they want Thanksgiving travelers to know they're just doing their jobs, and trying to save lives.

"Even though the agents face some considerable stress from passengers, they are determined to keep the traveling public safe," said Sari Koshetz, a TSA spokeswoman in Tampa on Tuesday.

To be sure, most passengers are docile when going through an airport's security checkpoint.

But Ricky D. McCoy, a lead transportation officer and president of Local 777 Illinois and Wisconsin, a union for the TSA workers, said the atmosphere has changed in the past two weeks.

Last week, for instance, McCoy explained the search to a passenger. "The guy looked me straight in the face and said, 'I don't know what I might do to you if you touch me,'" McCoy said.

McCoy assured the man he would not be abused — and then stared the man down and told him touching him would be the worst mistake he's ever made because authorities would be called. The search went smoothly.

[iamjoy]

1. Yeah, I Feel Bad for the TSA Agents...

I'm sure we have some TSA screeners who just get giddy with their power and enjoy making folks uncomfortable, but we probably also have a lot of screeners who believe (however misguidedly) that they are helping keep America safe. And we probably have others who think it's kind of silly, but need to keep their job to feed their family. I doubt most of them really enjoy smelling feet all day or groping sweaty people with BO, or arguing with some one about whether that 6 ounce bottle of hair gel is okay if it's half full. If they are mishandling situations (and we've heard the abuses) it is likely because they were not properly trained, rather than that they are sadistic or perverse. That lack of training is no excuse, indeed, it should concern us...

[Cleita]

2. It seems this

would be a good place for the union to protest the working conditions of its members. There is also the problem of spreading diseases with the close contact IMHO.

[LisaL]

3. Especially if they don't change the gloves from one passenger

to the next.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[MineralMan]

5. Too far have you gone.