fendertweed

I am really tempted to say in a loud voice, "I hope you enjoyed cupping my balls" as I leave the area, should I be so groped ...

red456

And so you should.

MikeMpls

Humiliate them & embarass them as much as possible w/o getting arrested for disorderly conduct. There is no reason to take this abuse passively.

chollie

Or..."I hope you enjoyed cupping my balls as much as I did. See you later..."

FriendlySkies

Don't forget to also say, "Call me, I'm looking forward to next time "

sunnyjl

Wow, I am really nervous about this. So far, I haven't been chosen for the machine and so haven't had to opt out, but clearly it is coming. I have never had anyone other than my husband or a medical professional touch me in my private areas, and the thought of this makes me physically ill. Couldn't someone opt out of the groping for religious reasons? What would happen if you told the screener, "Yes, you can touch my privates, but as soon as you do, I will scream, I will call the police, I will charge you with sexual assault, and I will file suit with my attorney and the ACLU". What would they say? If they ask whether you want to fly today, could that not be considered duress? If one were to actually contact the ACLU, would they take on the case?

No women have actually commented to say what the actual groping involved. I would like to hear about that if any women have been through it. Thanks.

Wally Bird

Good questions, although I would rephrase it as "No, you may NOT touch my privates, IF you do..."

It needs someone to be brave enough to try. Just buy a $49 Southwest ticket with no intention of actually flying and act out the scenario. See what they do or say.

doober

This from the comments section of the article in the NY Times of yesterday:

Also, I believe a couple of female members of FT have described their gropes, but I can't find them.

Several people have mentioned other screeners watching the gropes, leering and snickering. This is probably the most offensive part of the whole procedure to me.

There is nothing at all "professional" about the TSA.

MikeMpls

They might, but the odds are against it in any one case. The ACLU has been collecting reports on TSA checkpoint abuses for several years. They pick their battles very carefully and undoubtedly are waiting for the right case(s) to come along.

CPT Trips

If I am going to be treated like a common criminal, I would prefer to have a weapons search performed by a LEO. Has anyone requested this when a TSA employee wants to do a "pat down?" What was the response?

FriendlySkies

I wouldn't be surprised if they said "Do you want to fly today"

essxjay

The one and only groping I've had was in 2003 at PDX, long before this latest round of enhanced nonsense was rolled out and even before the 'back of the hand' standard we've had for most of the post-9/11 era. It's the only example of front of the hand screening I can offer. FWIW, here 'tis:

If you've ever worn an underwire bra then you understand how far up both sides of the cup the support wires can extend and exactly where that comes into contact with your body. If the current procedure includes what I faced, the experience of having fingers probing along the wires (from armpit to sternum) means there's almost no way to avoid touching the surrounding tissue to some extent. Having only ever allowed medical professionals and lovers to touch me in those places the experience was shocking in its invasiveness, leaving me thoroughly grossed out and infuriated. For a government actor to assert such rights over another's body without sufficient cause is as psychically wrong as physically. Just. Plain. Wrong.

As for below the waist private area screening, I haven't faced it stateside. Like so many others passing through FRA I've had the wand up the thighs experience along with a lesser chest exam several times. The whole performance is quicker and somewhat less infuriating since it's so cold and pro forma. Certainly there's never been any snickering or leering from those on the sidelines whose duty it is to serve and protect.

Never again will I consent to a front of the hand search. Someone has to stand up to airport thuggery and indecency and it may as well be me who says 'enough of this f***ery'. Being self-employed and childless I have no one to answer to for my whereabouts. I'm mentally prepared to abandon my flight plans and will find another way home, even if means days of delay.

exbayern

And that is my big difference in Asia too; professional and simple. But the wanding up into the crotch simply because one is wearing a skirt that one experiences from TSA is not professional. I cannot imagine the genital groping that is now occuring.