mules

http://www.wlns.com/story/15126069/l...port-pat-downs

"...The bladder cancer survivor says he endured a second inappropriate pat down at Detroit Metropolitan Airport..."

TheGolfWidow

They are going to kill someone with the filthy gloves and careless technique.

And it's good to know that if you are patient enough with the TSA to properly escalate your problems at the checkpoint all the way to the top....it's as though you never bothered.

SFOSpiff

I am honestly surprised they haven't done this already, by messing with someone's IV or catheter or implant.

You'd think if there was one person in the country you'd try not to screw over, it would be the guy who already shamed you on the nightly news.

I've been doing a lot of traveling the past few years on the premise that I might not be physically able to when I get older. But this is the new twist - I better get all my travel done while I'm still physically mobile and not reliant on anything I wasn't born with, because these bozos would be a bigger risk to my health than any illness.

TheGolfWidow

Isn't that who the bullies always target -- the vulnerable one that got poked on the playground last time, the one they apologized to and the one they promised never to poke again?

I'm embarrassed over and over for the TSA, so not much surprises me about their behavior at this point. But, targeting people who are medically compromised goes well beyond the usual contest of wills at the checkpoint. They are going to kill someone.

dimramon

They don't care. I raised a stink about them trying to touch some of my drugs, but they just don't care.

Fisher1949

TSA incompetence has no bounds. This is a perfect example of a zombie agency mindlessly following a protocol with no regard reality. This simply would not happen in a private sector business, there would have been special provision put in place after the first incident to prevent a recurrence and they would be particularly aware to avoid a repeat incident with the same passenger.

I’m looking forward to TSA shooting themselves in the foot again with their famous “……..we have reviewed the incident and stand behind the actions of the………in a respectful and dignified manner”. This only works in our favor. I also expect our resident TSOs will remain silent on this one. Nothing short of the complete elimination of TSA is acceptable.

average_passenger

@golfwidow - yes, they are going to kill someone with improper hygiene. Why aren't more people outraged by the poor treatment of the sick and disabled?!!! Shouldn't we treat them with compassion and understanding?

I'm just waiting for the time when no one older will want to travel. I guess lots of kids won't be seeing their grandparents anymore!!!

goalie

Totally unacceptable and the TSA needs to explain (and not spin) this one as I can understand (albeit barely) the first "incident" but I'm sorry, a second one after all the publicity from the first one? Not good, TSA....simply not good

chollie

At the same airport as last time.

TSA at its finest, although I'm sure Bob will come up with some lies to explain how it is all a misunderstanding, highest standards, retraining, respect for privacy, security needs, etc.

Or else they will say they have not yet heard directly from Mr. Sawyer, so they can't take any action.

TheGolfWidow

I wonder how many worker's comp claims result from screeners who don't use good hand and glove hygiene? I hope they have enough sense to change gloves and disinfect their hands between probing someone's ostomy or searching someone's bare skin and touching their eyes (nevermind before pawing the next passenger.) If not...what's a little MRSA among friends??

Boggie Dog

Everything TSA puts out is spin. Why expect anything else from TSA?

HSVTSO Dean

Yeah, assuming how he described it is how it happened, and I've no reason to not believe the story, then the TSO did it wrong.

I don't get it. TSA puts out a nation-wide memo about the way to screen such things in the future after the first incident. I read it. I understood it. Hell, I've had to practice it once since then.

What's so hard about this?

It's been said before, but I'm gonna say it again -- FT really needs a little smiley that's bashing it's head against the wall.

Boggie Dog

Pistole told him he would take care of this issue. It happens again and now he is getting lawyers involved.

I don't think he is overstating his case but TSA has worn out the "retraining" excuse.

jtodd

Nothing, absolutely nothing. The problem is the attitude held by the TSA employees. You know as well as I that the employee that did this either read, knew of or was trained as to how to handle this. The employee didn't want to do it that way, he/she wanted to show the citizen their power, they would do it how they wanted regardless of the citizens rights or dignity.

The boundaries your agency has pushed beyond tolerable make those employees feel they are untouchable, a power that bullies pray to have, with no or little chance for repercussion. This has held to be true in probably all but a few of the instances that have garnered attention in the media. Nearly every time, a supportive statement of the employees actions, having followed SOP, maybe a half-hearted apology later on with a statement of "retraining" to take place.

This will not work, ever, and is destined to fail, as long as your agency pushes past acceptable boundaries, as well as remains a gov. entity threatening citizens rights. Even parents know, you can't set rules for children of a household, and then hold only a few to those standards, letting one ignore the boundaries. That's a situation ripe for retribution, from both sides. Follow the laws and boundaries that we have, stop stepping all over them, and you will have a starting point for improving.

Until such point, your agency and it's employees do not deserve, nor will it get, any respect from me. The scorn and disdain that I hold for your agency, and the loss of pride in my country that I once defended, is all a reflection of your agencies actions and un-Constitutional rules.

RadioGirl

Not aimed at you, Dean, but it's what Dimramon said upthread. Your management, from Pistole on down to the supervisor at that checkpoint in Detroit DON'T CARE. They're focused on expanding their empires, not on genuinely providing security and (health) safety for passengers. And somewhere, they are either incompetent at passing the training down, or too many of your colleagues are too incompetent to be trained. Or both.
Too late for that. Some REAL heads need to get bashed against some REAL walls. Starting with John P.

This incident is too much for another blog post saying "oopsie, we're sorry, we'll try harder." It's too much for Sari or Ann or Nico saying "I don't have all the details yet but I'm confident our people did the right thing." It's too much for promises of "retraining" and "reviewing how we clear prostheses." It's TOO MUCH!