FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Another first-hand account of the new patdowns...
Old Nov 7, 2010, 1:48 am
  #85  
LAX
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA
Programs: OZ Diamond
Posts: 6,134
Originally Posted by neko
At least one poster, who claims to be a TSO, states that at small airports, there is no TSA requirement that there are both male and female screeners on duty.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/15083260-post63.html

Of course, he or she might be lying...

Morever, the TSA documents cited above nowhere state that TSA absolutely bars its personnel from searching a person of the opposite gender or observing a private search of a person of the opposite gender. The phrase "goes to great lengths" is meaningless - there is no protection from it meaning "unless a supervisor likes DD-blonds".

Male screeners have certainly attempted to pressure women to allow them to touch them - this has happened to me. I assume they succeed sometimes.

In BOS, a male screener told me there was a 'very long wait' for a female screener and it 'would be better' to let him do it.

I told him I would wait and that he should put my things where I could see them. He asked me which belt they were on. I was stupid and pointed. He then moved to stand so that I couldn't see the belt at all and kept repeating that it 'would be better' to let him screen me.

I told him that if he got one inch closer, I would scream my head off...he backed down and eventually a female came.

I tried to file a complaint, but never got any response.


A (rather small-busted) friend told me that a male TSA at BOS tried to frisk her, shouting that she couldn't possibly be female. No idea whether it was the same guy or whether she filed a complaint.
The experiences you described are definitely disturbing. However, the fact that you tried to file a complaint to stop a disturbing trend is even more concerning. This essentially gives every TSO who wishes to a free pass to fondle pax (be it males or females).

LAX
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