Thanks for asking. I'm grateful to see that there are many people who understand how utterly offensive what happened to her really is. I've let my anger at the situation, and at TSA apologists who repeatedly tell us that this is all necessary, or that it's Mom's own fault, or even that it didn't even really happen, get the better of me a couple times on this board. I got a thread shut down because of that, for which I'm sorry. That's why I haven't been back to post.
But since you asked - yes, it did go *better* on her way home, but it was still offensive. I'd made her PROMISE to stand up for herself and demand to be heard about her medical issues, primarily the still-tender breast after her lumpectomy and internal radiation treatments. This time the agent at least allowed her to speak, and Mom politely asked that she refrain from touching the side of her right breast where the surgical wounds are. She was also pro-active, and told the agent in advance that she was wearing an adult diaper.
Unfortunately it made little difference. Mom reported that the agent listened politely, but then went on to do a completely unmodified "enhanced" pat-down, touching her in much the same way as the other one, including full-on contact on her breast directly on the wounds. At least she didn't yell out "Whatchoo got in your pants?" when her hand moved up her inner thigh until it landed on her labia and felt the diaper pad there. But she did proceed to stick two fingers inside the waistband of both her slacks and the diaper, directly on her skin, and felt all the way around.
Mom definitely does not want to fly again any time soon. Unfortunately, she might be...she's now trying to decide what to do with the plane ticket she is holding to go down and spend Christmas with my sister in Florida...which will mean two MORE lovely sexual molestations. I guess her choice is...offensive sexual gropings, or Christmas all by herself. At least by then her surgical wounds should be feeling better, so maybe it won't be so painful.
That's the part that so many TSA apologists don't realize, when they go on and on about how few people are affected by this and most just breeze through the metal detectors. People like my mother have no options - if they want to fly, they are going to have their genitals touched by strangers...EVERY SINGLE TIME.
