Originally Posted by hbyerly
So here's my question: What will you do? We've gotten some good advice about asking for a private screening, but that actually makes me a little more nervous, as there are less witnesses. Private area or not, I don't want to be touched on the breast. I don't mind the "wanding" or a visual inspection, but I do not want to be touched. And if I politely refuse, will they offer alternatives, or I will be denied access to my flight?
And here's something else to think about: what would you advise your daughter to do? I have a sixteen year-old who travels on her own fairly frequently, usually to visit her dad. Last year, when she was 15, my rather well-endowed kid was told by a TSA agent in Miami to remove her sweater, and as she did the agent smirked and said "Too bad I'm out of dollar bills."
Unfortunately, she didn't tell me about the incident until it long after it happened, but I still would like to go find that guy and hurt him very badly.
So what will you tell your teenage daughters to do when a stranger in a uniform tells her "I'm going to feel your breasts now"?
Well, my first response to this thread was light hearted and my husband came home just as I sent it. He was not aware of the new changes. He and I are flying together the end of the week and he is adamant that if they pull me for secondary screening they are not touching my body anywhere near my breasts. I joked about the good luck for the between part because that is not a possibility as I am rather generously endowed.
I cannot believe that one screener said that to your daughter about the dollars, I would have personally clocked the *******. Just the thought of something like that brings tears of rage to my eyes.
We do have a teenage daughter and I was threatened by TSA last November that I would not be allowed to fly because I insisted that any instructions to her be directed through me. I repeatedly stated she was my minor child and they were to direct their instructions to me.
The TSA agent responded by shouting instructions to my child over my objections and repeatedly telling me I was not flying that day because I was interfering with screening of passengers. We were forced to wait for the supervisor's supervisor (as it was the shift supervisor that was shouting at my child.) Eventually we were allowed to fly but only made our flight because it was delayed. I followed it up with a formal complaint at the national level, fat lot of good that probably did.
The unfortunate thing, TSA makes it very clear that if you do not comply with their demands, you will not fly. Period. They can be wrong but that does not matter, you will not fly. Missing a flight isn't going to kill me, but I am afraid if I gripe too much I will be put on a list to be scrutinized everytime I fly.
We are flying with all of our children over Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas and if they select my teenage daughter for secondary screening she will not fly. They will not touch my child's breasts. I have no idea what we will do if it happens on the way home, but I will not allow it under any circumstances.
At this point I do not know what I am going to do when I get pegged for secondary screening again.
This is really tragic and it should not be allowed to become common place. The general public has no clue this is happening.