marklyon

While waiting for my now chronically delayed flight from ORD, I noticed a pregnant TSO working around the AIT. The TSO was performing pat-downs, but was constantly moving near the machines. I found it concerning that (1) a pregnant woman would willingly expose herself to a radiation-laden work environment with no protection and (2) that her employers would allow her to do so. At the very least, couldn't they assign her duties that don't have her working right next to the machines

I grabbed a few photos. Then I noticed that the woman she was patting down was visibly upset by being patted down. The lady had gone through the AIT, but was not allowed to leave.


ORD / Chicago - 20110719 TSA Grope by marklyon, on Flickr


ORD / Chicago - 20110719 TSA Grope by marklyon, on Flickr


ORD / Chicago - 20110719 TSA Grope by marklyon, on Flickr


I quickly turned on my camera and grabbed the following video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVV6YRrJ5Rs

There is no reason anyone to be subjected to this sort of treatment.

chollie

(sigh)

it's only going to get worse.

We've got resident TSO (real or alleged) posters and TSA hinting at big changes to come. Change we can believe in? Ha. Been there, done that last fall, won't happen again. Y'all got your laughs.

The last round of changes came last fall, and I think you have to listen hard to hear anyone who doesn't work for the agency or benefit from the NoS who will say the changes have been good ones (or even effective ones).

I think the next round of changes will be even worse. Pistole and Nappy realize that it really doesn't matter if there are negative stories every day about TSA. It doesn't matter if they are true. It doesn't matter, because there's nothing anyone can or will do to improve the situation.

doober

Were there two people videotaping her pat down? Or did you give your camera to another person?

The screener apparently told the gentleman to not speak to the victim - is that so?

Poor woman - in tears. What have we become?

LeapingFrogs

That video was really really hard to watch. But it's very important too. I feel for that young woman, that should never happen to anyone. And good for you to film it and offer her the copy. You handled a difficult situation very well. Thank you for being her advocate in the best way you could have been.

Any idiot (except the TSA idiots) could see there would be no way for her to be packing a bomb in her clothing. It was far too clingy and fitted. I don't think she could have hid a pack of cigarettes in that outfit.

golfguy714

The TSA at it's best! Let the pregnant TSO work around the cancer box and put her unborn child at risk. Very good risk managment there! We really need to get the torches and pitch forks out and go after the blue shirts because this is getting out of control. I like how the supervisor came an told you not to say anything. If that was me, I would have went off. What was the reason for you not saying anything if I may ask?

doober

But the machines are not dangerous, the TSA says so.

average_passenger

Thank you, Marklyon, for helping the lady, consoling her and most of all, trying to protect her the best way you could given the situation. At least there are some decent people left in the world. At least you tried to help someone!!

How could she have not cleared the NOS??!!!!!!! She wasn't wearing clothing with any metal and her clothing was form fitting and tight. Her clothing wasn't baggy and she wasn't wearing layers of clothing. She clearly was not hiding anything underneath her clothing. I feel so bad that she was humiliated and crying. Maybe she should know that a few non-sheeple people understand how she feels. I hope she knows that lots of other ladies (and guys) have been humiliated the same way and that she's not alone.

For the sheeple that need to feel safe and think that the NOS machines are vital to our security, wake up!! If the body scanners were really that important, they'd make everyone go through them. Everybody at the airport, not just "random" people. If safety is really that important to the sheeple, then the sheeple should take no chances at all and not risk having even one single person not be completely screened.

mikemey

Someone should call children's services about that woman abusing her child.

TheGolfWidow

On the very worst, most difficult day of my life, somebody reached out to me and was kind to me. I think of that act of kindness often -- it mitigated some of the horror of that day -- and I draw on that moment frequently for a lot of peace and happiness.

This young woman will do the same. Thanks for reaching out to her -- it's so upsetting to see her get teary-eyed, and so reassuring to know that someone was decent and good to her.

MrsGraupel

This video drove me out of lurker status. I had the same experience at DAY a couple weeks ago when I opted out. I couldn't eat for more than a day, it was that upsetting. I'd already decided my kids weren't going near an airport until this nonsense is stopped. I'm trying to adopt the mantra of some on FT...one person at a time, minds will change.

doober

I'm sorry for what you suffered through, but pleased that your lurker status has ended.

Welcome!

average_passenger

I feel bad that the lady was humiliated. I hope she can see this thread and know that she's not the only one that has been treated this way. Maybe after a couple of years of the TSA NOS/pat-downs , even the sheeple will change their minds.

Seriously, even if you don't mind the NOS scanners, what is the point of going through the NOS if you are going to get a pat-down afterwards? The lady in the video looked like she basically got an opt-out pat-down. Why not save time and skip a step? The thing that makes me mad is that the US economy is broke and Napolitano can order hundreds of these expensive machines. Where are the checks and balances in the TSA budget? Wouldn't a pat-down be cheaper? Why throw away the hand wands when they worked in the past? I don't think the American government is accountable to the people anymore.

chollie

This video, especially at the end, exemplifies what none (and I do mean 'none') of the TSOs who post here or on the blog get.

The passengers appears to have done everything as 'right' as possible. Close-fitting clothing, no long sleeves, no skirt. First, it looks to me like the groper and helper are balking at letting her keep a clear line of sight of her belongings. She didn't appear to even get a 'proper' grope - up both legs twice, from front and back, hands surrounding breast, buttocks and cleft of buttocks, soles of feet, hair, waistband and collar.

It is clear at the end how violated and upset she is. Folks who watch this video either 'get it' or don't.

I'll bet before this, she never gave it a second thought. She probably believes she follows the rules, she's an American, a good person, she has rights. Maybe she was even naive enough to consult the website to know how best to prepare.

Then she gets 'randomly' selected - or was the WTMD being guarded by a dedicated, well-recompensed and highly trained TSO whose sole function is to stand and block the WTMD? Or was she 'randomly' selected because there was a female groper available.

Then she finds out that she'll get a grope (and she was very lucky with the grope she got, IMHO) with no explanation why (did her entire body look suspicious on the screen?) She's semi-blocked from line-of-sight with her belongings. She's told she shouldn't even be talking to the individual filming - and why not? How was that interfering with the screening process at that point?

And what's with the arse TSO who just had to have her face in the camera? I hope this gets posted on Youtube so she can thoroughly enjoy her 15 minutes of fame.

I truly hope for her sake that she flies rarely and doesn't take Amtrak or Greyhound either.

This is just so wrong.

Night Owl

Just curious - did you tell the lady you were going to post the video or ask permisson?

average_passenger

The thing I love is that she is holding an American passport in her hand. This is America, land of the free?!! Even if you do not believe in profiling, what could she be hiding underneath her tight, form fitting, single layer of clothing?!! Remember, she just came from the body scanner. Why could the scanner not see underneath one thin layer of clothing!!!!!! Wasn't the image clear enough to catch the real bad guys?!! If these NOS machines are so necessary for security, then they better darn work since the taxpayers paid so much for every single one of them.

Also, why didn't anyone else around her even stop to care?