If it EVER happens again, calmy walk up to a Police Officer and tell them you want to press charges for sexual assault.

That crap is low, even for a TSA Screener.

Did the screener give you a good wanding at least?

Bah, even us highly professional wand wizards slip once in a while. Accidents happen. I've been doing this for a year and I've clipped two womens' breasts accidentally and also accidentally clipped a guy in the jaw because he looked down quickly as I was wanding up his chest. A sincere apology has always closed such matters.

I am sure that Tazi can tell the difference between an accident and intentional.

I got no apology.



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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

Sorry, jumped the gun, thought you were referring to me.

At SDF I had a similar experience during a secondary gate screening. Aircraft was boarding, I was pulled aside, and was not only told to open by belt buckle, but to open my pants and I was searched (in public) in the groin area standing with my pants open while people next to me are giving their BP's to the gate agent and boarding. The security ***hole claimed I could be "hiding a weapon down there" and he rattled on about having to do it because he removed "contraband" from my carry-on - 4-5 matchbooks from Marriott hotels -- I was told like a child I could only have *one*. [when I travel, it's common for me just to toss the hotel matchbooks into my carryon and use them later].

When I protested (I did loudly), I was told I *would* miss my flight if they had to do it in a "private area" and the screener then threatened me with arrest (**** him) if I didn't comply when I made a remark about being treated as if I was in a communist bloc country 20 yrs ago. The goon even had the balls to wish me a nice day (in a very sarcastic tone) to which I sarcasticly replied with a remark about the Gestapo, but unfortunately I think my remark went over his head - but the airline employee next to me had a good laugh.

An airline employee who witnessed the whole episode went down the jetway with me to board the plane. On our walk down the jetway she apologized on behalf of the airline (COx)-- but it wasn't her fault so I told her that and thanked her. I was the last person to board the plane and the door to the EMB-145 was closed immediately after I got on the aircraft for an immediate pushback to IAH.

To make matters worse, after getting on the aircraft, I noticed a few items missing from my carry-on including a camera. #$ # @!!#0 theives.

Upon arrival at IAH, I talked to a Houston police officer about what happened and asked for his suggestions (which was to file a criminal complaint against the security employee with the local police at SDF & to write some letters). He was a talkitive fellow and even said this wasn't the first time he's heard of such things being done. He said a wand around the (crotch) area would be sufficient (unless it beeped, which would require the metal to be identified but not a gloved search of the crotch area in public).

I then went to the CO Customer Counter and made a complaint about the items I was missing after a secondary search. I also let them know what was done in the search and that I was not happy. They made a phone call to SDF and had an employee do a check with lost & found as well as check the gate for my missing items and none were found (I hate thieves!).

Upon returning to Louisville I tried to make a complaint with the airport police at SDF as the IAH police officer had suggested -- and the police officer said he couldn't file a report unless I had the name of the security agent, etc... and told me that I should go downtown to the Hall of Justice warrants desk and file a report down there. At that point I gave up with that aspect.

Anyone familiar with how they operate at the Hall of Justice / warrants desk in Louisville/Jefferson County would know I likely would not of gotten anywhere.

I did write several letters about the incident (RAA, TSA, Congressmen/women, local officials) and the only replies I got were from my Congresspeople and a few elected officials. The RAA and TSA never bothered to respond.

Granted this occured over a year ago when the TSA was making their transition at SDF, there is no excuse for what happened. I was violated through a near "strip-search" & stolen from.

Hell, people being arrested on misdeameanor charges cannot even be searched like this at the local jail. The Jefferson County Jail was actually sued in a class-action lawsuit in Federal Court where it was ruled that the police/corrections employees could not strip search those being arrested on misdemeanors, and the definition of a strip search included searches done where clothing like your pants would be undone but not completely removed.

I haven't seen or heard about this this happening lately, but I've heard others were violated with similar "searches" about the same time it happened to me last year.

Best,

SDF_Traveler


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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

I believe you, but are you absolutely sure he asked you to open your trousers in addition to opening your belt? I personally refuse to ask people to open their belt, but that is the way we're supposed to do it and I see passengers fairly regularly misunderstand the request from the screener and open their trouser zipper as well.

I was specifically told - it was the most outrageous thing I've ever encountered. In the search I described, the screener specifically searched my groin area.

I have no problems un-doing my belt and showing I have nothing underneath my belt - in fact, this is often a normal request if I beep at the metal detector (or if I'm a selectee). Most security employees are professional about this & it's no big deal for me.

To avoid "beeping" I now routinely stop before the security checkpoint and just take my belt off and put it in my carry-on (along with any items containing metal, i.e. keys, coins, etc.). When I clear security, I then go into my carry-on and put my belt back on, get the coins out, etc... makes things much easier. There isn't much metal on my belt, but it seems to set off some metal detectors.

Best,

SDF_Traveler

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

Hi i'm brand-new to FT and thought to throw in my 2c. I'd personally like to thank the screeners for everthing they do everyday. You have to deal with lots of crazy business-people that don't know a hill of beans about security, they like to "micromanage" their way through process. I'm quite the liberal yet I don't feel my liberties are being violated. I've purchased and flown on more tickets than ever since 2001. Don't worry about folks that threaten to not fly because your doing your job. With a country approaching 300 million i'm sure someone will take their place on the plane. Overinflated self-importance of some always did bother me. I also don't blame screeners for the major airlines woes. The carriers were in trouble long before the tragic events. Well that's my 2c.

Cheers!!

My guess is that's a TSA employee masquerading as a troll -- and doing a good job of it, too! Note the TWO lifetime posts.

Bruce

Actually i'm working on an MA in Criminology, not a TSA screener. I don't care for holier-than-thou people such as the poster bashing everything he can about the TSA. I have been watching FT the last few months debating getting involved. I decided why not. If I don't agree with the masses of you you'll just have to deal with it. Oh and BD, thanks for that empty first class seat starting 1/1/04, it'll make it easier for me to upgrade

Cheers!!

Most of the people who are 'bashing' the TSA (as you put it) do not at all have holier-than-thou attitudes. It has nothing to do with us feeling we are better then the next guy so we shouldn't have to be so inconvenienced. It has much to do with a farce of an agency masquerading as real security when they actually do very little to keep us safe in the skies.


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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

Yes, most of you anti-TSA people are arguing legitimate issues and I think that's fine. I'm only offended by Lex and sometimes Spiff because they seem to viserally hate all screeners and think we're human waste. Etiquette suggests that even if you think that way you should keep it to yourself.