Anything for safety! :(

I'm not.

Add my +1 to want to see Bart apologize. :td:

That's a misrepresentation of a statement made in the oral arguments of the EPIC lawsuit.

OP, I regret that you were subjected to this treatment which is certainly outside of stated protocol. See TSA webpage below

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...rial_1370.shtm

I strongly suggest that you not make any further statements regarding this incident, particularly regarding your impression or feelings, until you speak to an attorney. Any further statements or recounting of this should be strictly limited to the actual circumstances and events without reference to your reaction until you have discussed this in detail with legal counsel. There could be a large damages award at stake and making statements to the effect that this was acceptable could reduce the size of the award.

Your impressions aside, this was NOT okay and this sort of abuse by TSA should not be facilitated by rationalizing this violation. Doing so will only expose another woman to a similar experience in the future. Whenever a victim refuses to prosecute their attacker, they enable future crimes by allowing the perpetrator to remain at large.

Should you choose not to engage a personal attorney please consider one of the following resources so that TSA does not continue this practice:

EPIC http://epic.org/

The Rutherford Institute http://www.rutherford.org/

John F. Banzhaf III,
Professor of Public Interest Law, FAMRI
George Washington Univ. Law School,
2000 H Street, N.W., Stockton Hall 402
Washington, DC 20052
(202) 994-7229 Fax: (202) 994-1684
SEND EMAIL: [email protected]

No, I don't remember them saying that

I do. It was in the last EPIC scanner testimony in March. Federal attorney Beth Brinkmann responded to a question posed by one of the judges which asked if TSA had the authority to strip search passengers under current authorization.

Brinkmann said TSA could make such a determination without public input, as it did with the body scanners. But she said both are subject to the court's review, and in the case of the strip search, "I think you'd have an overwhelming Fourth Amendment claim."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...031003628.html

P.S. While I was writing Fisher1949 has offered excellent advice: if I were in your place I would follow it! I'm going to post this anyway in hope it can add something to the discussion, and some points may need clarification or elaboration by other FTers that can help you use legal advice as efficiently as possible.

Your status as a law-abiding person is actually the root of the problem with how you were treated, even though the screeners didn't scream at or physically hurt you. You can review the basis of how law-abiding people in Fresno ought to be treated in Article IV of the Bill of Rights. (Blue text can be clicked on to link to it directly.) There are several problems with what happened to you.

The first is the validity of the "explosives test" that was done on your belongings. Accurately finding low-level, invisible chemical traces (amounts too small to cause visible color, odor that humans can detect, or difference to touch) on everyday objects requires specific, complicated equipment which must be clean, correctly adjusted, and properly used. Even when all these conditions are met, results can be "false-positive" which means the test alerted to something different from the substance being tested for.

From your account it's not clear to me how you could know if those conditions were met for your "test." Did you see if the swabs used on your belongings came fresh out of a clean container, or were they being re-used? Did the testers wear gloves that had touched other peoples' things, or the surfaces they had been set down on? Would you, personally, even know if testers were following correct testing procedures? Was there any documentation posted to show how long ago the machines were calibrated? They expected you to accept all of this on nothing but their word, which unfortunately is of very questionable reliability.

Even if your belongings alarmed due to some ordinary non-explosive residue like hand lotion, it would be rare for absolutely everything to come up positive. Your descriptions sound like they weren't being careful to avoid cross-contamination, misunderstood the procedure or equipment, didn't care, or lied.

The second problem is that, even if they now have the responsibility to be sure you're not carrying explosives onto a plane, they know, or should know, that their tests almost always alarm on things like hand lotion or lawn fertilizer. (Does anyone know if TSA passenger tests have ever revealed real explosives? I've never read about an incident.) So on a statistical basis alone, they should know their test is probably false.

The third problem is that no one, even a real police officer (which TSA screeners are not), has the authority to require you to remove clothing beyond what's acceptable in public unless you have been arrested and are about to be taken into custody. A test that's wrong almost 100% of the time is waaay short of enough reason to arrest you, which can only be done by a law enforcement officer (LEO).

The fourth problem is that, after they persuaded you to take your clothes off, nothing they were supposed to be looking for could be detected by touching your bare skin—which they could now clearly see. (Unless you're very obese, which seems unlikely from the search you described). Your age or looks have nothing to do with the level of privacy you should expect.

As Lara21 points out, I agree this looks like a test of some kind. If you'd been asked to volunteer, and were willing to get stark nekkid and dance the hula in the name of safety, you had the right to say yes. But you weren't asked, which stole your right to say no.

You sound like a nice person, I am so sorry this was done to you.

I didn't say or imply that.

I think it is wrong to have an electronic strip search as a first screening method. A real physcial strip search should not even be in TSA's tool bag.

With all due respect.. we probably all agree its inconvenient and a bit invasive of our privacy..

However, short of getting potentially arrested.. its best to comply with the authorities until deemed completely unreasonable.. that is if we wish to board a plane in the hopes of getting to our destination with minimal issues..
I'm only aware of the same sexes allowed to conduct strip searches..

Or has this rule changed?

And this was TSA? Not Customs?

Besides the 'overwhelming 4th Amendment claim', they'd have my kneed in their face if they tried it.

I am truly shocked - and no offense to the OP who is not the first person we've heard of in this situation - that anyone would consent, even to the point of using violence to protect themselves, to allowing airport screeners to disrobe or strip search them.

I'd rather go to jail than be subjected to a strip search by airport screeners.

A bit invasive? Being forced to strip down to one's underwear in an airport is a bit invasive? What then would you consider to be majorly invasive? I shudder to think.

Many of us on this board do not hold that stance. If the choice was between stripping or not getting on that plane, many of us would take the latter. The line's got to be drawn somewhere.

The TSA started strip-searching people years ago. Don't we all remember this charming story from 2004?
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In a report on WJLA Channel 7 News last night, unidentified screeners at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport said women were being selected for private screening based on breast size and strip-searched. The searches were required after screeners kicked equipment to set off alarms.

"In a sense, they were being raped," one TSA screener said.

Strip searches were being conducted in a stairwell, WJLA reported, but were moved to a supervisor's private office where the activities were recorded on a hidden camera.

http://washingtontimes.com/national/...5912-9297r.htm

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We didn't stop the TSA's campaign of sexual abuse then, and seven years later innocent people are still being strip searched. When is enough sexual violence going to be enough? When is it going to stop?

I should have said most of us feel its 'at least' a bit invasive.. so the inclusion would have included those who felt the process was very invasive..

Thanks for the clarification..

Like in previous posts.. with the nud-o-scan.. pretty much all Canadians are subject to the scanning machine that sees everything.. or a choice of a patdown..

I'm glad to see there is opposition to strip searches.. imo.. going a bit far, the security techniques.. TSA should re-evaluate their processes post terror era..

This isn't the first report of actual strip searches by the TSA. Here are some others:
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I was flying with what I believe is called a Southwest "pink pass"; basically an employee perk that can be transferred to friends or family if not used personally. Anyway, it allows one to fly anywhere for free, standby. But because you're flying standby, you don't have a boarding pass when going through security. Which means you are a terrorist and need extra screening, even if you don't set off the walk-through metal detector (which I didn't).

So I was wanded, the wand beeped, I told them I have body piercings, which is normally no big deal, but I guess they really wanted a show. So I was taken back into the little room, and I had to remove my clothes for two female TSA employees. Afterwards, they rifled through my carry-on, and I had to explain what every little thing was.

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http://www.runnersworld.com/communit...ion-of-privacy

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I fly across country frequently, and I'm grateful for security. I've been stripped searched, patted down, etc.

And you know, the people doing it hate it more than the people on the receiving end.

{answering the question of why she was strip searched}

Because I kept setting off the metal detectors. I had nipple piercings, and they set it off. The chick who did it was cool about it though, we compared piercings, it was interesting.

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http://www.paganspace.net/forum/topi...out-of-control



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Women may be forced to remove skirts (official statement from the TSA)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4GP_qlJAIA

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