Posted on 11/19/2010 8:35:02 AM PST by markomalley
(CBS) A flight attendant and cancer survivor said she was forced to remove and show her prosthetic breast to a TSA agent during a security pat-down.
Cathy Bossi of Charlotte, who has been a flight attendant for the past 32 years, told CBS Affiliate WBTV that in August she was asked to go through the new full-body scanners at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
As a 3-year breast cancer survivor Bossi said she didn't want the added radiation through her body, but reluctantly agreed.
"The TSA agent told me to put my ID on my back," Boss told WBTV correspondent Molly Grantham. "When I got out of there, she said because my ID was on my back, I had to go to a personal screening area."
Bossi was taken to a private room where two female Charlotte TSA agents began what she calls an "aggressive" pat-down.
Bossi said the exam halted when they got around to feeling her right breast - the one where she'd had surgery.
"She put her full hand on my breast and said, 'What is this?' Bossi recalled. "And I said, 'It's my prosthesis because I've had breast cancer.' And she said, 'Well, you'll need to show me that.'"
Bossi was asked to remove her prosthetic breast from her bra and show it to the agent.
She said she did not take down the name of the agent because of the "horrific" nature of the experience.
"It just blew my mind. I couldn't believe that somebody had done that to me,'" she told WBTV.
Bossi has since contacted the flight attendants union's Legislative Affairs Team.
She says there are better alternatives to such intrusive examinations.
"There are blowers and there are dogs that could sniff out bombs," she said. "There's no reason to have somebody's hands touching your body parts."
A TSA representative told WBTV that agents are allowed to ask to see and touch any passenger's prosthetic, but aren’t supposed to remove them. Later, the TSA contacted the station and said they would review the Bossi matter.
Excellent reply.
Im sure you will. Just like how the govt currently monitors those that are how shall we say are.....different,non conformists.
Duly noted.
Great idea! What’s it called... strategic defense LOL.
Now we need to think of something for women to use as a barrier when the TSA pervs rub the passengers breasts....
Because conservative activist judges are as rare as hen's teeth.
Liberal judges are nearly all activist. Being able to hold two contradictory beliefs simultaneously is a requirement of being liberal. "We have to grope the citizens to save them" is one they can swallow easily.
How about one of these brass corsets the Viking opera lady always wears?
Or, if she has insulated underwear, how about a thin chain-mail shirt, electrified like a fence charger. "You toucha my bod, I shocka yours!"
Here's a solution to all the controversy over full-body scanners at the airports: All we need to do is develop a booth that you can step into that will not X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you may have hidden on or in your body. The explosion will be contained within the sealed booth. This would be a win-win for everyone. There would be none of this crap about racial profiling and the device would eliminate long and expensive trials. This is so simple that it's brilliant. I can see it now: you're in the airport terminal and you hear a muffled explosion. Shortly thereafter an announcement comes over the PA system, “Attention standby passengers, we now have a seat available on flight number...”
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
I was not cheering. I was very concerned about what would happen if that legislation were in the wrong hands—something that turned out to have happened. We might think it’s ok when “our guys” have the power, but in this country, no party is in power in perpetuity (except, perhaps, news media). And even “our guys” should not have that kind of power.
As for giving up your rights—unless you’re being groped before being allowed entry to concerts or sports, if you want to fly, you are having your rights (among other things) violated. If you like that sort of thing, that’s your personal preference. Maybe you can just get some friends to put on uniforms and satisfy those needs. But the rest of us prefer not to be molested, and not to be radiated. (Bear in mind, as a cancer survivor myself, I’ve had enough of radiation. I will not by flying anywhere as long as this is the policy.)
USE WITNESSES? Oh please. Some of these people took videos, and you STILL don’t believe it? Did you see the video of the 3 year old screaming at being “patted down”? (How benign that sounds—”patted down” as opposed to groped...)
jazminerose—can you read, by any chance? If so, I suggest you go back and read some of the original articles about the “junk man”—you have your facts wrong.
One can only hope.....
I mean is it beyond reason that such a prosthetic,such as this, could be used as a IED?
TSA screeners are just like like any other area of employment....there are good and bad apples. This applies to the McDonalds frycook,the CPA,the local police force and the US military.Its easy to hold a light on the offenders that have become derelict or abusive with thier authority...I see alot of unfair criticism and broadbased attacks on thousands of people trying to make a living.
If you have to ask, explaining it to you isn't going to make any difference.
If you don't have a problem surrendering your Constitutional rights at the whim of some government bureaucracy, you're on the wrong site and living in the wrong country.
Go back to DU.
Hey, miz.... Looks like you found a troll.
There have been several on these threads. A subject like this kind of separates the conservatives from the liberals.
Like Cops.
Yeah. I’ve been keeping track of the zots, just for fun.
It’s been interesting.
Do you have a scorecard handy?
Incoming....
Check your FReepmail
This crap has to stop yesterday.
.
I would hope so since this woman wasn't a muslim and in no way fit the profile of a murderous cult. Where is your common sense?
Watch this of TSA abuse stories.
If you look at the video of the 3 yo, note the TSA uniforms—they haven’t worn that style for several yrs.
If the complaining flight attendant has a video, fine. I’ve not said she wasn’t telling the truth.
What I am saying is that too many usually credible web sites have posted phony & outdated photos & videos without any efforts to identify them as such. This is the crap the libtards pull.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.