And our official beer:
Posted on 11/18/2010 8:45:47 AM PST by skyman
TSA - Sexual Assault
I have an incident to share that occurred late Friday afternoon, November 12, 2010, around 5:15 in the Dayton International Airport.
I realize the publishing this publically on the internet puts me into a delicate situation, given that I am a high profile blogger and author. This is a difficult incident to share, but it needs to be said...Because I will not be a silent victim. I will share the facts of the incident in as a matter of fact manner as I can.
I checked into my flight and had a boarding pass printed that included “plus infant.” My baby and I were flying from Dayton, OH, to San Antonio, TX, so I could run in the San Antonio Half Marathon. I was taking my baby along because he is still breastfeeding for part of the day.
I entered the security line, removed the special formula that I had with me for the baby, as well as my quart size baggie with my other liquids. I went through the x-ray machine and metal detector, carrying the baby, with no incident.
Because I was traveling with baby formula, I knew to expect that they would test it with the paper circles for explosives. The TSA agent took all of my belongings over to the table in the center of the explosive screening tables. She asked me, “Are you aware of the NEW policies for carrying liquids through security that were instated 4 years ago?” (capitalized to show the emphasis that she placed on that word.)
I replied, “Yes, I fly with him every several weeks.”
She scanned the formula, then turned to me and said, “Remove your shoes and stand on that black mat for a patdown.”
I said, “OK, what do I do with the baby?”
“You cannot be holding him.” (I am traveling alone.)
So I placed him into his stroller. She instructed me, “Spread your feet apart and hold your arms out to the side.” I obliged.
She patted my left arm, my right arm, my upper back and my lower back. She then said, “I need to reach in and feel along the inside of your waistband.”
She felt along my waistline, moved behind me, then proceeded to feel both of my buttocks. She reached from behind in the middle of my buttocks towards my vagina area.
She did not tell me that she was going to touch my buttocks, or reach forward to my vagina area.
She then moved in front of my and touched the top and underneath portions of both of my breasts.
She did not tell me that she was going to touch my breasts.
She then felt around my waist. She then moved to the bottoms of my legs.
She then felt my inner thighs and my vagina area, touching both of my labia.
She did not tell me that she was going to touch my vagina area or my labia.
She then told me that I could put my shoes on and I asked if I could pick up the baby, she replied Yes.
She then moved back to my belongings to finish scanning them with the paper discs for explosives. When she finished she said I was free to go.
I stood there holding my baby in shock. I did not move for almost a minute.
I stood there, an American citizen, a mom traveling with a baby with special needs formula, sexually assaulted by a government official. I began shaking and felt completely violated, abused and assaulted by the TSA agent. I shook for several hours, and woke up the next day shaking.
Here is why I was sexually assaulted. She never told me the new body search policy. She never told me that she was going to touch my private parts. She never told me when or where she was going to touch me. She did not inform me that a private screening was available. She did not inform me of my rights that were a part of these new enhanced patdown procedures.
When I booked my ticket, I was given no information that the TSA had changed their wand and unintrusive patdown procedures to “enhanced” patdown procedures that involved the touching of all parts of your body, including breasts and vagina on women and testicles and penis on men. I was not informed by any signs on the front side of security about the new procedures. I had not seen any media coverage about the issue, so I had no idea that this was a new government sanctioned policy.
Another important piece in this story, the Dayton airport does not have the new body scanners. I was not given any other search options. It was enhanced patdown, or nothing. (And I would have opted for the body scanner, if I were going to be subject to a sexual assault.)
I asked to speak to a supervisor immediately. I had a very unpleasant conversation with him that lasted 20 minutes. I moved to the back of the security area, made a few phone calls, including to my lawyer. He did some quick research, and learned that I had indeed been sexually assaulted because she did not follow the SOP (standard operating procedure) for the new search.
During our first conversation, the TSA acting manager of the shift told me that the TSA agent who sexually assaulted me was supposed to inform me about the new search procedure and tell me when and where she was going to touch me. He also apologized on behalf of himself and on behalf of the agent who sexually assaulted me. I was not allowed to speak to the agent who sexually assaulted me, nor did the acting manager provide me with her name. (I did not have the presence of mind to look at her nameplate, as I was in shock.)
I also spoke with the Dayton police, the Dayton airport police, and left a message for the TSA manager for the Dayton airport. I intend to request the TSA to arrange for counseling services to be provided to me, so I can deal with the aftermath of the sexual assault that took place, caused by the specific touching actions and failure to inform me of the policies by the TSA agent.
I am speaking out against the TSA and share my sexual assault case to ensure that this does not happen to anyone else, anywhere.
I will not be a silent victim of sexual assault by a TSA agent. Total Sexual Assault.
I am calling for immediate change to this new enhanced body patdown search.
I am calling for the TSA agent who sexually assaulted me to be fired.
I am calling for you, a fellow American, to stand up against these new enhanced full body patdown search procedures of the TSA.
Please note: I do plan on flying back to Ohio on Monday, because it will take me too long to drive home from Texas. I do not however intend to fly again until this search policy of sexual molestation is revoked by the TSA.
I will leave you with this thought: “It is acceptable and encouraged that a TSA government official can do something to an American citizen that US military personnel cannot do to a member of the Taliban.”
*UPDATE: Thank you all for the links and information about where and with whom I can share this. I am continuing to take action. Please feel free to leave other helpful information you find. I will be turning on comment moderation for the remainder of the day.
**UPDATE #2: I am in no way trying to belittle the experiences of sexual assault experienced by others. I hurt and ache for others who have been sexually assaulted.
**UPDATE #3: If you are interested in me sharing my story on your radio or news program, please email tsasexualassault (at) gmail.
The opinion you posted was the antitheses of Conservatism.
Federal sexual assault as a condition for flying? Methinks someone has REALLY overstepped a boundary here and needs slapping down hard...
I figured in San Fran they would see air travel double and have to start charging for the service, especially for those requesting a happy ending.
Having a discussion on my FB page with some clueless libs. They are all ok with this sort of procedure but one bleated with outrage when someone mentioned the Israeli plrocedures as an option, “You mean you’re for profiling?!” Oh, the horror.... We live in a land of idiots.
You don’t like the pile on? Tough. You earned it.
You’re the one who needs perspective. There is absolutely no reason for the scanners or the pat downs. Israel does just fine without them. What we need is profiling and the training of agents in the Israeli style of profiling. Not one bomber has been caught since the TSA started their BS tyranny of the airports.
Our current fascist administration has no intention of changing the policy. See what happens when government gets too much power? Understand now why the founders of our once-great republic restricted the powers of government?
How about you buy a brain, putz.
And our official beer:
I saw Pistole say that TWICE yesterday in his testimony. I don’t think it’s true, though, is it? We’ve seen the videos of them groping the screaming three-year-olds.
Not only do I believe that was a lie, but he was very evasive with many of his answers. And arrogant — that seems to be a requirement for our “public servants” in high places these days.
No kidding.
This woman hasn’t read the internet, a newspaper or watched the news in the past week or more? PLEASE.
Heard on local radio station yesterday:
Tickets are flagged for “inspection” by TSA at point of purchase. If when at the counter the ticket you purchased is “flagged” tell the ticket salesperson you want another one and they’ll exchange tickets. Still may get another flagged ticket, but might be worth the gamble.
Makes one wonder if that’s how some terrorists get through.
This is a terrible thing to say, but the TSA agents may get more than they bargained on if some guys go into it with their jets ready to fire.
You are a TSA Agent!
Being given a pat-down is one thing, being groped and grabbed is quite another.
The muslim terrorists have won if we allow this to continue. We are searching for an object instead of looking for a likely suspect.
As I said in another thread, this is political correctness run amok. We should be profiling for muslim terrorists, not sexually assaulting our own citizens.
Yah, Kilmeade was smirking this morning saying “If you don’t like it, don’t fly. See how that works out for you” like only an idiot wouldn’t fly. What they’re all missing, because they’re all media stars and feel they have to jet all over the place, is that more and more of us DO say “No, I think not” and stay out of the airports. What is this doing to the airlines? OTOH, I think part of osama’s beef about Americans is our determination to fly, so if he can deter plane travel, he probably likes it. I hate to give him the satisfaction, but I’m not going through that meat grinder. Not if *I* can help it.
Lib troll. Wipe the drool off your chin. Your lack of brain stem function is showing.
And the fact of the matter is that there are parents who would use their kids for human shields and/or to pack full of explosives. But those parents are mostly within one particular culture.
We would find those people by profiling both their culture and their observed behavior, as well as doing intelligence research on them before they even tried to board a plane. Like Israeli security does. For us to do less than that is to mock the seriousness of the threat - regardless of how much groping and dehumanizing we do as a sham pretense of earnestness.
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