Posted on 12/02/2011 10:34:03 PM PST by GreaterSwiss
says she plans to sue the TSA after a humiliating strip search on Tuesday by agents at JFK Airport.
Lenore Zimmerman, who lives in Long Beach, says she was on her way to a 1 p.m. flight to Fort Lauderdale when security whisked her to a private room and took off her clothes.
“I walk with a walker — I really look like a terrorist,” she said sarcastically. “I’m tiny. I weigh 110 pounds, 107 without clothes, and I was strip-searched.”
TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said a review of closed circuit TV footage from the airport shows “proper procedures were followed.”
But Zimmerman, whose hunched back puts her at 4-foot-11, said her ordeal began after her son, Bruce, drove her to the JetBlue terminal for the Florida flight. She lives in warm Coconut Creek during the winter.
She checked her bags, waited for a wheelchair and parted ways with her doting son — her only immediate relative.
When Zimmerman reached a security checkpoint, she asked if she could forgo the advanced image technology screening equipment, fearing it might interfere with her defibrillator.
She said she normally gets patted down. But this time, she says that two female agents escorted her to a private room and began to remove her clothes.
“I was outraged,” said Zimmerman, a retired receptionist.
As she tried to lift a lightweight walker off her lap, she says, the metal bars banged against her leg and blood trickled from a gash.
“My sock was soaked with blood,” she said. “I was bleeding like a pig.”
She says the TSA agents showed no sympathy, instead pulling down her pants and asking her to raise her arms.
“Why are you doing this?” she said she asked the agents, who did not respond.
The TSA claims the footage does not show any sign of the injury.
“Our screening procedures are conducted in a manner designed to treat all passengers with dignity, respect and courtesy,” Farbstein said.
Zimmerman says a medic arrived to treat her injury. The process took so long that she missed her 1 p.m. flight and had to catch a later one.
Her son said he was shocked when his mom called around 9 p.m. that night and described what happened.
“She was put through a hell of a day,” he said.
Zimmerman, who takes blood thinners, later had a tetanus shot for fear of infection from the walker wound.
Bruce Zimmerman, 53, said he can’t understand why the agents targeted his mom.
“She looks like a sweet, little old lady,” he said. “She’s not a disruptive person or uncooperative.”
nhirshon@nydailyn
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lenore-zimmerman-85-hurt-strip-search-tsa-agents-jfk-airport-article-1.986198#ixzz1fRyYOOwe
Well, for one that would be Israel!
a couple of days before Thanksgiving I flew from Tel Aviv back to the USA. At the Tel Aviv airport my suitcase was gone through meticulously but with great courtesy. And all the time the guy was searching it he was asking me questions.... like: "I see on your passport that you were just in Egypt. Why were you there? This book came from Egypt. Did you buy it? Where did you buy it? Why did you buy it?.... and so on. All easy questions to answer. But apparently they are highly trained to learn a LOT from talking to you and watching your eye movement, etc. At the end, he smiled and said something nice and apologized for the inconvenience, at which point I wanted to tell him that this is much preferred to how we do it in the US.
I didn't have to remove my sweater or my shoes or the tiny little pouch I had around my neck to hold my passport and credit card..... yet when I changed planes in NY at JFK airport, I had to remove everything down to my undershirt in the TSA line. So Israel who are expert at security don't think it necessary to "undress" as we go through the line, but the US does..... it's all window dressing in the US!
Exactly. Either search only those who meet the profile or search everybody. Those are the only two allowable searches under the “unreasonable searches and seizures” clause of the 4th amendment.
Unacceptable.
"TSA Week in Review: Smooth Travel This Holiday Season – Plus Machetes Too!"
I hope she not only sues the government, but the individual tsa agents, big time..
This is nothing less than State-Sponsored terrorism.
If you think this is bad—just wait for Barry’s 2nd term.
The last time I traveled by air was in 2002 before the new stuff started, NavyGal, our Kids and I were going to her brother’s wedding in Denver. Going through the Airports in Virginia beach and in Denver I discovered just how much this is security Theater. That was in 2002, now in 2011 as a Diabetic on an insulin pump I DON’T DO AIRLINES!
Has the TSA ever in their history caught a terrorist during a screening? WE know that they’ve missed a bunch, but actually caught one, I don’t ever remember seeing a single story about an apprehension.
I had the special “back room” strip search done myself at O’Hare back about 5 years ago. Standing naked in a “file room” with 2 HUGE TSA agents with gloved fist up between my legs. It was truly one of the worst moments of my life.
Are you saying the TSA established a QUOTA for certain procedures? Like strip searches, for instance?
“Right. Or maybe a precocious toddler, trained to shout “Alahu Akhbar! right before he pushes a button on his explosive-packed stroller.”
AQ has used children and the mentally challenged before. Do you think they wouldn’t do it to bring down a US plane ?
“Well, for one that would be Israel! “
Israel is a small country and El Al is a relatively small airline. Imagine getting folksy with every passenger on the 10,000 passenger planes that operate in the US every day.
Imagine the cost of having to train enough screeners to the Israeli standard.
I agree that a lot of what TSA does is for show. It’s designed to catch or scare off the amateurs, and to give the appearnace of doing something. People want the show. The wouldn’t put up with what it takes to provide realistic security.
“Wow.. sure the Jewish 80 year old lady with a walker suddenly decided to convert to ALLAH and blow up a plane.. what are you smoking?”
How do you know she’s Jewish, because of the name? I don’t remember being asked my religion the last time I flew. Do you think there aren’t muslims with Jewish names? When they learn not to stand out by taking/using arabic names it’ll make things that much harder.
Like I said in a previous post, a lot of what TSA does is for show. People wouldn’t tolerate what it takes to provide truly reliable security.
“Wow.. sure the Jewish 80 year old lady with a walker suddenly decided to convert to ALLAH and blow up a plane.. what are you smoking?”
How do you know she’s Jewish, because of the name? I don’t remember being asked my religion the last time I flew. Do you think there aren’t muslims with Jewish names? When they learn not to stand out by taking/using arabic names it’ll make things that much harder.
Like I said in a previous post, a lot of what TSA does is for show. People wouldn’t tolerate what it takes to provide truly reliable security.
TSA, “THOROUHLY STUPID AGENCY”.
Welcome to the Police state.
Can we stop this madness soon?
sounds like a sexual assault to me...If it was me, I’d spend my last dime going after the people that did this and allowed it. If it took all my money, so what I could go on welfare. Someone needs to be more than fired right up to the head of this suppose homeland security idea....thanks bush
And people have been killed by meteorites streaking through the atmosphere. It could happen! Homeland Security should immediately require everyone to wear helmets at all times. Better yet, no one should be allowed to go outside, ever.
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