The pressure on the TSA to change its screening procedures is likely to grow following the story of one bladder cancer survivor who left a screening covered in urine. Thomas D. Sawyer, a 61 year-old man who survived a bout with bladder cacner, had his urostomy bag seal broken during one screening causing urine to spill down on his clothes and body. Sawyer was then told he could leave and was forced to board his plane before he could clean himself up.
According to Sawyer the scanning machine mush have picked up his urostomy bag, at which point TSA agents told him he would have to be patted down. Due to his medical condition Sawyer then asked to be screened in private. After agents allegedly rolled their eyes Sawyer was taken to a room. When Sawyer tried to inform the agents twice about his medical condition he was told that they did not need to know about that. Sawyer claims that he tried to warn he agents that a pat down may break the seal on his urostomy bag, but they proceeded anyway and the bag then began to leak. After the agents tested their gloves for explosives Sawyer was then told he could leave without an apology. Sawyer called the experience "humiliating" and described how he was left speechless and crying in the airport following the screening.
The TSA has said they will review the incident and take disciplinary action if appropriate. The agency also stated that they will review their procedures for screening people with disabilities.
Sawyer's story follows that of one woman who says she was humiliated after being forced to remove her prosthetic breast for a screening. The woman in that case was a breast cancer survivor.
More of these stories may become big news in the coming days as millions of Americans travel by plane for the Thanksgiving holiday. President Obama has said that he asked officials if there is a less invasive way to screen travelers. He was told that no alternative exists, but some question whether there is really any procedure which will make air travel completely safe from terror. Others have said the invasion of privacy is not worth the security gains from the procedures. Conservatives have called for some form of profiling or "trending", but it is unclear if those methods would work as well. Both the "shoe bomber" and the "underwear bomber" did not fit what many see as the typical "profile" of a terrorist.
Comments
There must be some means of identifying and issuing a "pass" to qualifying travelers so they might avoid this kind of idiocy.
Sean Hannity thinks it is perfectly OK. I think Hannity is an idiot.
Nothing will change until one of Obama's daughters have to go through this or Nancy Pelosi now that she lost her Speaker of the House mega plane.
The TSA is WAAAAAAY past ridiculous. It's far into being illegal, & needs to be dismantled. They don't increase security, but they do infringe on the liberties of citizens. Everything they've come up with is a reaction to the last attempted attack, not forward-looking prevention of what might come next.
Heck, what will happen after this is mandatory cavity searches, because now bombers are inserting explosives. (Or having it surgically implanted.)
I've turned down a free-to-me plane ticket to visit relatives over the holidays because of the TSA. I won't fly again unless it's an absolute emergency & I have no other practical alternative. Strip searching or being sexually assaulted by government agents are not acceptable prices for using a service I bought with private money from a private company.
I'd rather fly on a plane where I know everyone who wants to be is armed & will defend herself/himself instead of a plane where the TSA thinks they've been able to remove any potential weapon from sheeple.
They cant win either way. We have terrorists attacks and then you all cry that the government is not doing enough to protect us. They step things up and then as terrorist attacks fade from view, you all cry that the government is far too invasive and harsh. Personally I prefer the safety of thorough searches as opposed to a the lack of security. Its very simple, you don't like it, don't fly. Flying is a privilege, not a right. No one owes you that flight. I have seen no 'sexual assault' as its been inferred. Surely the genital area has been searched and such, that's part of security. a sexual assault would involve oral, penetration, stroking and such. This is just a knee jerk reaction from pissy little people. If we had a terrorist hijack a plane and then fly it into another building, then suddenly these whiners would be silenced. Personally, if someone don't want to be thoroughly searched to ensure the safety of other passengers, then I say they don't need to be on a plane full of other passengers, of which I may be one.
Grow up American, GROW A PAIR! All this politically correct BS has reached alarming rates with its infection in people.
In Facebook lingo..."Like."
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
This is a massively sexist, ignorant, and infantile comment.
Also, to your comment below, selfish moron. If you don't care about other people, shut up and leave the revolution to people with critical thinking skills and empathy.
Most all of the things we do that are privileges NOT rights, The TSA is a government organization and unless I am suspect they must respect my 4th Amendment rights. You are one of those persons that will eventually allow all of our Liberties to slowly go away for the promise of the governments protection. History shows this is an irreversible trend. Give away your freedoms so you can have freedoms...sick.
No, I am just simply fed up with the American public and their passive candy ass ways and learned long ago to not care about anyone but myself and my own. Fight for what you want. I am not fighting your battles and I speak for no one but myself when I say that the searches and scans don't bother me in the least.
I am one of many that has lost all faith in the system and merely sits in waiting for the American public to wake up and realize whats going on around them rather than sitting pacified by the media. you misunderstand me drastically if you think I am as you speak. I merely just don't care about others anymore. its a waste of time and a moot point to speak up for and defend the weak. I 'allow' no one to take anything from me that I don't wish to give. Make no mistake of that. You really shouldn't assume of others upon what you don't know. I am one of the few that is willing to give my life if need be for my own cause, not yours or anyone else's. When my life comes to a point where its suffered and not lived...rest assured, I am not one more of 'The sheeple" that will sit quietly as the things of my life are taken from me. But to fight for you, or others?!? LMAO. No, A COMPLETE waste of my time. You prolly went and voted too I would venture to guess too, right? LOL
Orly, "revolution'? LMAO. Right! I pray for the day that the American Sheeple get sick of the government's BS and actually take a stand to straighten things out,but thats about as likely as parting the red sea.
"Sexist...." Not in the least. I made no comments regarding gender or even implied as such aside from my 'grow a pair' comment. Which if you possess any common sense at all implies to get some guts and stand up. Your response is a mere weak minded attack based in emotion without any basis of simple intellect. Try again and this time, perhaps, WITH A PAIR? :) LOL
Ben, was it also not the same man that mentioned something to the effect that a democracy needs a revolution every 50 yrs or so to flush out the old blood and bring in new? I may be mistaken on it being the same person, but seems I recall that being said long ago. Point being we are WAAAAAAAY over due for such a thing.
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