Monday, February 12, 2018

5 Dreadfully Scandalous TSA Horror Stories

By Christopher West


There is no denying the fact that traveling by air can be nightmarish at times. Most airport terminals are full of passengers rushing to get to their flights on time, with most of them jostling through the packed crowds. Nevertheless, among the most infuriating experiences for lots of passengers is the mandatory body check. The following are some of the most contemptible TSA horror stories.

In February 2012, a lady had to miss her flight due to the appalling reason that there was no agent of the same gender available to conduct a body check on her. The victim, Jennifer Winning, had this experience when traveling from Wyoming to Colorado at the Sweetwater County Airport. The airport authorities declined to let the lady board the plane without being patted down by a female officer, who astonishingly was not present at the time.

She just stood there as her fellow passengers, all male, boarded the plane and left. Upon asking whether she would have been allowed to board had she been male, the airport staff gave her a pointblank affirmative answer. This incident garnered much media attention at the time. Since then, it has featured on many websites and online chat boards.

As much as this sounds extreme, a far worse incident had taken place a couple of years back, in May 2008. During a normal security screening at the Corpus Christi International Airport, a lady suffered the embarrassment of having her breasts exposed. She ultimately took the federal government to court, alleging that the officer responsible for the act did it intentionally.

The most shocking thing about this story is the claim that the other present agents laughed as the incident transpired. Her lawsuit indicated that she suffered extreme humiliation and embarrassment. Later on, she was awarded an undisclosed out of court monetary settlement.

In March 2009, a four year old boy was made to remove his leg braces as part of a security check. This happened at the Philadelphia International Airport. Despite knowing that the boy would be unable to walk without them, the agents forced him through it as he went through the checkpoint. After facing severe backlash, the safety authority later issued an apology.

One unforgettable incident was when an eight year old was placed on a security watch list. This gaffe involved a young boy, Mikey Hicks, who had the misfortune of having a similar name to an individual who had long been on the Homeland Security radar. Upon checking in at the checkpoint with his parents, his name sparked an alarm on the screening systems. He was subsequently taken through a more intense security screening, much to the astonishment of other passengers.

Some incidences have also been literally painful. Mandi Hamlin is one passenger who had to remove her nipple rings. Apparently, the metal detectors went off as she passed through. Despite offering to be physically checked in private, the agents denied her request. Nobody would wish to experience such a thing.




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