Susie's TSA Petition to Congress
Share Article Hi Everyone!
Thank you for sharing your stories and messages of support with regard to my recent TSA pat down experience. Your encouragement is truly appreciated.
I feel lucky to have a voice in this matter, and I'm using it so that you can have one too! Here's your chance! I'm gathering as many of your TSA stories as I possibly can, and will be partnering with grassroots organizations in DC that are working tirelessly to change the TSA's unacceptable screening techniques in an effort to restore our 4th amendment rights. Even if you haven't had an invasive pat down but still agree with me, please sign in support.
Also, make sure to file an official complaint with the TSA on their website, and write a message to your Congressional Representatives, too! Find their contact info here. The more noise we make, the more likely Congress will hear us, loud and clear!
Congress must find a more effective and less invasive screening procedure for the TSA that will both keep us safe AND respect our Constitutional rights. Let's be unified on this and make our voices heard!
Thank you for your courage.
With Love,
P.S. To view the full petition, click here.
Reader Comments (90)
Right on, Susie! I love it! At least there are some good role models out there for people to aspire to.
You have a lot of courage to speak up about this. What happened to you is just plain wrong and criminal, in my opinion. I do not doubt for one second this TSA agent took advantage of you in this situation from what you describe. It sounds to me like what she did was an assault, at the very least. The fact that the TSA spokesperson said this agent was "following procedure" is not true. I am fairly certain there are many TSA professionals that would support your claim and agree that this activity is NOT standard procedure. Although you say you are not suing, this is one instance where I would highly recommend you re-consider.
I do agree with you! "Four times", was 3 too many. ONCE should be enough! Then if the security officer has a question, the individual should be requested to go through the full body scan. Know that you will receive comments like those 2 above. Please just ignore those. There will be those for you and against your rant, but I think you will have more for you. TSA should have been ready for sick idiots like this, who would have slipped into their employment. An investigation of the tapes of the security officer at work, should be gone over with a fine tooth comb, to see how many others that have been violated! Susie, please, don't let this stop here. Yes, we have a good system, but it is those perpetrators who somehow get in jobs like this, that have to be STOPPED! Please don't lose face or FAITH! It is not your fault this has happened to you and I am sure it is not an isolated incident! It has happened to others also. This person needs to be put away! Not just be "retrained" or have her hand slapped. Continue to Rant and BE HEARD! I am older and do not travel anymore or I would be right there along side of you!
Some people don't understand compliance. A person can comply to be in a boxing match but they are not complying to allow their opponent to use brass knuckles. Same thing with the grope down. She complied with the enhanced grope down but not with the unreasonable amount of force that was used.
Never shake a baby. And never ever ever argue with a law student.
Dave Argumentative Law Student Man Hawkins
Isn't it sad to see so many Komforted by the hand of big brother, obviously no relation the our great founders who realized intimidation was no reason to give up freedom.
Susie - caught your appearance on the Today show. Thank you for using your voice for all of us.
I do have a bit of constructive criticism though: it's very easy when talking about this issue to flip flop on perspectives. There's the security perspective, basically, that the TSA isn't keeping us safe enough or spending its resource wisely. That perspective is difficult to gain traction with because, fundamentally, you're criticizing one security procedure. Bringing up other problems lets the conversation shift away from the one that is really problematic. The other perspective is rights, and you did better talking about them.
The TSA is, de facto, the agency that chooses the balance of security and personal privacy that we get, so they have the responsibility of maintaining that balance at an appropriate point. However, their only real mission is security and they have never had to give up any security in the name of privacy. To them, this "balance" means that they are willing to inconvenience themselves for privacy reasons, for instance, accommodating private screenings, and putting procedures in place to keep nude body scanner images from being leaked. But these pat-downs show they can only go so far with that approach. At some point we have to accept foregoing a security procedure in the name of privacy, and these indiscriminate pat-downs are what need to go. The added security value is extremely low: this is fighting against just one plot, and having it in place simply means the terrorists would focus on a different one next time. But the privacy cost is extremely high.
As for all of you who support the procedures: telling people not to fly if they don't like it is unacceptable. We could have perfect aviation security if we had no planes, but that is not the solution. Planes falling out of the air? Wake up, we had 9 years with no successful attacks without these procedures; the terrorists were already pushed to other tactics, like the Ft. Hood shooting or the Times Square car bomb attempt. We need to celebrate that our security procedures are working, not ruin them by going over the top.
My family knows about this because I was so angry, but while flying to Europe last September we had a stop in Newark, New Jersey ( somewher I will never fly through again) had a similar experience with a female TSA agent and her wand. I had a total hip replacement, expected to be sent to secondary, but this woman was over the top. I am not a prude in anyway and have no problem with these people doing thee job, but she went too far. By the way, I'm a 47 year old mother of two who was travelling with my husband and 21 year old son. Something needs to be changed.
Dear TSA,
Thank you for your false sense of security you give to my fellow Americans.
Thank you for ripping our Constitutional rights away that so many have died for.
Thank you for creating a police state where I will not raise a family.
Love,
A vet who use to love her country
Susie, I could not agree more with you. I've been "patted" down since 2002 when I got a titanium hip. Since 2002, I had women feel me up, grope my boobs, jam the metal detector up my crotch, one women in Newark actually tweaked my nipples, another had me lift up my sweater to "look inside." I no longer wear a wire bra as this causes more problems than it is worth. Each TSA woman in charge of pat downs is different. I've had sweet ones and sour ones. I've reported the sour ones and was actually threatened by the supervisor that if I didn't behave SHE would not let me through. We have no rights! Forget 4th Amendment Susie it does not exist when it comes to the TSA.
Ok wow. SS first of all this person is an Air Force Brat born and raised military so please don't think you know who I am. I know what it's like to have to face bomb threats,having to go through all sorts of security protocol. I am proud to be an American and I am proud of my father,grandfather,cousins for their service to this country. The security is put in place to keep us safe. I don't want to see anyone else have to see as their last moment the side of a building before they died. I know alot of people like getting to their destinations safely. Nicole Snow you make me sad. I appreciate your service to this country. If you don't love this country and the freedoms we have.. the door is open and you can move out of this country. I am sorry to say that because you are a vet. Chris I am sorry about what happened but did you tell them that you have a metal hip replacement? These screeners are not mindreaders nor can they tell you have that unless you say hey i have a metal hip replacement just so you know. Moses you are the what I have worried about since 9/11 happened. You assume well nothing has happened for 9yrs so we are safe. The further we get from 9/11 the more people forget. It's in a way why i wish we wouldn't clamp down on showing what happened that fateful day. I will never ever forget what happened. I live 75 miles from NYC and I remember that day as if it happened yesterday. I know if I drop my guard and lose my vigilance that is when they will strike again. They aren't going to stop thinking up ways to do another 9/11 or worse. That unfortunately is our new reality post 9/11. This is why I don't have an issue with what others call an inconvience because i know that will get me safely to my destination. I do not condone someone molesting a person don't get me wrong. If that is the case then they should be fired immediately but to completely throw out a system is not the answer either. I don't as one poster put it comforted(by the way les if you are going to insult someone at least spell it right)by big brother. I don't get any help. I'm a tea party member and proud of it. just wanted to clear things up on my end.
Gail if you were molested i am truly sorry I know the pain of being truly violated. I was raped and it was extremely traumatic. Sorry you had to type porn too what a sick thing to do to somebody.
Kelly
I am with all those who say that if you don't like the security measures, then don't fly! Flying is not a right! If you didn't like the way you were being patted down, you could have immediately asked for a supervisor to conduct the pat down or simply left and gotten on a bus instead. But you didn't. You chose to wait until afterwards and then boo-hoo about it. It's pathetic that you actually call it molestation. Did they tear your clothing off? If I am correct, I believe you had all your clothes on and she patted outside of your clothing. Were they threatening you? Holding a knife or a gun to you? I am under the impression that you had a choice to be there. I'm fairly certain you could have chosen a car rental or bus station nearby. To refer to an uncomfortable pat-down as being molested is an insult to people that have actually been raped or sexually assaulted. I don't like the idea of anyone touching me in an uncomfortable manner, but like most people, if I choose to fly, I understand that it is a possibility that someone will do a quick pat-down if I choose not to go through the scanner (although I think the scanner is probably less intrusive and would choose it anyway if given a choice), and I would much rather go through a minute or two of being uncomfortable than to be blown up mid-air or crash into a building, murdering who knows how many other American citizens! And, just so you know, I am a conservative that generally thinks that the less government involvement, the better, but again, flying is a choice, so when I choose to fly, then I am choosing to subject myself to the rules that govern everyone else that also chooses to fly.
Not all airports have scanners! The smaller, less populated airports DO NOT HAVE SCANNERS! John Wayne/Santa Ana DOES NOT. Long Beach DOES NOT. So gettting frisked vs scanner is NOT AN OPTION.
Susie
Every United States Citizen knows the efforts our government and the Transportation Safety Administration (key word SAFETY) have had to put into place to ensure our safety during air flight. And every citizen knows that air travel is NOT A RIGHT but a choice, and in this case, a choice YOU MADE!
In doing so you voluntarily subject yourself to something you are strongly against then after the fact toss about how your 4th Amendment rights were violated?
Would you feel better if every airline ticket sold required a signature stating that you and every person you are purchasing tickets acknowledge that a full body screening either electronic or manually will be required before all passengers can board an airplane? And in purchasing this ticket you waive all rights to what you consider unreasonable searches and seizures.
Its things like this that our forefathers had in mind when the drafted the constitution of the United States of America. The reason it is and always will be a fluid document that protects us, the people of the United States.
I would suggest that you try Amtrak or Greyhound, but I'm sure they aren't too far off from implementing similar safety procedures themselves
So you're telling her to give up her right to her "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" -- which is what our forebearers fought the Revolutionary War for and created this country on-- and allow an inconsistent and flawed security system dictate our freedoms. You're saying that your experience of being violated was so much more than what she went through that hers doesn't count...does that mean if someone doesn't think it was rape that the victim is wrong? A personal violation is just that-- when an individual person feels violated, and the range from a brutal rape to a touching that feels wrong are all in that same BROAD category of feeling violated. (Unless you want to start telling young girls that they should just get used to strangers touching their private parts, that it's ok)
I took her stating that there was a BIG difference in the pat downs, that if they were consistent and both as invasive, it might (and I mean might) be different. But the LAX pat down was much less severe. Being touched four times is three too many...is the agent so unsure that feeling her private area once was not enough to make sure? In the name of security does that mean that agents can continue to touch you in the same area? And when the supervisor says that there are some agents that just aren't comfortable with the full pat down...well that makes me feel so secure! Doesn't that fact that a supervisor said that not all agents are comfortable with an invasive pat down tell any of you anything? That the procedures AREN'T the same, that they AREN'T being thorough with everyone, that some dangerous individuals could be getting through because an agent isn't comfortable touching?! To me that means that either they need to train the agents better to do a screening that IS thorough yet not compromising for the agent and the passenger or that terrorists are going to go through the pat down because the chances that something will be caught is minimal. Doesn't make me feel safe either way!
And yes, she chose the pat down over the screening. If she flies a lot for work, that might be an excessive amount of radiation risk...the AMA does say that you should limit radiation exposure, and if radiologists are going to cover parts of my body from exposure when I'm getting medically needed x-rays, why shouldn't she be concerned about excessive exposure?! She chose the pat down, and she was not advocating against screenings and pat downs. There needs to be an expected consistency in the procedures...this IS a national agency after all and not a local that can differ from county to county or state to state. And BTW, with regard to dogs... if they don't work with large amounts of people, why do they use they at customs? My luggage and my person have been sniffed by dogs in very routine and thorough methods upon arrival at some of the largest airports in the US, and what I've research is that they are much more effective.
If you want to give up your liberties and rights that so many have fought and died for, please go to a country that is not based our our right to these freedoms and our right to speak up. Our country is not perfect, but our ability to act and give voice is what keeps us striving to be better than other countries. I have been to the graves of US soldiers at the DDay landing beaches and Bastogne, and to say that these men gave their lives fighting fascism and oppression so that we can give up the liberties they died to protect is the saddest comment on the society of fear that is taking hold. No one wants to see a plane go down or a building bombed or people needlessly die, but if a terrorist wants to find a way they will. A man said he was bin Laden and had a bomb in his bag, and the TSA took 40 minutes to call the police...and the mans luggage was already on the plane and he passed the TSA screening. There is a breakdown in the system...don't defend the breakdown, FIX IT!
Yea, I wanna be safe to. I'm willing to give up all my freedoms to be safe! Come to think of it, why don't they just lock us all up so we can be entirely safe....yea, that's the ticket.
For any of you who think this is actually doing anything to make you safer, you're wrong. While the TSA agents are busily stealing your money and valuables, and either groping you or taking naked photographs of you, the cargo sitting under your backside is NOT being screened, and could very-well be full of bombs. In fact, it has been documented that TSA agents have been bribed with as little as $100 to load unscreened packages onto a plane.
It has also been proven that the scanners are completely ineffective. Adam Savage, from Myth Busters, flew with two 12-inch razor blades that went undetected. An undercover TSA agent tested the machines by going through them with a gun in her undergarments. Her gun went undetected FIVE times! These machines also use ionizing radiation, which is cumulative, and does cause cancer. It was recently discovered that they are emitting 10 to 20 times the amount of radiation that TSA claimed. Radiologists refuse to go through them.
If you think that these measures only apply to air travel, you're wrong again. You cannot escape this crap by choosing an alternate method of travel. TSA has already announced their plans to expand to ALL forms of mass transit, ALL mass public gatherings, ALL sporting events, ALL concerts and other large venues, city streets, highways, malls and even our schools. In fact, they have already expanded to the highways, trains, buses, subways and sporting events.
They were recently at the Super Bowl, and at a baseball game one team was three hours late taking the field because of TSA's shenanigans. We soon won't be allowed to leave our homes without first being scanned or groped by a TSA goon, and our children will have to be photographed naked or have their crotches caressed to go to class.
I strongly urge that each of you TSA apologists come and join Boycott Flying on Facebook, and do some serious reading. We have about 3,000 links that prove everything that I've just said. If we don't stop these ineffective and unnecessary procedures very soon, TSA will be everywhere, and our worlds will be very confined, when our own homes is the only place to escape their grasping fingers. Hm ... maybe not even there. TSA has plans of using mobile backscatter machines in trailers to scan our parked vehicles and our homes.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-Flying/126801010710392
Oh! I forgot to add that only 3% of passengers are chosen for extra scrutiny, so the other 97% COULD have bombs up their rectums!
There now, don't you feel safer already?
Woah Lynn...
"We soon won't be allowed to leave our homes without first being scanned or groped by a TSA goon, and our children will have to be photographed naked or have their crotches caressed to go to class."
Are you kidding me? Over react much?
I think you may be missing the point. I don't think anyone is saying that the TSA is this Infallible agency. I'm sure they do suck, what we are saying is that Susie's reaction may have been slightly over the top... just like your last post.
What's your number? You sound like a lot of fun.
Good for you Susie! I was similarly violated by two TSA agents in February/March. I am in a wheelchair and was left feeling raped (minus the penetration). Women are very much being discriminated against by the TSA. My husband is a frequent flyer and has never gone through what I'm put through. We must do all we can to restore peace of mind to citizens. All the attacks have been committed by MEN (and they were all foreigners)who came into our country. They have not been committed by women, children or people in wheelchairs. American citizens who just want to fly to their destination should not have to be violated and have our 4th Ammendment rights trampled. There can be no peace if you destroy a person's peace of mind in the process.
Thanks so much for your courage in publicizing the incredible behavior of the TSA. Exposure to radiation and the indignity of groping is Not the answer to better security. The TSA continues with these assaults because they can and we are powerless to stop them. Our congressional leaders readily agreed to the body scanners after they received Lobbyist support (donations). Meanwhile, there have not been any independent, peer reviewed studies to verify the radiation levels or the safety of these machines. Of course, the manufacturers have done their own studies which assure us that they are safe (probably by the same researchers that used to work for the tobacco companies) but that is useless information.
As a suggestion, why not stop everyone on the Interstate highways in the name of security? There are bound to be some people that are doing something illegal and we can have a true police state with tossing our Bill of Rights out the window. It is just so sad, and only a few people care. Complain and you may end on the no-fly list.
Kelly: How come you take the government's claims that this has any meaningful effect on security at face value? This has nothing whatsoever to do with preventing another 9/11. We have loads of measures in place that will ensure no one ever successfully hijacks a plane again. Armed air marshals. Locked cockpit doors. Passengers and crew trained to resist. These pat-downs are in place because a bunch of chicken-shit cowards demanded to be protected from a threat that the enemy has proven unable to actually carry out. The real lessons from the Christmas day bombing are: (1) connect the dots in your intelligence - this guy was reported by his father and it fell through the cracks, and (2) the enemy is not so easily able to find someone both willing to blow themselves up killing a bunch of innocent people and also capable of assembling a bomb from smuggled components and detonating it competently. This doesn't really surprise me - anyone capable of doing the latter is educated and that is not the profile of a suicide bomber.
No, this has happened because Janet Napolitano couldn't stand up for herself. Immediately after the Christmas day attack she was rightly praising our security for having forced the enemy into a ridiculously implausible attack which didn't succeed. But cowards freaked out and wanted to hold us to a different standard: intolerance of every threat, no matter how puny, and no matter what the cost to our freedom and dignity.
I'm sure you'd be first in line to put on a taser bracelet as a condition of flying. We have to stand up for our rights: there is no limit to how far the government will go pursuing an impossible goal of perfect security if we don't. http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/aviation-security/2008/Jul/01/want-some-torture-with-your-peanuts/
Susie, this is a great initiative.
I've signed your online petition.
It looks like what we have now in our airports is, in many cases, only an ilusion of security.
I applaud you for speaking up on this issue. Its unfortunate that a few bad apples exist in any agency.I firmly believe we need alternative means of scanning people. But the pat down is here to stay as a final measure.
I stood on a hillside overlooking lower Manhattan on 9/11. I watched both towers fall. With those visions forever etched in my mind I have to agree w/ those who would tell you find an alternative means of transportation.
I am sorry that you felt violated. However I myself have given and received pat downs it is just as embarrassing to give one as it is to receive one. It is very important while giving a pat down that the officers hand continues straight up or down the leg all the way to the crease on the inner side of the leg where it connects to ones torso. This crease is an ideal and prefered location for hiding weapons, drugs and other contraband. Your reply that you are an american and this should not happen to you is wrong.
There are american terrioists. I know that you are not one, but what if the person sitting next to you on the plane is and they pull out a knife or razor blade from this crease while in flight and cut someone next to you real bad or even caused death to that individual or everyone on the plane then relatives of the injuried or dead would want to sue TSA for not attemping to prevent this from happening. Plain and simply I do not know you from the lady that just walked by me it is possible that she is a terrorist but you never know. I am not a TSA employee or do I work for the airlines, but I have served my country in the military and I give praise to those who help to prevent terriorist attacks in this case the TSA. I am very sorry that you do not feel the same way and that you are above all others when it comes to the safety of all. I would think that a Miss USA would like to look out for the safety of all wheather they are an American or not. Remember this was your choice.