My elderly mother has very long hair and uses hair pins to hold it up. She ALWAYS gets pulled aside for extra scrutiny and they’re not always very nice about it. And she has Global Entry!
^MIL went through in a wheelchair with 2 knee replacements. They pawed her pretty good, made her get her coat off, and tried to make her stand up (yeah, no), and then just confiscated her water.
@yourmomma, does doing one’s job at the TSA typically include whacking people between the legs? Maybe it was an accident (sorry, misjudged the distance between my hand and your crotch), but I’d still complain on the thought that these people could be better trained IN HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS.
I can get through scanning and screening to keep everyone safe. If you’ve travelled to other countries, you’ve probably noticed they are MUCH more thorough at security than American airports but don’t have silly rules like taking off your shoes. What irritates me is the attitude. It is possible to do your job thoroughly and competently AND be professional AND courteous. TSA hasn’t seem to figure out how to do this yet. We shouldn’t have to give up our dignity for security.
Sorry, this was my laugh for the day…
I have serious hearing loss and go through TSA in fear. Especially in Boston I have been yelled at when I could not hear their commands. I carry a printed out card that the TSA website provided that tells them that I am hard of hearing. I must see their face to understand what they are telling me. And that I read lips.
The one time in Boston that I attempted to tell the TSA person(?) that I could not hear her while waving this card she ignored me as she was too busy yelling at me.
Fortunately, all she did was yell. This was with Global entry.
Portland, Oregon --yes, our TSA is super friendly and kind and helpful. PDX has won, yet again, the “Best Airport” award.
We also recently had a great experience leaving Santa Fe. San Diego has been great every time.
I hope I never need to go through Boston’s security ever again or any airport in NYC.
I am so very sorry and thank you for posting. You have helped me learn that I can ask for a police
officer and that I need to be sure that I am taped.
I hope that your experience gets some steam as it sounds like a terrible and illegal happening.
I know, that did it for me too. All sorts of tasteless comments come to mind.
I think this is awful. Even if you had, “attitude”, so what? That doesn’t give them the right to hurt you. I don’t know what to suggest, but I hope you take people up on their suggestions here, and pursue action. This is total garbage.
I have never used the fancy scanner and have always opted out. Most of the HI TSA folks are very nice, as have been most of those I’ve encountered. I don’t understand ever causing deliberate pain—just wrong.
HI TSA definitely gets my vote for the friendliest TSA folk in this US. Maybe all others should learn form them…
Our TSA folks in Nashville are friendly and courteous.
I did file a formal complaint already. I’ve never run into this before, most agents have stayed very professional.
I did learn that they’ve moved from just a “back of hand” pat down to being able to use the front of their hands. I expect that there will be a lot of complaints in the near future.
This mode of “random” search just appears to be harassment–I’d already gone through the metal detector. When I’ve gotten pulled out before there is usually a decent explanation freely given.
By definition, random isn’t harassment. If they actually profiled people, then people would go out of their minds.
Look nobody likes the TSA and security lines. It’s a massive inconvenience. You’ve seen the web, You’ve seen the responses on here. Everyone wants to crap on the the TSA. Do the have some bad people; Do they have good people, with bad days? Yep, just like every business.
TSA is not a “business” - it is a part of the government. If you yell at or push away a groping hand of a store employee, the most you can expect that you could be sued for battery and/or assault. Try doing that to a TSA agent… a whole bunch of very serious charges against you can be brought up…
OP is objecting to the manner in which this was done, somewhat aggressively. Regardless of whether the groin check is “random,” it shouldn’t be done in a way that hurts as OP describes. That’s the crux here, not international security precautions.
I wonder why the agent said, "I don’t want any attitude. " ( Did the OP say or dosomething that indicated annoyance, disrespect, anger, reluctance to cooperate, etc.?–body language, grumbling/huffing/ sighing, eye rolling, “mean looks”, etc. ? Unless the “karate chop” was the usual way, or truly accidentally hit the OP in the wrong spot/too hard, it seems like the TSA agent could have been “getting back at” the OP for perceived “attitude.” I agree this was completely unprofessional of the agent. If you want to pursue this, get the video. Everyone who gets picked for a random search is annoyed/angry. A fake smile probably works better than obvious annoyance.
My 79 year old mom always gets pulled aside for a “random” search. She has no idea why…I think they just need to make their quota on searches and feel old people are easier to check.
@BunsenBurner Thank you for confirming. They are relentless if you have your hair in braids. It drives me crazy. Each time this has happened to me, I ALWAYS look back at the machine and there is nothing there indicating my hair needs to be checked. I have a relative that used to be a TSA agent and he said they should not have been doing that. I don’t care, I think it fascination with our hair, or perhaps they think we are smuggling something. Nevertheless it ticks me off. It never seems to happen when the agent is a person of color.
“If they actually profiled people, then people would go out of their minds.”
Based on first hand observations, I’m not convinced that, at least during periods of time post 9/11, they don’t profile. Seen it happen to often to be coincidental.
They’d be pretty stupid to profile. Nuts come in all ages, races, religions and genders. Yes, I think someone in their 20s is more likely to blow up a plane than an 80 year old, but you never really know.
Profiling or not, there are details which tigger the addl exam. I have always travelled problem free, with one exception, ever: the multi-leg flights to/from Jamaica. Every boarding point, I was personally re-scanned with the wand, patted down, questioned, had the residue test on my hands, etc. I don’t look suspicious in any way. We doubted it was some stamp in my passport, as D1 had the same and no trouble.
This is a wacky story. My driver’s license shows first/maiden/last, “Mary Smith Jones,” but is in the system under Smith Jones. My passport shows last name, first, maiden, no hyphenation, call it “Jones, Mary Smith.” But the travel agent booked the ticket per the DL: “Smith Jones/Mary.”
Dumb, eh? But apparently enough.