TSA forces 95 year old woman to remove adult diaper

[megumic]

This is just beyond outrageous. And she is battling cancer to boot. I'm so so baffled by this. Human's have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their adult diapers. I'm sorry if it sounds funny, but it's true. Americans need to stand up for privacy rights now or we'll lose them forever. This slippery slope has gone on too long and has gone too far...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/26/florida.tsa.incident/index.html

 

[ksinger]

Amen to that. Common sense is just GONE. I guess there's a boogieman in every diaper when you're a TSA screener. I know I feel MUCH safer knowing that grandma has been strip searched, don't you?

It's going to take something quite extraordinary to make me fly again. I'll be damned before I spend one thin dime of my supposedly much-desired disposable in any location outside of my driving area when Big Strip-searchin' Brother is letting firearms and incendiaries on planes on a regular basis while wasting time outraging the law-abiding. Or something like this: Can you say below minimum-wage non-English-speaking plane maintenence and service crews? Servicing our planes in foreign countries?

http://www.kirotv.com/news/27915082/detail.html

Yeah, sercurity my left foot. It's all a sop to make the flying public feel like everything is PC and "fair". People don't want to do what is necessary for real security (and I confess even I would not be all that keen on it, but it'd work a darn sight better at least), that's too oogey for our tender "fairness" sensibility, so we kid ourselves that random searches are going to make everything OK.

We need to use our intel better than searching grandma's diapers, or frisking babies. What a waste.

 

[chemgirl]

While I do find the story disturbing, I'm surprised that they didn't have a spare depends with them while traveling. Though obviously the women were upset by their ordeal, it would have been a lot less traumatic if she didn't have to continue the trip sans underwear!

 

[TooPatient]

While I do find the story disturbing, I'm surprised that they didn't have a spare depends with them while traveling. Though obviously the women were upset by their ordeal, it would have been a lot less traumatic if she didn't have to continue the trip sans underwear!

It looks like they had to take it off in a restroom and then go through the airport BACK to security to continue the screening. After they finished with the 95 year old mother, there was only 2 minutes until the airplane left so the daughter had her mother taken to the airplane without her since she was still stuck in security.

They probably did have extras with them, but they still had to get from the restroom to security and then onto the airplane without any underwear. (hopefully the daughter made it through security in time to get on the airplane and was able to help her mother get into a new pair)

 

[MonkeyPie]

I'd sue the ever-loving SH*T out of them if they did that to MY grandmother!

 

[megumic]

While I do find the story disturbing, I'm surprised that they didn't have a spare depends with them while traveling. Though obviously the women were upset by their ordeal, it would have been a lot less traumatic if she didn't have to continue the trip sans underwear!

I find it interesting that you're so concerned that they didn't have a spare diaper. The trauma, for me, is not in having to travel w/o underwear on. The trauma is in the fact that the TSA can literally take the undies off your bum in a suspicionless search!

Would you be okay with it if TSA asked you to take off your underwear to go through security? Would you be okay with it if TSA made you take your baby's diaper off to go back through security w/o the diaper on?

 

[MonkeyPie]

Would you be okay with it if TSA asked you to take off your underwear to go through security? Would you be okay with it if TSA made you take your baby's diaper off to go back through security w/o the diaper on?

With the first, maybe. With the second? I'd take somebody's head off.

 

[chemgirl]

While I do find the story disturbing, I'm surprised that they didn't have a spare depends with them while traveling. Though obviously the women were upset by their ordeal, it would have been a lot less traumatic if she didn't have to continue the trip sans underwear!

I find it interesting that you're so concerned that they didn't have a spare diaper. The trauma, for me, is not in having to travel w/o underwear on. The trauma is in the fact that the TSA can literally take the undies off your bum in a suspicionless search!

Would you be okay with it if TSA asked you to take off your underwear to go through security? Would you be okay with it if TSA made you take your baby's diaper off to go back through security w/?o the diaper on?

I agree that the tsa overstepped here and made an incident out of something that could have been very simple (ie asking her to change to a clean diaper and going through the scanner again). However, the daughter mentions not having another diaper for her to change in to. This is IMHO neglectfull and it bothers me. Was she expecting her mother to be soiled for the entire flight? I expect bad behavoir from the tsa but it seems to me that her daughter wasn't completely in the right here.

 

[dragonfly411]

chemgirl - Regardless of the negligence (which I do agree with), she wasn't being asked to go back through a scanner. They were feeling up this woman's diaper first... declared it wet and firm (which did they REALLY need to feel that far?), and asked her to remove it for a more thorough search. What exactly did they find so suspicious about a wheelchair bound little old lady that they needed to search all of those things/places?

 

[ksinger]

chemgirl - Regardless of the negligence (which I do agree with), she wasn't being asked to go back through a scanner. They were feeling up this woman's diaper first... declared it wet and firm (which did they REALLY need to feel that far?), and asked her to remove it for a more thorough search. What exactly did they find so suspicious about a wheelchair bound little old lady that they needed to search all of those things/places?

See my comments above about sop (no pun intended) and how we can feel all warm and fuzzy about being "fair" and PC. Hey, who cares whether it results in us being genuinely safer, just as long as we're fair about things, right? Rightly or wrongly, they are much more concerned about not killing the already limping airline industry, not our genuine safety.

I figure if a woman has made it to 95 years old and hasn't become disgruntled enough to be a criminal of some sort by that point, then it's slim and none that she will ever be. I suppose the possibility exists, like it exists that I could win the lottery tomorrow, or be hit by a meteor, or turn into a weasel....

When they've addressed the REAL security holes that individuals have proven are there and can have a Mack truck driven through them, then I MIGHT be OK with cavity searching grandma. But at this point? No way.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/mcgee/2008-02-27-state-of-airline-security_N.htm

 

[chemgirl]

chemgirl - Regardless of the negligence (which I do agree with), she wasn't being asked to go back through a scanner. They were feeling up this woman's diaper first... declared it wet and firm (which did they REALLY need to feel that far?), and asked her to remove it for a more thorough search. What exactly did they find so suspicious about a wheelchair bound little old lady that they needed to search all of those things/places?

I agree completely. I mean they should have asked her to go through the scanner if possible (not sure with the wheelchair) and then simply asked her to change and go through again. I know the TSA isn't always reasonable and it definitely shouldn't have escalated to this point. They also should have allowed her daughter to stay with her at all times. She is ill and frail and should not have been handled in this manner at all!

I know I sweat bullets when I have to go through the body scanner during my period. I am terrified that they're going to demand a more rigorous search because of feminine hygiene products. The general public shouldn't have to be afraid of airport security. Its especially maddening because terrorists will not be deterred by these measures. There are ways around the current safety procedures and terrorists will get through. In the end peaceful travelers are being harassed.

I guess what I'm trying to get at by pointing out the diaper thing is that I don't entirely trust the daughter's motives here. I mean, I wouldn't travel with an infant without the proper care material and I think the same goes for anybody in my care regardless of age. I understand that she's upset and wants to get the word out, but at the same time something just doesn't seem quite right about her.

 

[ksinger]

chemgirl - Regardless of the negligence (which I do agree with), she wasn't being asked to go back through a scanner. They were feeling up this woman's diaper first... declared it wet and firm (which did they REALLY need to feel that far?), and asked her to remove it for a more thorough search. What exactly did they find so suspicious about a wheelchair bound little old lady that they needed to search all of those things/places?

I agree completely. I mean they should have asked her to go through the scanner if possible (not sure with the wheelchair) and then simply asked her to change and go through again. I know the TSA isn't always reasonable and it definitely shouldn't have escalated to this point. They also should have allowed her daughter to stay with her at all times. She is ill and frail and should not have been handled in this manner at all!

I know I sweat bullets when I have to go through the body scanner during my period. I am terrified that they're going to demand a more rigorous search because of feminine hygiene products. The general public shouldn't have to be afraid of airport security. Its especially maddening because terrorists will not be deterred by these measures. There are ways around the current safety procedures and terrorists will get through. In the end peaceful travelers are being harassed.

I guess what I'm trying to get at by pointing out the diaper thing is that I don't entirely trust the daughter's motives here. I mean, I wouldn't travel with an infant without the proper care material and I think the same goes for anybody in my care regardless of age. I understand that she's upset and wants to get the word out, but at the same time something just doesn't seem quite right about her.

Oh, I don't know. Having been under the enormous stress of taking care of an aging, ailing parent, I can tell you, you aren't always thinking straight. You'd be amazed at what gets missed. If mom is 95, daughter isn't exactly a spring chicken herself. You might want to cut her some slack instead of suspecting nefarious motives.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

That is outrageous. If that happened to my mother I would be so livid it would not even be funny.

 

[megumic]

While I do find the story disturbing, I'm surprised that they didn't have a spare depends with them while traveling. Though obviously the women were upset by their ordeal, it would have been a lot less traumatic if she didn't have to continue the trip sans underwear!

I find it interesting that you're so concerned that they didn't have a spare diaper. The trauma, for me, is not in having to travel w/o underwear on. The trauma is in the fact that the TSA can literally take the undies off your bum in a suspicionless search!

Would you be okay with it if TSA asked you to take off your underwear to go through security? Would you be okay with it if TSA made you take your baby's diaper off to go back through security w/?o the diaper on?

I agree that the tsa overstepped here and made an incident out of something that could have been very simple (ie asking her to change to a clean diaper and going through the scanner again). However, the daughter mentions not having another diaper for her to change in to. This is IMHO neglectfull and it bothers me. Was she expecting her mother to be soiled for the entire flight? I expect bad behavoir from the tsa but it seems to me that her daughter wasn't completely in the right here.

To me the point is that you shouldn't have to remove your diaper, soiled or unsoiled, to go through security! That aside, my understanding is that they wanted her to go through security sans diaper -- not with a fresh one.

While I agree it would be prudent to have an extra, I have no knowledge of how long an adult diaper can "last" while soiled (which may be different from a baby diaper, for instance, or a pull-up diaper for toddlers.)

 

[megumic]

chemgirl - Regardless of the negligence (which I do agree with), she wasn't being asked to go back through a scanner. They were feeling up this woman's diaper first... declared it wet and firm (which did they REALLY need to feel that far?), and asked her to remove it for a more thorough search. What exactly did they find so suspicious about a wheelchair bound little old lady that they needed to search all of those things/places?

I agree completely. I mean they should have asked her to go through the scanner if possible (not sure with the wheelchair) and then simply asked her to change and go through again. I know the TSA isn't always reasonable and it definitely shouldn't have escalated to this point. They also should have allowed her daughter to stay with her at all times. She is ill and frail and should not have been handled in this manner at all!

I know I sweat bullets when I have to go through the body scanner during my period. I am terrified that they're going to demand a more rigorous search because of feminine hygiene products. The general public shouldn't have to be afraid of airport security. Its especially maddening because terrorists will not be deterred by these measures. There are ways around the current safety procedures and terrorists will get through. In the end peaceful travelers are being harassed.

I guess what I'm trying to get at by pointing out the diaper thing is that I don't entirely trust the daughter's motives here. I mean, I wouldn't travel with an infant without the proper care material and I think the same goes for anybody in my care regardless of age. I understand that she's upset and wants to get the word out, but at the same time something just doesn't seem quite right about her.

Do you know it's your right to object to the body scanner and in lieu receive a pat-down? Just want to make sure you're up your rights since, personally, I refuse the body scanners and would much prefer someone feel me over than have a quasi-nude picture taken of me by questionable TSA officials whom have breached their responsibility to keep these images private, and at levels of radiation that are still questionable, while the scanners do not even make us safer...

 

[chemgirl]

chemgirl - Regardless of the negligence (which I do agree with), she wasn't being asked to go back through a scanner. They were feeling up this woman's diaper first... declared it wet and firm (which did they REALLY need to feel that far?), and asked her to remove it for a more thorough search. What exactly did they find so suspicious about a wheelchair bound little old lady that they needed to search all of those things/places?

I agree completely. I mean they should have asked her to go through the scanner if possible (not sure with the wheelchair) and then simply asked her to change and go through again. I know the TSA isn't always reasonable and it definitely shouldn't have escalated to this point. They also should have allowed her daughter to stay with her at all times. She is ill and frail and should not have been handled in this manner at all!

I know I sweat bullets when I have to go through the body scanner during my period. I am terrified that they're going to demand a more rigorous search because of feminine hygiene products. The general public shouldn't have to be afraid of airport security. Its especially maddening because terrorists will not be deterred by these measures. There are ways around the current safety procedures and terrorists will get through. In the end peaceful travelers are being harassed.

I guess what I'm trying to get at by pointing out the diaper thing is that I don't entirely trust the daughter's motives here. I mean, I wouldn't travel with an infant without the proper care material and I think the same goes for anybody in my care regardless of age. I understand that she's upset and wants to get the word out, but at the same time something just doesn't seem quite right about her.

Do you know it's your right to object to the body scanner and in lieu receive a pat-down? Just want to make sure you're up your rights since, personally, I refuse the body scanners and would much prefer someone feel me over than have a quasi-nude picture taken of me by questionable TSA officials whom have breached their responsibility to keep these images private, and at levels of radiation that are still questionable, while the scanners do not even make us safer...

Thanks! I'm aware that I can opt out and get a pat-down, but I really don't like being touched by strangers. I'm just not a hugger (other than family and very close friends) and I get anxiety thinking about getting a pat-down by a stranger. I would opt out of the scanner and get a pat-down if there was any chance I was pregnant because I'm not totally convinced that its safe in the early stages of pregnancy. I fly about once per month and so far I've only been scanned once. I guess I fit the "not a terrorist" profile because the agents usually just wave me through the metal detector and wish me a good day. I still get really anxious in the lineup though. DH gets scanned every single time we fly so I'll remind him that he can opt out. We joke that its racial profiling because he's a bit tanned and has dark hair.