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TSA pat-down leaves man covered in urine Nov. 22, 2010 12:19 PM Associated Press ROMULUS, Mich. - A bladder cancer survivor from Michigan who wears a bag that collects his urine said a security agent at a Detroit airport patted him down so roughly, it caused the bag to spill its contents on his clothing. Tom Sawyer, a 61-year-old retired special education teacher, said the experience left him in tears before he caught a flight to Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 7. "I was absolutely humiliated. I couldn't even speak," he told MSNBC.com. Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole said he's concerned about people such as Sawyer who have had uncomfortable experiences with agents. During an appearance Monday on CBS' "The Early Show," Pistole expressed "great concern over anybody who feels like they have not been treated properly or had something embarrassing" happen. [We feel really bad ... but F*ck you! We are the government and can do anything we want!] Sawyer said that once he got through security, he changed his bag, but didn't have time to change his clothing and had to board the plane soaked in urine. "I was embarrassed to death," he told the Detroit Free Press. Sawyer was diagnosed with bladder cancer three years ago and had to have a procedure that left him with a urostomy bag to catch rerouted urine. Claire Saxton, executive director of the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, said she's concerned Sawyer's story is indicative of a larger trend. "TSA agents need to be trained to listen when someone tells them they have a health issue, because the one thing that Tom in his account talked about was he tried to explain and they just weren't even interested in listening," Saxton told The Associated Press. "No one living with an ostomy' should be afraid of flying because they're afraid of being humiliated," she said.
TSA Pat-Down Leaves Mich. Man Covered in Urine 61-Year-Old Bladder Cancer Survivor "Embarrassed to Death" After Enhanced Airport Screening Dislodges Urostomy Bag (CBS) A bladder cancer survivor from Michigan who wears a urostomy bag that collects his urine says a rough pat-down by a security agent at Detroit Metropolitan Airport caused the bag to spill its contents on his shirt and pants. Tom Sawyer told CBS Affiliate WLNS that on November 7, after electing to go through the airport's new full-body scanner, he was pulled to the side to be patted down by a TSA agent. The 61-year-old retired special education teacher said he asked to be examined more discreetly. Sawyer told WLNS correspondent Jessica Maki that after being taken to a private area, he alerted the TSA agents about his urostomy bag and the danger of its lid being undone, but they didn't listen. And when the pat-down began, Sawyer says the agent was so rough, the cap on the urostomy bag came off, spilling urine on him. "No apology, no recognition - Is that urine? - no nothing, no offer to help me," Sawyer said. "And I had to face the fact that I had to walk through the airport with urine." Describing the episode to the Detroit Free Press, Sawyer said he broke down crying: "I was just so embarrassed, so humiliated." Once he and his wife were finished with security, Sawyer changed his bag, but had no time to change clothes so as not to miss his flight to Orlando. He had to board the plane soaked in urine. "I was embarrassed to death," Sawyer said. Sawyer has sent complaints to several TSA officials. Sawyer told Maki that for people who use a urostomy bag to collect urine, "Our biggest nightmare is that in public something will happen. My nightmare came true." On CBS' "The Early Show" this morning, Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole said he had "great concern over anybody who has felt like they have not been treated properly or have had something embarrassing like that happen." The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network says bladder cancer survivors "deserve to be treated with dignity and respect by TSA agents." According to the Bethesda, Md.-based group, there are more than 500,000 bladder cancer survivors in the U.S. "No one living with an ostomy should have to fear flying because of concerns that they might be humiliated at an airport security checkpoint," the group's website states. Sawyer's daughter, Elizabeth Danowski, told WLNS that she had a message for the TSA: "Do your job. Absolutely, we want you to do your job. I want to get on a plane and feel safe; I have a five year old, I want to know that when I fly with him we are safe.
Man Speaks Out Over Airport Screening Posted: Nov 22, 2010 8:08 AM A Michigan man has gained national attention after speaking out about a humiliating experience during an airport security patdown. And Monday, that man received a phone call from the Transportation Security Administration apologizing for the incident. The more aggressive patdown is part of the TSA's new anti-terrorism measures. But this man says it left him feeling violated and embarrassed. "People who use a urostomy to collect urine, our biggest nightmare is that in public something will happen, my nightmare came true," said Tom Sawyer. It's a nightmare Sawyer won't forget anytime soon. Before catching a flight at Detroit Metro Airport, the former DeWitt High School teacher went through the airport's new full body scanner. Sawyer said, "immediately two TSA agents came over to me and said, we need to pat you down, I figured out in my mind, I know why." Sawyer is a bladder cancer survivor. Three years ago he had a complicated surgery to get rid of the disease, but the procedure left him with a urostomy bag to collect urine. "This is just a plastic bag, it just has a seal, like a Tupperware seal," said Sawyer. He says he tried to explain his condition to TSA agents, but they didn't listen, and when the patdown began, he says the agent was so rough, the cap on Sawyer's urostomy bag came off and spilled urine on him. "No apology, no recognition, oh, is that urine? No nothing, no offer to help me and I had to face the fact that I had to walk through the airport with urine," said Sawyer. Sawyer and his daughter say they want TSA agents to learn from his experience. "Do your job, absolutely, we want you to do your job, I want to get on a plane and feel safe. I have a five year old I want to know that when I fly with him we are safe, but do it with some human decency, listen," said Elizabeth Danowski, Tom's daughter. "I pray someone else doesn't ever have to go through this," said Sawyer. Tonight on 6 News we will have details on what the TSA is saying in response, and what travelers can do to be prepared for security screenings.
TSA thugs say the problem is us passengers!I guess there is two sides to every story! If this was Nazi Germany the Gestapo agents would say they were not the problem, the problem was some Jews who think they have a right to defend themselves.Of course the TSA tyrants who search us and feel us up on airlines are the same way. The problem isn't the American police state, but us serfs who they are searching. F*ck those TSA tyrants! TSA workers face verbal abuse from travelers Union that represents airport screeners urges agency to protect employees By Harriet Baskas Travel writer Airline passengers aren’t the only ones complaining about the Transportation Security Administration’s new enhanced security procedures. Many TSA employees aren’t too happy, either. The American Federation of Government Employees, the union that represents TSA workers, is urging the TSA to do more to protect its employees from abuse from airline passengers angry over the new security methods. The union reports that some members “have reported instances in which passengers have become angry, belligerent and even physical with TSOs (transportation security officers). In Indianapolis, for example, a TSO was punched by a passenger who didn’t like the new screening process,” the union said in a Nov. 17 statement posted on its website. Union President John Gage called on TSA to provide an educational pamphlet to each passenger describing both their rights and the details of the new procedures, which include full-body scans and enhanced pat-downs. “This absence of information has resulted in a backlash against the character and professionalism of TSOs,” said Gage in a statement. “TSA must act now — before the Thanksgiving rush — to ensure that TSOs are not being left to fend for themselves.” “Our concern is that the public not confuse the people implementing the policies with the people who developed the policies,” said Sharon Pinnock, the union's director of membership and organization. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday the government will take into account the public's concerns and complaints as it evaluates airport security measures. He says TSA procedures will continue to evolve. Some travelers have vowed to disrupt airport security Wednesday in a protest timed for the busiest travel day of the year, as millions of Americans fly off for annual family feasts. “TSOs are trained security professionals,” Pinnock said. “Despite this call for chaos and disruption, it’s our belief that our members and people we represent will respond as the security professionals that they are.” Complaints of verbal abuse Full-body scanners are now in place at close to 70 airports and send virtually naked images of passengers to a TSA screener at a remote location. Those who wish to avoid the scanners must instead undergo a new, open-palmed pat-down that many travelers, and even some security officers, feel is too personally invasive. Aviation and security blogger Steven Frischling said he has received comments from TSA front-line screeners complaining of verbal abuse. “Molester, pervert, disgusting, an embarrassment, creep. These are all words I have heard today at work describing me. ...These comments are painful and demoralizing,” one unnamed TSO posted on Frischling’s website. Another said: “Being a TSO means often being verbally abused. You let the comments roll off and check the next person; however, when a woman refuses the scanner then comes to me and tells me that she feels like I am molesting her; that is beyond verbal abuse.” “I have encountered a few TSA transportation security officers that have the ‘We're keeping people safe’ attitude,” said Frischling, “But when you ask them about specific aspects of the TSA's policy or procedure, they backpedal a bit and admit there are problems.” TSA chief John Pistole said Monday on NBC’s TODAY show that the agency is reviewing its passenger screening methods to ensure they are as minimally invasive as possible. "We're going to look at how can we do the most effective screening in the least invasive way knowing that there's always a trade-off between security and privacy," Pistole said. Pistole noted that those getting body searches constitute "a very small percent" of the 34 million people who have flown since the new policy went into effect. “Obviously our work force has received the brunt of the frustration from passengers but seem to be dealing with it quite well, as they have been reassured they are doing a critical job at a critical time,” said TSA spokesman Nico Melendez. He added that TSA employees are prohibited from talking to the media “without prior approval.” “The thing to keep in mind is that stress affects screeners as much as it does travelers,” said Tom Murphy, director of the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University. Murphy has provided customer-service training to screeners at many U.S. airports. “While senior government officials explore how to achieve optimum security in less intrusive, and therefore less stressful, ways my recommendation to travelers is to try to see this from the screeners’ point of view.” A stressful job Guy Winch, an expert on the psychology of complaining and customer service and the author of a forthcoming book, “The Squeaky Wheel,” is concerned with the stress levels TSA employees may be experiencing this week on the job. He explains that the “emotional labor” TSA workers must do — “processing people regardless of hostile exchanges … and looking for explosives and weapons” — makes the stakes for performing their duties correctly “as high as they get.” Winch says the best thing TSA administrators can do for employees doing enhanced pat-downs is to provide an extra layer of managerial and supervisory support. “They need to convey the message that superiors are aware of the stresses the employees are under and are there to support them.” Winch says having a mental health professional on staff or available as a referral “can be crucial in helping the people who did not make these rules but are charged with enforcing and implementing them nonetheless.” Stewart Baker, who worked at the Department of Homeland Security as its first secretary of policy under President George W. Bush, suspects the new security protocols and the aggressive reaction of some passengers is hurting TSA morale. “TSA has made a lot of progress in training its officers to be professional even in the face of unhappy passengers, but the latest protocols — and press coverage of the most inflammatory stories — have led to a much higher level of hostility,” said Baker. “Instead of making this Wednesday National Opt-Out Day in which a bunch of self-appointed guardians of liberty slow down the line for everyone by asking for pat-downs,” said Baker, “maybe what we need is a day when everyone who goes through the line says, ‘Thanks for what you do.’ ” Information from the Associated Press was included in this report. Harriet Baskas is a frequent contributor to msnbc.com, author of the “Stuck at the Airport” blog and a columnist for USATODAY.com. You can follow her on Twitter.
Underwear invention protects privacy at airport Nov. 22, 2010 10:36 AM Associated Press DENVER - It's a special kind of underwear -- with a strategically placed fig leaf design -- and a Colorado man says it'll get you through the airport screeners with your dignity intact. Jeff Buske says his invention uses a powdered metal that protects people's privacy when undergoing medical or security screenings. Buske of Las Vegas, Nev.-Rocky Flats Gear says the underwear's inserts are thin and conform to the body's contours, making it difficult to hide anything beneath them. The mix of tungsten and other metals do not set off metal detectors. The men's design has the fig leaf, while the one for women comes in the shape of clasped hands. It's unclear whether it would lead to an automatic, more intrusive pat down by federal Transportation Security Administration officials.
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