Yesterday evening, my fiance and I flew out of RDU, Terminal 2, on an American Airlines flight to Dallas. We are experienced travelers, so we have our carryons, boarding passes, and IDs ready for the security folks. After we get past the inital screener (very nice woman)--the one who checks your ID and scribbles on the boarding pass--we get into separate lines for the metal detector. I take off my shoes, pull out my laptop, etc., and go through the detector, no problem. I recollect my gear on the other side, and look to see where C is. He's over in the far right line, and has just come through the metal detector.
One of the TSA guys is talking to him intently, and C is shaking his head. I assume it's about the CPAP machine, which always causes us problems. I start to head over there, when I see the TSA guy take C over to a separate area and begin questioning him. I hightail it over there, pull out my camera, and start shooting video (no audio). Turns out that C. has opted out of the full-body scan, which was mandatory for everyone in that line. Since he has opted out, he will now be undergoing the "enhanced pat down." I am told that I can't be recording in that area, so I put my camera away and call my daughter, putting her on speakerphone so she can hear what's happening.
Two male TSA agents take C into to a frosted-glass cubicle nearby, which says "Fire Extinguisher" on the door. They do not allow me to go inside, but they ask him who I am. They are in there for about 5 minutes, at which point one of the agents comes out with something small in his hand, like a card. He takes it to a machine back over by the metal detector, and when he gets the result, he goes back in to the cubicle. I figured out later that they had tested C for explosives, which came back negative.
A minute or so later, the cubicle door opens again, and both agents step out. I go in, and C is putting his belt back on. I asked what was going on. C said "They put their fucking hands down my underwear." Then one of the agents came back in and asked to see my ID. When I asked why, he said it was because I had "interfered with their procedures." I said "I see," and handed him my boarding pass and driver's license. I asked him his name, and he said that he was Chris John, the supervisor in that section.
When he had gotten all of the information written down, he left the cubicle. I got off the phone with my daughter, and we left the cubicle.
I found out later from C that they had not explained what was going to happen, did not offer to have someone there as a witness, and put their hands inside the waistband of his underwear and ran them all along his body, after feeling all up his legs including the testicles.
This episode violated several policies/statements of the TSA:
* that you can have a person of your choice with you as a witness to the questioning/examination.
* that each step in the process must be explained before it occurs.
* that only a subset of passengers will undergo advanced screening (people who set off the metal detector alarm and a random subset of other passengers). Everyone in C's line had to go through the scanner or undergo groping. My line didn't have to do either.
* that "TSA does not prohibit the public, passengers or press from photographing, videotaping or filming at security checkpoints, as long as the screening process is not interfered with or slowed down." That they collected MY information "because I interfered with their procedures" was strong-arm intimidation, plain and simple.
* that they placed their hands against his bare skin, inside his underwear, to test for explosives is sexual assault. Period. This is not an "enhanced pat-down." From the TSA Web site:
"The explosive trace sampling process may require you to lift or raise some of your clothing in order to obtain the explosive trace sample. (Sampling areas can be accessed by you lifting your pant leg or shirtsleeve or by raising your skirt to knee-level.)"
If you must fly, arm yourselves with knowledge, my friends. Review http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/editorial_1567.shtm, http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/pat_downs.shtm, and other sites for info.
What I'm most afraid of now is that both of us have been placed on some list that guarantees we'll be "screened" for the rest of our lives. I used to be afraid of the IRS. Now I'm afraid of the TSA. Congratulations, terrorists.
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