EPTOn November 22 2010 20:52 Railxp wrote:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40291856/ns/travel-news
Full Article Below:
+ Show Spoiler +
By Harriet BaskasTravel writer
msnbc.com contributor
updated 11/20/2010 7:16:18 PM ET
A retired special education teacher on his
way to a wedding in Orlando, Fla., said he was
left humiliated, crying and covered with his
own urine after an enhanced pat-down by TSA
officers recently at Detroit Metropolitan
Airport.
“I was absolutely humiliated, I couldn’t even
speak,” said Thomas D. “Tom” Sawyer, 61, of
Lansing, Mich.
Sawyer is a bladder cancer survivor who now
wears a urostomy bag, which collects his urine
from a stoma, or opening in his stomach. “I
have to wear special clothes and in order to
mount the bag I have to seal a wafer to my
stomach and then attach the bag. If the seal is
broken, urine can leak all over my body and
clothes.”
On Nov. 7, Sawyer said he went through the
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advertisement
Courtesy Thomas Sawyer
Thomas Sawyer, 61, said he was left "humiliated" and covered in urine after undergoing a TSA pat-down.
393433926217993370499
TSA pat-down leaves traveler covered in urine
'I was absolutely humiliated,' said bladder cancer survivor
security scanner at Detroit Metropolitan
Airport. “Evidently the scanner picked up on
my urostomy bag, because I was chosen for a
pat-down procedure.”
Due to his medical condition, Sawyer asked to
be screened in private. “One officer looked at
another, rolled his eyes and said that they
really didn’t have any place to take me,” said
Sawyer. “After I said again that I’d like privacy,
they took me to an office.”
Sawyer wears pants two sizes too large in
order to accommodate the medical equipment
he wears. He’d taken off his belt to go through
the scanner and once in the office with
security personnel, his pants fell down around
his ankles. “I had to ask twice if it was OK to
pull up my shorts,” said Sawyer, “And every
time I tried to tell them about my medical
condition, they said they didn’t need to know
about that.”
Related: Obama: TSA pat-downs frustrating
but necessary
Before starting the enhanced pat-down
procedure, a security officer did tell him what
they were going to do and how they were
going to it, but Sawyer said it wasn’t until they
asked him to remove his sweatshirt and saw
his urostomy bag that they asked any
questions about his medical condition.
“One agent watched as the other used his flat
hand to go slowly down my chest. I tried to
warn him that he would hit the bag and break
the seal on my bag, but he ignored me. Sure
enough, the seal was broken and urine started
dribbling down my shirt and my leg and into
my pants.”
The security officer finished the pat-down,
tested the gloves for any trace of explosives
and then, Sawyer said, “He told me I could go.
They never apologized. They never offered to
help. They acted like they hadn’t seen what
happened. But I know they saw it because I
had a wet mark.”
Humiliated, upset and wet, Sawyer said he had
to walk through the airport soaked in urine,
board his plane and wait until after takeoff
before he could clean up.
“I am totally appalled by the fact that agents
that are performing these pat-downs have so
little concern for people with medical
conditions,” said Sawyer.
Vote: What do you think about "opt out" day?
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advertisement
Sawyer completed his trip and had no
problems with the security procedures at the
Orlando International Airport on his journey
back home. He said he plans to file a formal
complaint with the TSA.
When he does, said TSA spokesperson
Dwayne Baird, “We will review the matter and t
ake appropriate action if necessary.” In the
meantime, Baird encourages anyone with a
medical condition to read the TSA’s website
section on assistive devices and mobility aids.
The website says that travelers with
disabilities and medical conditions have “the
option of requesting a private screening” and
that security officers “will not ask nor require
you to remove your prosthetic device, cast, or
support brace.”
Related: TSA forces cancer survivor to show
prosthetic breast
Sawyer said he's written to his senators, state
representatives and the president of the
United States. He’s also shared details of the
incident online with members of the nonprofit
Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, many of
whom have offered support and shared their
travel experiences.
“I am a good American and I want safety for all
passengers as much as the next person,"
Sawyer said. "But if this country is going to
sacrifice treating people like human beings in
the name of safety, then we have already lost
the war.”
Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network executive
director Claire Saxton said that there are
hundreds of thousands of people living with
ostomies in the United States. “TSA agents
need to be trained to listen when someone
tells them have a health issue and trained in
knowing what an ostomy is. No one living with
an ostomy should be afraid of flying because
they’re afraid of being humiliated at the
checkpoint.”
Eric Lipp, executive director of Open Doors
Association, which works with businesses and
the disability community, called what
happened to Sawyer “unfortunate.”
“But enhanced pat-downs are not a new issue
for people with disabilities who travel," Lipp
said. "They've always had trouble getting
through the security checkpoint."
Still, Lipp said the TSA knows there’s a
problem. “This came up during a recent
advertisement
advertisement
meeting of the agency’s disability advisory
board and I expect to see a procedure coming
in place shortly that will directly address the
pat-down procedures for people with
disabilities.”
Harriet Baskas is a frequent contributor to msnbc.com,
authors the “Stuck at the Airport” blog and is a columnist
for USATODAY.com. You can follow her on Twitter .
advertisement
advertisement
Quantcast
TL;DR:
Man with cancer problems needs urine bag strapped outside his body. TSA strip search in a very rude manner, and despite repeated warnings from the poor guy, fucked up the pee bag and the man was covered in his own piss. TSA pretend they didn't see anything, and without even an apology, sends him on his way. Man is humiliated and outraged.
In SovietRussia America, security pisses on YOU.
also in the article:
Breast cancer woman forced to show her prosthetic boob. More humiliation and rage ensues.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40291856/ns/travel-news
Full Article Below:
+ Show Spoiler +
By Harriet BaskasTravel writer
msnbc.com contributor
updated 11/20/2010 7:16:18 PM ET
A retired special education teacher on his
way to a wedding in Orlando, Fla., said he was
left humiliated, crying and covered with his
own urine after an enhanced pat-down by TSA
officers recently at Detroit Metropolitan
Airport.
“I was absolutely humiliated, I couldn’t even
speak,” said Thomas D. “Tom” Sawyer, 61, of
Lansing, Mich.
Sawyer is a bladder cancer survivor who now
wears a urostomy bag, which collects his urine
from a stoma, or opening in his stomach. “I
have to wear special clothes and in order to
mount the bag I have to seal a wafer to my
stomach and then attach the bag. If the seal is
broken, urine can leak all over my body and
clothes.”
On Nov. 7, Sawyer said he went through the
advertisement
advertisement
Courtesy Thomas Sawyer
Thomas Sawyer, 61, said he was left "humiliated" and covered in urine after undergoing a TSA pat-down.
393433926217993370499
TSA pat-down leaves traveler covered in urine
'I was absolutely humiliated,' said bladder cancer survivor
security scanner at Detroit Metropolitan
Airport. “Evidently the scanner picked up on
my urostomy bag, because I was chosen for a
pat-down procedure.”
Due to his medical condition, Sawyer asked to
be screened in private. “One officer looked at
another, rolled his eyes and said that they
really didn’t have any place to take me,” said
Sawyer. “After I said again that I’d like privacy,
they took me to an office.”
Sawyer wears pants two sizes too large in
order to accommodate the medical equipment
he wears. He’d taken off his belt to go through
the scanner and once in the office with
security personnel, his pants fell down around
his ankles. “I had to ask twice if it was OK to
pull up my shorts,” said Sawyer, “And every
time I tried to tell them about my medical
condition, they said they didn’t need to know
about that.”
Related: Obama: TSA pat-downs frustrating
but necessary
Before starting the enhanced pat-down
procedure, a security officer did tell him what
they were going to do and how they were
going to it, but Sawyer said it wasn’t until they
asked him to remove his sweatshirt and saw
his urostomy bag that they asked any
questions about his medical condition.
“One agent watched as the other used his flat
hand to go slowly down my chest. I tried to
warn him that he would hit the bag and break
the seal on my bag, but he ignored me. Sure
enough, the seal was broken and urine started
dribbling down my shirt and my leg and into
my pants.”
The security officer finished the pat-down,
tested the gloves for any trace of explosives
and then, Sawyer said, “He told me I could go.
They never apologized. They never offered to
help. They acted like they hadn’t seen what
happened. But I know they saw it because I
had a wet mark.”
Humiliated, upset and wet, Sawyer said he had
to walk through the airport soaked in urine,
board his plane and wait until after takeoff
before he could clean up.
“I am totally appalled by the fact that agents
that are performing these pat-downs have so
little concern for people with medical
conditions,” said Sawyer.
Vote: What do you think about "opt out" day?
advertisement
advertisement
Sawyer completed his trip and had no
problems with the security procedures at the
Orlando International Airport on his journey
back home. He said he plans to file a formal
complaint with the TSA.
When he does, said TSA spokesperson
Dwayne Baird, “We will review the matter and t
ake appropriate action if necessary.” In the
meantime, Baird encourages anyone with a
medical condition to read the TSA’s website
section on assistive devices and mobility aids.
The website says that travelers with
disabilities and medical conditions have “the
option of requesting a private screening” and
that security officers “will not ask nor require
you to remove your prosthetic device, cast, or
support brace.”
Related: TSA forces cancer survivor to show
prosthetic breast
Sawyer said he's written to his senators, state
representatives and the president of the
United States. He’s also shared details of the
incident online with members of the nonprofit
Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, many of
whom have offered support and shared their
travel experiences.
“I am a good American and I want safety for all
passengers as much as the next person,"
Sawyer said. "But if this country is going to
sacrifice treating people like human beings in
the name of safety, then we have already lost
the war.”
Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network executive
director Claire Saxton said that there are
hundreds of thousands of people living with
ostomies in the United States. “TSA agents
need to be trained to listen when someone
tells them have a health issue and trained in
knowing what an ostomy is. No one living with
an ostomy should be afraid of flying because
they’re afraid of being humiliated at the
checkpoint.”
Eric Lipp, executive director of Open Doors
Association, which works with businesses and
the disability community, called what
happened to Sawyer “unfortunate.”
“But enhanced pat-downs are not a new issue
for people with disabilities who travel," Lipp
said. "They've always had trouble getting
through the security checkpoint."
Still, Lipp said the TSA knows there’s a
problem. “This came up during a recent
advertisement
advertisement
meeting of the agency’s disability advisory
board and I expect to see a procedure coming
in place shortly that will directly address the
pat-down procedures for people with
disabilities.”
Harriet Baskas is a frequent contributor to msnbc.com,
authors the “Stuck at the Airport” blog and is a columnist
for USATODAY.com. You can follow her on Twitter .
advertisement
advertisement
Quantcast
TL;DR:
Man with cancer problems needs urine bag strapped outside his body. TSA strip search in a very rude manner, and despite repeated warnings from the poor guy, fucked up the pee bag and the man was covered in his own piss. TSA pretend they didn't see anything, and without even an apology, sends him on his way. Man is humiliated and outraged.
In Soviet
also in the article:
Breast cancer woman forced to show her prosthetic boob. More humiliation and rage ensues.
Pretty terrible. And so obviously so that it actually has antagonized all political wings of this country...how rare... Given that no constituency supports this, and there is not even a benefit to security, and that the cronyism involved in the TSA on this issue has been put under the microscope, I am curious to see what results will come of this.
Especially as this problem is analogous to deeper problems within our government (wasted money/cronyism/government incompetence). Tackling this issue--I hope--might start a positive trend?
