Woman Is Singled out by the TSA, Cuffed to a Chair, Her Ticket Ripped up For refusing Body Scan

reply to post by Becoming


Sorry I dont think this story was made up, and created to stir up controversy and fill air time.

Sure she may have exaggerated the experience (as any victim would) but I dont think that this is for publicity. I think this actually did happen.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was true story. What goes on in customs and airports is nothing short of pure facism. They conviently ignore all laws regarding search and seizure. They can snatch your personal belongings even if you're not even suspected of any crime. Here's a good example story of what they can do. I can't believe that this happens in a "modern" and "civilized" country.

Maybe instead of just going public (it's IS good to do so, to draw attention, don't get me wrong), but unless getting further pro-active, ain't gonna change much.

Being forewarned is fore armed:

TSA: Passenger Civil Rights

It's an idea, print them up, and take with you for reference. Recognize the potential for small minds in the TSA, with big ego trips.

Work within it, since they ARE going to attempt to exert control (and can, up to a point, if aggravated...depends on how clever they can be, without breaking the rules).

Then, if a really egregious occurrence happens, document it and seek damages/compensation of some sort. Can be in many ways, if you're creative.

Funny (true) story. Years ago, a Captain was told by one of his Flight Attendants that she'd been sexually assaulted by a male passenger. Pawing, rubbing his body, even pushing her down, laying on her in the aisle, etc.

Understandably shaken, she was requesting he radio ahead, get the authorities to arrest him, etc.

Since it was an International flight, Captain had a better idea...pointing out the effort, expense and hassle she'd have seeking a civil claim against him, whether in criminal or civil court.

His solution? He knew the Customs people (since we travel so much, when flying regularly overseas) and he pulled one aside, explained what happened...and the Customs people assured him they'd take care of the man.

So, using every trick within their authority (and Customs...now called "I.C.E.", of course....actually DO have quite a bit more legal authority than the TSA)...they detained him, and detained and hassled him....made him miserable, full search, etc...and eventually made him miss his connecting flight, really screwing him good.

Revenge is a dish best served cold....

If I for one ever travel into US I will UPS my electronics ahead of me to a contact. Also store files I might need online. These days it's better to travel all 'analog' with only your clothes etc. with you.

Originally posted by PsykoOps
I wouldn't be surprised if this was true story. What goes on in customs and airports is nothing short of pure facism. They conviently ignore all laws regarding search and seizure. They can snatch your personal belongings even if you're not even suspected of any crime. Here's a good example story of what they can do. I can't believe that this happens in a "modern" and "civilized" country.

WOW just WOW, I am sick to my stomach after reading that link. I cannot believe that these people dont have any legal recourse.

reply to post by weedwhacker


WW, I think you are very right about there being small minds with huge egos within the TSA, I believe this is likely to be the reason this lady was treated so poorly. The TSA are taught what to do when someone "opts out" of the body scan, and I think they go waaay too far in enforcing it and simultaneously making a criminal out of an otherwise normal civil person. Someone needs to get their egos in check and ASAP.

reply to post by weedwhacker


Wow and I can not believe I have just read this. This man got away with a sexual assault and the "punishment" of missing his next flight is seen as sufficient?? I have heard it all now. Yeah I bet that really taught him a lesson.

I hope all those TSA thugs get cancer and die.

People who respect the constitution must be appointed in all airports and FIRE AND SUE PERSONALLY THOSE BASTARDS AT THE TSA.

TSA are the worst of the worst of the worst of the worst human beings in the universe.

reply to post by sueloujo



Didn't imply it was the solution that would satisfy everyone. Problem is, the jerk could have just skated off completely, under traditional court systems, and dragged it out to make the accuser miserable, and possibly not worth her effort and expense and anguish.

It wasn't rape, after all (which is so vile, it WOULD require utmost prosecution efforts). It was a drunken pass, and she wasn't physically harmed, just embarrassed and humiliated (bad enough, I realize...but..) the solution was satisfying for her.

Might not work that way in every situation.

Flip it around, from another true story. Woman false accuses man. F/A, pilot alone in an elevator (again, coincidence, at Customs). SHE accuses him of an inappropriate advance. She said/He said situation. She was looking for a payoff, a settlement in cash as it turned out. Oh, and she picked the wrong place to try to pull that crap....the entire elevator ride was on camera, and recorded. Pilot exonerated, flight attendant prosecuted for false police report.....meantime, the man had to endure anguish, wife pissed off, cloud of suspicion, falsely accused....etc.

reply to post by weedwhacker


I don't want to derail this thread but this..." Years ago, a Captain was told by one of his Flight Attendants that she'd been sexually assaulted by a male passenger. Pawing, rubbing his body, even pushing her down, laying on her in the aisle, etc." suddenly turns into a "drunken pass". There is a big difference. Plus she must have had plenty of witnesses.
Even drunk passengers can be detained and prosecuted easily...I think the pilot's advice was wrong and he should have been dealt with by the proper authorities.

Originally posted by sueloujo
reply to post by weedwhacker

 

I think the pilot's advice was wrong and he should have been dealt with by the proper authorities.

edit on 10-11-2010 by sueloujo because: (no reason given)

People like that should be allowed to strip down in private to remain secure.
I'm waiting for a nutty stripper to take it all off instead of being scanned.

I was planning on flying this Christmas to see friends. I'm not so sure about that anymore. I'll refuse scanners, and might get myself into trouble if some dude tries to stick his hand in my private areas. Strike that, I KNOW I'd get myself into trouble.

Can't decide which way to go with that though. I'm thinking this:

TSA thug: Sir, please stand with your feet apart, I'm going to frisk your groin area...here goes...
HarryTuttle: OH, YEAH!!! WORK THAT GROIN AREA MAN. DO YOUR WORK GIRLFRIEND!!
TSA thug: Sir, please refrain from making comments during the inspection.
HarryTuttle: WHO'S YOU DADDY?!? WHO. IS. YOUR. DADDY? THAT'S THE SPOT!!! RIGHT THERE!!! NOW MAKE ME A SANDWICH!!!
TSA thug: I hate my job.

Jalopnik has an article with youtube videos which claim that they prove that she was lying. However youtube video shows her in the very end being escorted out in cuffs. Also it's noteworthy that TSA is very aware where the video frames end and also it's TSA who released the vid so it's not clear in my opinion if it shows the whole story.

reply to post by PsykoOps


Where in the world did you find that Youtube video? I will post it here to make it easy for others to see.

It was posted on the comments in the Jalopnik article. It's more relevant as it shows that she is cuffed.

reply to post by PsykoOps


Yeah, I wrote this article for Fascist Soup:

Meg McClain Lied About TSA Harassing Her

At least that’s what the criminal TSA is claiming after they released extremely poor quality videos of the incident without audio in response to the massive media attention her case has garnered.

The TSA released two seperate videos of the incident from two angles.

The first video shows McClain being told to sit in a chair just past the scanners while security hovers around her for about ten minutes. She is clearly distressed as this is occurring.

The second video shows the TSA taking her to a corner out of view from the cameras for another 10 minutes. While she is in this corner, it is impossible to tell exactly what is occurring. Further, we don’t have any video depicting what happens after she is led out of the terminal gate area.

At the end of the second video, it appears as if she is being led out in handcuffs, but the video quality is so poor it is hard to determine.

Further, there are no time codes on either of the videos, so one can not know if there were spans of time that occurred between these videos that are not being presented.

If you listen to her story, it sounds like the harassing actions occurred after the move to secondary screening, not while she was seated in the chair in the first video. Her story is consistent in this regard between her interviews on Free Talk Live and on Alex Jones. So we shouldn’t expect to see cuffs on her until she’s moved to secondary.

Toward the end of the second video, you can also see many people stop and glare over in her general direction. Obviously some kind of disturbance such as shouting had to be occurring to make those people stop and turn around to see what was going on.

My conclusion is, that since we can’t see or hear what occurred while she was in the corner, and since we have no audio of the incident, there is nothing in the video that ultimately disproves her claims. If anything, the TSAs videos support her claims.

It might not have gone down exactly as she stated, but from what I can tell, it looks pretty damn close to how she describes it. People are looking to see her in handcuffs in the first video, which isn’t what her story says happened. She says “at this point they just cuffed me in the chair” after they had already moved her to secondary.

In the video it shows her standing in secondary, unless there is a high chair or counter top she was sitting on back there that we can’t see, which is entirely possible. So this statement is somewhat confusing, but it certainly does appear she is led out with her hands cuffed from that secondary area.

From my previous post on this subject that has links to the videos, interviews, and images.

reply to post by GeminiSky


Im listening to this as I type this and I am thoroughly disgusted. This is America, and this is what this country has come to.
If weve learned one thing from this is stop bullying and picking on kids in school. They grow up to be imbeciles like this.
This has to end....soon....or something bad is going to happen.

I'd love to take my grandmother to Hawaii sometime after the new year...

However I'm not going to put her in a position like this, she will not be groped by any person...

I wonder if there is a cruise or something we could take there, also, they don't do absurd pat downs to board a ship do they?

reply to post by GeminiSky


This is so wrong - people have a choice.

I hope she sues them to the death.