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TSA pulls pants off of elderly man during search
It always never fails to amaze us what sort of crazy screening the TSA is doing on everyday passengers. You've probably seen the pictures of the security officer frisking the nun at Detroit's airport and were thinking what we were thinking -- what is a nun going to sneak into an airport? But the TSA can't discriminate against anyone based on their race, color, creed or age, so they have search even the most innocent looking people just like everyone else.
A 71 year old man was recently searched because he had a prosthetic knee, and the TSA officer went so far as to remove the man's pants in plain sight of the checkpoint to insure that he wasn't hiding anything. Check out the news coverage of the incident below -- we'd be angry too!
A 71 year old man was recently searched because he had a prosthetic knee, and the TSA officer went so far as to remove the man's pants in plain sight of the checkpoint to insure that he wasn't hiding anything. Check out the news coverage of the incident below -- we'd be angry too!
10 tips for smarter flying
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 13)
Brandi Jul 28th 2008 5:51PM
You can't always ride a bus somewhere. Thankfully on my recent trip overseas, I was fortunate enough to have decent searchers checking me. I have yet to deal with people that make you go through public humiliation, especially the kind that need not be public.
Lizard Jul 28th 2008 10:46PM
What's not to trust? A TSA screener probably averages 1,000+ screens per day, and you think they have time to have a personal vendetta against you? LMAO!! It's the passensers that act sh!tty and make snide remarks that are examined closer. Try this: Go anywhere overseas and cop an attitude with airport security personnel. It will be a nano-second before you're eating carpet and being Tazered. Poopie-pants liberals haven't learned ant lessons from 9/11, and will be the first to point the finger at Bush if another terrorist gets onboard an aircraft.
nic Jul 31st 2008 2:08AM
"I have the power" needs to be "out of a job"
Bill Jul 28th 2008 2:20PM
I can only hope that when that TSA worker reaches 71
They are treated with the same courtesy and respect
Mont Jul 28th 2008 2:25PM
I agree with all those who complained on this video.
TSA screeners are power crazed monsters and perverts.
Jon Potter Jul 28th 2008 2:27PM
I have a heart stent, carry documentation and that was not good enough for those IDIOTS. They have to be sure but a privacy screening is available. Had he done that to me, he would need a new set of teeth and I would gladly pay the fine and go to jail for punching him. They are a bunch of idiots who have watched too many Hill Street Blues re-runs.
Paula Dell Jul 28th 2008 2:26PM
Seriously, when is this rogue organization going to be reigned in? When are heads going to roll? Shit like this goes on every day all over the country thousands of times but most people are to meek to say anything. I absolutely HATE this organization of cop wannabe's. I mean, when was the last time you heard of the TSA actually catching a person who was planning on any destruction? In Israel they have security DOWN and they are not molesting nuns and stripping old men to do it. And yes, they DO profile, which is what we should be doing. If I were male, between 25 and 35, dark, flying alone, paid cash for a one way ticket on long flight, I would be PISSED if I weren't pulled out of line once in awhile. That happens to be the profile of an actor friend of mine who travels from LA to NY at the last minute quite often. In all his travels, he has never once been singled out. I am a white woman in her 40's and yep, at least twice HE has been the one to go on to save the overhead space after I got pulled aside...... If something, God forbid ever does happen, you know it will turn out to have been committed by a TSA person ... ironically, the first on-the-ball one in history.
Paul H Jul 28th 2008 3:48PM
Ms. Dell,
You are quite right. As a 62-year-old white man in a suit, I get pulled over repeatedly. I feel no safer because people like me are checked for "terrorist" shoes, belts, toothpaste, water, and computers. 9-11 occurred because, unlike in Israel, cockpits are accessible to one and all.
When the first elderly Swedish nun attacks, then start checking similar folks.
joseph p larkin Jul 28th 2008 4:04PM
i agree ! on a recient flight at JFK, going through baggage screening, the tsa jerks discovered that I have in my luggage dangerous weapons two jars of peanut butter, a jar of jelly and a jar of honey all which I showed them had hever been opened. I asked for a supervisor who said that the peanut butter could was a cream and could be used as an expolsive and that she was going to escourt me out. I hope they enjoyed the food.I do not think the tsa employees have a combined IQ of 10 and they have little to no idea of what they are doing. The aforementioned items were being brought with other items I had in my checked bag to a poor family I know in Brazil
robert Jul 28th 2008 2:29PM
Why do we Americans put up with this silliness? Write to your legislators until they are so sick of hearing about the morons at the TSA that something is done about them.
TJ Jul 28th 2008 2:32PM
Elderly disabled people being strip searched at airport terminals ? Oh yeah we're really winning the war on terror now ! Why didnt TSA stop the terrorists on 911 ? Oh thats right they can only mandate harsh rules AFTER something horrible happens.
Mira Jul 28th 2008 5:21PM
Just to inform you because you really sound pretty foolish here...TSA didn't stop the terrorists on 9/11 because TSA didn't exist until after 9/11. TSA was created simply because of what happened on 9/11 and to attempt to stop any further destruction from happening.
TJ Jul 28th 2008 5:35PM
They had security check protocols WAY before 911 fyi. Pretty much the same thing. Walk through metal detector, metal detector wants, pat down. Pretty much the same thing. Ive flown pre and post 911 a few times.
Jennifer Jul 28th 2008 2:33PM
I would rather have someone take their pants off then have some terriorist bring a bomb on the plane. What does a terrorist look like? Are they a young person? Are they a foreigner? Are they an elderly person? Are they a nun? THEY COULD BE ANYONE!!!! I would rather someone be inconvenienced than be blown to pieces. My mother, who is 89 years old, had to have an extensive body pat down because her driver's license was expired by two weeks and that was the only form of identification she had. We had to have that done at all the airports we boarded planes. We didn't complain. Of course, it was uncomfortable but we felt that the airport security was doing their jobs and protecting everyone. So what if the man's pants fell down. Big deal. So what???? EVERYONE got to their destination SAFELY. Let the airport people do their jobs and QUIT COMPLAINING.
SHERRY Jul 28th 2008 3:04PM
LADY IF YOU HAD TO HAVE YOUR PANTS PULLED DOWN IN FRONT OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AT A BUSY ARIPORT YOUR FEEL VIOLATED AS WELL! AT LEAST YOUR GRANDMA DIDNT HAVE TO LIFT HER SKIRTS.
Jason Jul 28th 2008 3:11PM
Jennifer,
It is interesting that you don't seem to mind if people are stripped for YOUR safety, but you didn't say how you would feel if YOU were the one who had to strip. Something to consider! Also, your mother was patted down, but I seriously doubt you would have been as compliant if your mom was forced to strip in from of the entire terminal.
Safety is important...in fact, essential...but there are ways of keeping people safe without being stupid. This was plain idiocy.
Lovely Jul 30th 2008 11:13AM
I guess you were more than patient since your grandmother's dls were expired. You already had a strike against you, so you would have been escorted from the terminal/security check point had you tried to complain. You're right, no one knows what a terrorist looks like but as an American citizen I do not appreciate being treated as a terrorist suspect. If you believe that groping someone or searching their bags is going to keep something from happening, you are a bigger fool than the one in the White House.
TJ Jul 28th 2008 2:38PM
a terrorist isnt "ANYONE" they are dark skinned middle easterers. Unless you have seen in the news reports of other poeple who hijack american planes in the last 10 years please let me know who they are. When was the last time you heard of a 70 year old american male in a wheelchair hijacking a plane ? When was the last time a new mother who was breastfeeding her baby hijacked a plane and brought it down with her breastmilk ? When did you ever heard of a 20 year old american college student hijacking a plane ? How about a 85 year old grandmother and her walking cane ? Have they ever hijacked or brought down a commercial air liner ? When was the last time a dark skinned middle easterner hijacked and brought down an airliner ? September 11th ? We know who are enemy is. Please TSA stop harassing and treating your customers like terrorists.
geetee Jul 28th 2008 6:59PM
A terrorist is also a middle class white Marine who blows up buildings with day care centers in them (Timothy McVeigh). A terrorist is also a Japanese nutcase who releases nerve gas on the Tokyo subways (Shoko Asahara). A terrorist is a white mathematician in Montana who mails bombs to kill University faculty members and AIRLINE officials. (Ted Kaczynski, a.k.a. the Unibomber). A terrorist is a White Supremist who bombs family clinics where doctors perform abortions, gay nightclubs and even the Atlanta Olympics (Eric Rudolph). A terrorist is a white balding middle class guy who opens fire on a Jewish Community Center in California (Buford O. Furrow). Just lately (for those of you paying attention), a terrorist is a white 58 year old out-of-work trucker who hates "Liberals" and shotguns the congregation of a church in Tennessee. (Jim Adkisson).
Yeah, the terrorists on 9/11 were mostly Saudi Arabian (whoops! Not Iraqi??), but how the hell did a bunch of guys with boxcutters keep the entire American Airforce out of the skies over the eastern Seaboard for hours during and after the event?
Check everyone. No one has the corner on the Crazy Extremist Market.
IS Jul 29th 2008 7:28PM
TJ where have you been living under a rock! The TSA was established after 911 check your current events. DAH!!!!