Bra as Security Threat
More tales from the TSA: A woman's bra causes her to miss a flight.
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Government Executive Staff Correspondent Alyssa Rosenberg takes a look at news affecting the management and operations of the massive federal bureaucracy.
When they started "wanding" people after 9/11, I was selected from the first group on a SouthWest Airlines flight. They kept wanding my front hooking bra, then my jean button. I kept watching people board the plane that had gotten there after I had! It took raising my shirt from the waist to show skin and the fact that I had a brass button on my jeans, to embarras the male "security person" into releasing me into the end of the last group to board! A lot of good it did to be there early. And, instead of an aisle seat, I got a middle seat--the most coveted seat of all! (not!) I understand safety is very important to us all, but delay can be stressful when the airline doesn't assign seats!
Linda Posted Wednesday, August 27, 2008 6:05 PMI gave up wearing underwire bras after 9/11. Many airports had 'way too sensitive magnetometer settings in late 2001 (I recall Seattle-Tacoma as being especially bad) and underwire bras set them off regularly. Some days it seems that TSA is especially fond of harassing women travelers - remember that recent case where a woman was forced to remove nipple rings at the Lubbock, TX airport (while the male screeners snickered)? She required medical attention later for the physical damage done.
Of course, I also remember reading a quote from a man who commented that his urologist had never handled him quite as intimately as a TSA screener did. Maybe the harassment is close to equal opportunity.
Mary Posted Wednesday, August 27, 2008 8:59 PMSeattle was interesting on a few occaisions for me as well. I had to surrender a hotel sewing kit needle once, and the the plane had metal forks. On another occaision, after a long OCONUS flight, I had a female agent ask me to not only unbuckle my belt, but also to unzip my pants. I was so tired, I did just to get through. Maybe one of us got a thrill.
Opel Posted Monday, September 1, 2008 10:50 PM