Richard in DFW shares a story that’s further evidence of how arbitrary and capricious the TSA is. They physically assaulted him for not being able to read minds, too!
My story goes back to June 24, 2009, when I was a victim of battery by a TSA screener in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. I had flown to Dallas from Seattle, and was waiting to change planes for a flight to Shreveport, La. While waiting, I exited the terminal for a cigarette, which meant I would have to go back through the screening process.
When I attempted to do so, a TSA x-ray screener became suspicious of something she saw in a day-pack I was carrying. She handed the day-pack to another TSA screener, who summoned me over to a table. There, rather than ask me if she could inspect the contents, she asked me what I had in the pack. I reached down to unzip the pack to show her the contents. At that point, she forcefully smacked my hand aside, got right into my face like a disgruntled drill sergeant, and literally screamed at me: “Don’t touch it! It’s in my custody!”
I did not get this employee’s name, but I filed a telephone complaint and a written protest with TSA. An hour after my telephone call, a Mr. Chuck Sloan, from DFW, called me to inquire into the nature of my complaint. I explained it to him, gave him the date, time, and location of the checkpoint I had gone through, as well as a physical description of the employee. He promised to look into the matter.
A month later, he called me back, explaining that TSA had no recorded record of the incident and stated that the airport police made video tapes, but overwrote those tapes after 30 days. He could not now identify the employee involved, as the evidence no longer existed. Subsequent letters from TSA blamed me for the incident, because I tried to touch my own luggage during the screening. There was no oral or written warning not to do so, and I don’t carry a copy of TSA policies and procedures in my pocket. I have had no help from either of my U.S. senators, nor from my U.S. representative. A letter I sent to President Obama has gone unanswered.
Battery is a felony in all 50 states, as far as I know, but the government seems to have no interest in investigating this felony. All I have ever asked for is an apology, but TSA has either failed or simply refused to apologize for the treatment I received. What brought this all about? A cigarette lighter which I had been carrying for almost 3 years, with no concerns by TSA. It had gone through screening that morning in Seattle, no questions asked.
I was assured by Mr. Sloan at DFW that TSA would evaluate the lighter (a butane-fueled, windproof lighter, but not a torch lighter. The literature furnished with the lighter states that it is permissible to carry this lighter in an aircraft cabin) and would furnish me a ruling as to whether this lighter was, in fact, allowable. That was 16 months ago. I am still waiting for a ruling and an apology. As I cannot feel secure that I won’t become a victim of battery again, I have not flown since, and I do not plan to, any time soon.
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For anyone in the Metroplex, there is an Opt Out Day event taking place. More information is available at https://www.meetup.com/cfl-tarrant/calendar/15443527/.
Thanks for the pointer. If you hear of any groups organizing OptOutDay events, let me know at https://www.TravelWithDignity.com so I can aggregate the protests.
Remember, you have no redress against the federal government unless they grant it to you, contrary to common sense (and potentially the Constitution).
I opt out because it is my constitutional right to do so, and no government that calls itself a democracy should inflict upon its citizens a pat down or scanner because it infringes on every persons civil liberties and rights. And that is the reason I will not fly until the scanners and invasive pat downs are banned.
Are you from La. and stuck in the PNW? Long way from home, but I understand, I am from New Orleans and stuck out here as well. The distance just became immensely larger if we cannot fly home.
The.reason.she.treated.you like. Drill sergeant? She probably doubled.as.a.prison guard. Many tsa workers in Texas.were hired through wackenhut.corp. the.employer of.Texas prison guards.
Battery is perfectly fine when done in self defense. Perhaps lodging a compliant with your attacker wasn’t the most productive course of action
Who should he have filed the complaint with?
Some of these TSA goons need some of their own. A serious beat down in a back alley with no witnesses comes to mind! Sieg Heil king BO! Remember; the rest of the criminal idiots instigating this are up for reelection in two years (barring impeachment). Send every last one of them packing! These are the same criminals that spent 6 years blasting President Bush for authorizing wire taps on known terrorist and their associates claiming invasion of privacy. I guess these Left Wing goons don’t think sticking their hands in your pants is an invasion of privacy.