Word To The Wise – Granny “Gate-Rape”

By E. Roberts Musser –

Hearings on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. have been hurriedly convened, as public outcry has mounted over the latest Transportation Security Administration (TSA) outrage at a small Florida airport security checkpoint.  A 95 year old woman, battling the final stages of leukemia, was given an extensive 45 minute pat down.  What happened next is still somewhat in dispute, but does not reflect well on the TSA.  According to the victim’s daughter, “My choices were to remove the Depends [adult diaper] or not have her clear security.”  A spokesman for the TSA insists upon review of the incident their agents acted “professionally, and according to proper procedure and did not require this passenger to remove an adult diaper“.

This followed a recent occurrence of “kiddy gate-rape”, where a 6 year old child was subjected to a very invasive pat-down that went viral on YouTube.  The poor tot burst into tears and asked her mother if she had done something wrong, once the ordeal was all over.  The actual pat-down procedure can be viewed at: link

I watched a recent hearing held in Washington, D.C. on C-Span, the public television channel that features Congressional testimony.  The indignation from Congressmen appeared very justified, since the TSA representative seemed evasive, unapologetic, and singularly uninformative.  This public servant kept pointing to a large spiral bound report he brought with him, explaining it was a blueprint of some sort, to be used by individual airports as they saw fit.  Somehow that was supposed to explain away the audacity and inappropriateness of TSA “gate-rape” incidents.   The actual hearing can be viewed in its entirety at: link

One of the problems TSA is struggling with is the April 2, 2010 directive they received from the Obama administration.  It advised TSA to scrap racial profiling.  In consequence, the rigid strategy of TSA is to treat every passenger precisely the same.  With such short-sighted policies in place, children and grandparents are being “gate-raped”.  Meanwhile a Nigerian man recently passed through airport security on an expired boarding pass that belonged to someone else.  See: link. In another recent episode, a taser gun was found in the seat pocket of an airplane, and no one knows how it somehow managed to get through security.

There seems to be no level of common sense being used by TSA agents or the federal government.  A security expert from Israel speaking at the hearing suggested the United States do the following: 1) real risk assessment based on information received about passengers prior to arrival; 2) the interview of high risk passengers; 3) better checks on baggage and their handlers.  The idea is to focus on “people” (passengers, baggage handlers) rather than “items” (what people are carrying/handling).  Because Israel is a much smaller country, and more used to invasive and lengthy security techniques, their system in totality would not work here.  But certainly components of it could be extracted and used, if our nation wants true security and not just the appearance of it.

There was an extensive discussion at the hearings regarding the use of imaging machines versus explosive-sniffing dogs.  In fact an impressive demonstration was actually given at the hearing on just how effective the use of sniffer dogs can be.    It was also pointed out canines are the chosen method of security used by both the Pentagon and Amtrak trains.  And it would seem the employment of sniffer dogs for security could be significantly cheaper and more effective than the imaging machines.  As it so happens, these machines will not be able to detect the latest wrinkle – surgically implanted explosives.  Certainly sniffer dogs are less invasive than the imaging machines, or thorough pat downs by overly zealous TSA agents.  And properly educated canines can be trained to sniff just about anything, including cancer in patients.

However, the TSA is considering purchasing yet another expensive technology – face-recognition equipment and software (biometrics).  I guess the use of dogs just isn’t high-tech or “sexy” enough for the TSA.  Besides, no government official or their friends will benefit financially from the use of dogs, as they most likely will with the new face-recognition system.  Remember the Chertoff connection?  Chertoff was the former Director of Homeland Security who strongly recommended the federal government purchase imaging equipment.  He then promptly retired, forming a consultancy organization, the Chertoff Group.  It’s client list just so happened to include the very manufacturers of the imaging equipment he had so vigorously suggested (and which the federal gov’t did, in fact, buy).

As it turns out, the TSA is trying a pilot program for frequent fliers called the “Trusted Travel Program”.   It will only be available on certain airlines and in specific airports.  Passengers in the program have to give extensive biometric and other relevant information, not to mention pay a hefty fee.  Once in the program, “Trusted Travelers” can sail right past the normal invasive security measures the rest of us have to suffer through.  In other words, the wealthy business traveler will not be subjected to “gate-rape”, while the rest of us have to put up with its indignities.  It’s comforting to know former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was recently “gate-raped” – because of his two hip implants.  Is this really what we want our government to be doing to our harmless senior citizens and vulnerable children?

Lesson to be learned:  Passengers need to keep putting the pressure on the federal government to be more reasonable in its security measures.  Passengers want real, common sense security, not just the illusion of it.

Elaine Roberts  Musser is an attorney who concentrates her efforts on elder law and aging issues, especially in regard to consumer affairs.  If you have a comment or particular question or topic you would like to see addressed in this column, please make your observations at the end of this article in the comment section.