<<< Date Index >>>     <<< Thread Index >>>

[IP] more on DO READ THIS DJF -- Aggressive Searches Pat-down Searches/Sexual Harassment at the Airport

Title: more on   DO READ THIS DJF -- Aggressive Searches Pat-down Searches/Sexual Harassment at the Airport

------ Forwarded Message
From: Barry Steinhardt <bsteinhardt@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2004 12:09:01 -0500
To: Esther Dyson <edyson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IP] DO READ THIS DJF -- Aggressive Searches Pat-down Searches/Sexual Harassment at the Airport

Esther,

Happy New Year!

We met with the TSA last week and astoundingly they have no statistics on how many searches have been conducted at each airport or what the ratio is between men and women.

They did tell us that the TSA screeners had been told to pick out passengers with an "unnatural physical form" -- a judgement that seems to be entirely idiosyncratic, albeit  skewed to women as the screeners seem particularly focused on breasts.  

We have logged a hundred + complaints from flyers around the country. The TSA admitted last week that they have received 400.  All of ours, so far, have been from women, who range in age from 23 to 93. Many of them are business travellers, who report repeated instances of "groping" --the most frequent word we hear.

My 16 year daughter having read all the news accounts is now refusing to fly anywhere for vacation. Apparently she is not the only woman to have made that judgement and the airlines are not happy either.

Please do let me know if you have any troubling experiences.

Best regards,

Barry




At 10:33 AM 12/25/2004, Esther Dyson wrote:

Hi Barry -

I wonder if anyone (outside the TSA) has looked at these stats by airport....

FWIW - I travel a lot and I really hate this whole system, but I haven't
encountered anyone doing more or less than following the orders they were
given. (Rest assured I'll let you know if I do!)

My problem is with the orders...

aside from that, happy holidays!

Esther

At 09:47 AM 12/25/2004, you wrote:

>------ Forwarded Message
>From: Barry Steinhardt <bsteinhardt@xxxxxxxx>
>Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2004 09:42:59 -0500
>To: <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Aggressive Searches Pat-down Searches/Sexual Harassment at the
>Airport
>
>Dave,
>
>A September 2004 TSA directive granting airport security screeners broad
>leeway to conduct "pat-down" searches has led to numerous reports of sexual
>harassment and abuse.
>
>Victims -- particularly women-- are reporting that they are not being
>offered private searches or searches by screeners of the same sex, and that
>"private" searches are being conducted behind screens that provide no
>privacy. Passengers are reporting rough, rude, and humiliating manhandling
>and groping of their breasts and crotch areas, demeaning sexual comments,
>and being forced to remove business jackets in full view of crowds, despite
>the fact that it is a widespread convention in our society for women to
>wear only bras or other undergarments underneath such jackets.
>
>The ACLU is assessing possible responses to this policy. In doing so, it is
>extremely helpful for us to gain a sense of the kinds of abuses that are
>taking place. If list members have experienced a problem with pat-down
>searches at airport security, they can help us end this problem by
>reporting their story at:
>
> https://www.aclu.org/Feedback/Feedback.cfm?R=58 <https://www.aclu.org/Feedback/Feedback.cfm?R=58>  
>
>For more information on the abuses, IP members might want to look at
> http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=17104&c=39 <http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=17104&amp;c=39> , where we have
>collected many of the news stories.
>
>All the best on the new year,
>
>
>Barry Steinhardt
>
>Director
>Technology and Liberty Project
>American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
> www.aclu.org <http://www.aclu.org/>  
>
>
>
>------ End of Forwarded Message
>
>
>-------------------------------------
>You are subscribed as edyson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To manage your subscription, go to
>  http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
>
>Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/


Esther Dyson             Always make new mistakes!
Editor, Release 1.0

CNET Networks - www.cnet.com <http://www.cnet.com/>
104 Fifth Avenue (at 16th Street)
New York, NY 10011    USA

+1 (212) 924-8800

www.release1-0.com <http://www.release1-0.com/>  
current status (with pictures!) at http://www.flickr.com/photos/edyson/



------ End of Forwarded Message
You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/