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Frisking getting too Friskey?

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IronManNDFW

Condo Jet Captain
Joined
Nov 30, 2001
Posts
84
Flight crews report improper searches Union accuses screeners of 'illicit touching'
By Blake Morrison
USA TODAY


Crewmembers have been fondled and groped by airport screeners and targeted for improper searches at security checkpoints, the nation's largest flight attendants union says.

The charges were outlined earlier this month in a letter the Association of Flight Attendants sent to Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta: ''Numerous flight attendants report being hand frisked, told to remove shoes and belts and having their bags thoroughly searched when passengers were not subjected to the same treatment.''

''It's just unacceptable,'' union President Patricia Friend said Thursday. ''My hope is that it will begin to resolve itself'' as the government makes screeners federal employees.

Friend said she has not heard back from Mineta. Bill Mosley, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation, said Thursday that officials ''have not responded to Ms. Friend yet, so we can't comment.''

The letter cites four specific instances in which flight attendants were subjected to what Friend called ''abusive behavior'' or ''illicit touching'' by screeners:

* A pregnant flight attendant based in Portland, Ore., ''was subjected to a search during which screeners pressed against her belly'' after the buttons of her blouse set off metal detectors. ''When she asked them to refrain from doing this,'' the letter says, ''the screeners became angry and threatened her with a strip search.''

* A female flight attendant ''was repeatedly rubbed all over her body with a screening wand wielded by a male security guard'' at San Francisco International Airport. ''Although she asked him to stop touching her body, the guard continued to do so until she eventually stepped away from him. The guard got angry, then called for a female pat-down.''

* A male flight attendant passing through security at Boston's Logan Airport ''was frisked, made to open his belt and the top of his pants and to shake them in front of passengers in the airport boarding area.'' When he boarded, he noticed a passenger with knitting needles, which screeners should have confiscated, the letter says.

* A female flight attendant was asked by a screener at Los Angeles International Airport ''to put her food container through the X-ray scanner. The flight attendant told the screener that food could spill, and asked that it be hand searched. The screener became irate and asked the flight attendant if she wanted a private room, without explaining why. The flight attendant indicated that she didn't know why she would need a private room, at which time the screener had armed National Guardsmen surround the flight attendant and demanded she strip down,'' the letter says.

The letter then quotes the flight attendant: '' 'My fellow flight attendants ran to the gate to the captain,' she reported. 'When the captain showed up asking what was going on, they told him there was nothing he could do, and they felt that I was a security risk.' ''
 
In San Juan I could go through security over and over again. They have those blood-boiling Latina's giving you a total rub down of your body. I always tell them they have made my day, maybe they(the U.S. government) need to hire them for all the airports. At least the male attitude's will get a little better, and some of the girls too.
 
ALPA is also pursuing these issues in Washington. Let's hope his garbage will stop soon.

Meanwhile stand up for your rights to protection from unreasonable search and seizure.
 
I'm not sure this would qualify as an unreasonable search, as you are volunteering to be screened. Your only recourse would be to refuse to be searched, and they would have to comply, but you would also not be allowed to pass the checkpoint. Now, if they stopped you on the street and demanded you be searched, then that would be unreasonable, and illegal. Of course, since you work at a place that requires you to be searched, this could be considered unreasonable, but I believe it would have to go to the Supreme Court to decide. I personally believe that random drug and alcohol tests are unreasonable searches, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to lose my job so that I can test my theory in court.
 
Crewmembers have been fondled and groped by airport screeners and targeted for improper searches at security checkpoints, the nation's largest flight attendants union says.
Where do I sign up for this job.:D
 
The problem is half of them are "guys" but they wouldn't mind, you might just have your hands full as they reciprocate.
 
a repeat just for fun...

This is something I posted earlier in regards to airport security. This is what I went through about ten days ago, trying to get through security at LAX.

"Well, I'm far from a career pilot. But at 5 Wednesday morning I was stopped going through security at LAX because my belt buckle set off the metal detector. Bad scene, man...

I was frisked not once but twice. I got the magic metal detecting wand, and then I was asked to take off my belt. They inspected my pager and phone, searched my books for something (razor blades?), and then went through my wallet (do they have the right? I'm not sure). When they saw my pilot certificate I got this look from all three of them. (Yes, three security personnel were on me). Then they wanted to see my tickets and itinerary. Then they asked about my eyedrops and water bottle. I had to put my eyedrops in and drink some of the water. Meanwhile, my sister was on the other side of the checkpoint laughing, and there were 500 pissed off travelers behind me.

Don't feel bad, it happens to us little people too. *chuckles*"


Ravengirl
 
manners!

What happened to common courtesy? Howz about dinner and a good night kiss? The girl at the security checkpoint at IAH the other day asked if I had something in my pocket. I said, no I'm just happy to see you (no worries, hippy liberals, she didn't speak English). These minimum wage wonders are out of control.
 

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