{"id":1424,"date":"2011-10-03T08:17:56","date_gmt":"2011-10-03T08:17:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/melangedmaculateme.wordpress.com\/2011\/10\/03\/loridorn-at-what-point-does-the-need-for\/"},"modified":"2023-07-28T16:30:30","modified_gmt":"2023-07-28T20:30:30","slug":"loridorn-at-what-point-does-the-need-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/2011\/10\/03\/loridorn-at-what-point-does-the-need-for\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

loridorn<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

At what point does the need for security eclipse human dignity and compassion?<\/p>\n

Yesterday I went through the imaging scanner at JFK Terminal 4 for my Virgin America flight to San Francisco. \u00a0Evidently they found something, because after the scan, I was asked to step aside to have my breast area examined. \u00a0I explained to the agent that\u00a0I was a breast cancer patient and had a bilateral mastectomy in April and had tissue expanders put in to make way for reconstruction at a later date. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0I told her that I was not comfortable with having my breasts touched and<\/span>\u00a0that I had a card in my wallet that explains the type of expanders, serial numbers and my doctor\u2019s information<\/span>\u00a0(pictured) and asked to retrieve it. \u00a0This request was denied. \u00a0Instead, she called over a female supervisor who told me the exam had to take place. \u00a0I was again told that I could not retrieve the card and needed to submit to a physical exam in order to be cleared. \u00a0She then said, \u201cAnd if we don\u2019t clear you, you don\u2019t fly\u201d loud enough for other passengers to hear. \u00a0And they did. \u00a0And they stared at the bald woman being yelled at by a TSA Supervisor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To my further dismay, my belongings, including my computer, were completely out of sight. I had no choice but to allow an agent to touch my breasts in front of other passengers. \u00a0<\/p>\n

I just didn\u2019t understand why these agents were so insensitive to the situation. I would have been happy to show her which bag was mine and have her retrieve the card, but she did not allow even that.\u00a0<\/span>I have been through emotional and physical hell this past year due to breast cancer. \u00a0The way I was treated by these TSA agents added a shitload of insult to injury and caused me a great deal of humiliation.<\/span><\/p>\n

I understand the need for safety when flying, but there is also a need for those responsible to be compassionate and sensitive to each situation. \u00a0These agents were neither.<\/p>\n

I can only comfort myself with the fact that Karma is always circular.<\/p>\n

UPDATE: Laughing Squid has a round-up of media coverage on this story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

loridorn: At what point does the need for security eclipse human dignity and compassion? Yesterday I went through the imaging scanner at JFK Terminal 4 for my Virgin America flight to San Francisco. \u00a0Evidently they found something, because after the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","hentry","category-uncategorized","post_format-post-format-image"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1129,"url":"https:\/\/melange.dmaculate.me\/home\/2012\/01\/30\/dr-saeed-al-samahiji-doctorsinchainsorg\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":0},"title":"Dr Saeed Al Samahiji | DoctorsInChains.org","author":"aslam","date":"January 30, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Via Scoop.it - Rights & Liberties\u201cI was arrested at SMC on 12th April 2011, by masked security officers of the Ministry of Interior, and was beaten up brutally and punched in the head. 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