Local prosecutors warn TSA agents not to be sexual with pat downs

[Newsjock]

Source: San Mateo County Times

As nearly 2 million holiday travelers pack Bay Area airports starting Friday, local prosecutors have a warning for overzealous security agents performing the new federal pat-down: touch passengers the wrong way, and we'll throw you in jail.

... Although authorities in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties said they have not received any criminal complaints since the procedures began earlier this month, the searches can involve touching of the genital and breast areas, which critics say is akin to sexual assault.

... As the pat-downs make their prime-time debut during the Thanksgiving rush, the San Mateo and Santa Clara district attorneys offices said Wednesday that they would bring charges against TSA agents at SFO and San Jose airports,respectively, if they committed sexual crimes during searches. They said charges would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and that prosecutors would take into account the fact that the agents were doing a job.

If they cross a line, that's sexual battery, said Steve Wagstaffe, San Mateo County's chief deputy district attorney.

... "TSA does not have any special immunity from everybody else," Wagstaffe said. "If an employee of TSA inappropriately touches the privates of another person, and they do so with a sexual or lewd intent, then that's either a misdemeanor (if it's over the clothing) or a felony crime (possible when touching the skin)."

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county/ci_16641946

[LisaL]

1. I seriously think they only thing that can save us all from these

pat downs if people start suing. And if somebody manages to bring criminal charges, that would be even better.

[peacebird]

2. I tihnk if there is a drop in passengers the airlines will bring pressure to end it

[drmeow]

17. I think only if people who stop

flying write to the airlines to tell them why they have stopped flying - unless you see a really dramatic drop very quickly - which I don't think will happen.

Ideally it would be nice if someone were to create a website where people could go to state that without having to inform all the airlines. Sort of like a petition. That would be effective.

[saigon68]

44. Thuggish sub human sexual perverts in the TSA

[hedgehog]

50. Please don't confuse the policy with the working people

required to enforce it. I would like to see an investigation into whether Chertoff is personally profiting from the use of these machines. I would like to see a less intrusive security method. In the mean time, I don't see the need to label every TSA employee a pervert.

[saigon68]

52. Well I do--- They were and ARE only "FOLLOWING ORDERS"

FEMALE GUARDS AT BERGEN BELSEN

6 November 44...Daily the huts are subjected to a strict check. This is done by a young SS girl, the "gray mouse", who looks elegant and coquettish in her perfectly fitting uniform and pretty, shiny knee-length boots. Arrogant and noisy, she storms into the hut accompanied by a soldier and the Jewish camp leader (the "Judenältester"). The "gray mouse" gestures exaggeratedly, provocatively throws her body around sharply and utters theatrical, calculated, horrified cries whenever she sees badly washed dishes or a bed that has not been made carefully enough. She excels in slapping people in the face so as to produce a loud crack, impulsively, quickly and suddenly, without taking her glove off. Without any reason she daily punishes at least seven or eight prisoners in each hut by canceling their bread or meal. Her only aim is to bully, to torment and to humiliate. Her visits serve no other purpose. Diary Notes of Hanna Levy-Hass, September 1944 - April 1945




THESE TSA THUGS are only there to BULLY and HUMILIATE children, the elderly and disabled people who happen to have Colostomy Bags and Catheters

[nodehopper]

53. Israeli airport security is much less intrusive--and much more effective n/t

[hedgehog]

55. Howdo we know that? As far as I know, no one has been arrested in either country

for attempting to smuggle weapons on board an aircraft.

[defendandprotect]

19. That's the logical response ... though some people HAVE to travel

regularly -- and some infrequently -- but HAVE to ...

That's the best hope that passengers will keep saying NO to this insanity!

Oh .... but it makes us safer? We need to be saved from people who think that way!!

[aquart]

25. I have no desire to fly.

Last month the pilot threatened to have my 89-year-old mother who has cancer, emphysema, asthma, and atrial fibrillation, thrown off the plane for complaining about the cramped seats (in first class) and appalling service.

I don't think I'm likely to fare better.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. GOOD.... this needs to expand

Oh and to all those saying this is not sexual assault... go set these prosecutors straight.

:sarcasm:

[DJ13]

4. Its a fine line they're making those TSA workers walk

Its really not fair to them for the TSA to force them to do these kinds of searches knowing one slip of the finger could get them in hot water.

[LisaL]

5. Is it fair to the passengers who are subjected to it?

[DJ13]

8. No, not at all

Im just saying the people who are doing these searches are doing them because they are ordered to, not because they really want to feel up grandma.

Its those orders from the top that are the cause of this problem.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Walk dont run]

28. It isn't TSA "goons" fault.

They are nothing more than Government employees obeying orders. The problem is way above them. Nepolitano. I don't mind her protecting undocumented citizens - I'm good with that. But why has she approved this gross invasion of our most personal spaces. Don't blame the workers of TSA, it's the appointed management that is to blame.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

32. It is their fault for not resigning,

An honorable person will not comply with such orders, therefore there are no honorable employees of the TSA.

[hedgehog]

51. Nice words, but they won't put food on the table, or even keep a roof over it!

And I say that as someone who suffered personal financial loss because I stood up for safety standards at work. I had the cushion of a husband with a good paying job, but we're still scrambling to make up the losses.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Well yes, but the Union should come to bat for workers

I agree that they are putting them in a tough spot and why this needs to expand to every jurisdiction in the country.

[Q3JR4]

27. You're right, it isn't fare but consider this:

if every time someone was subject to one of these "enhanced searches" a lawsuit was filed and made to stick it wouldn't take long before the people employed by the TSA would stop that portion of the grope-a-thon all together.

There are many ways to skin a cat, this could be one.

Q3JR4.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

43. i agree. its also unfortunate that the frontline always take the blame for the elites

we are pitted against other workers, when they too have very little choice. this whole thing is a mess

[ProgressiveLiberal]

6. If Brad Pitt were doing the patting down this would all be moot !

[LisaL]

9. Unfortunately there are not enough Brad Pitts to go around.

[Frisbee]

10. I think I'll be getting in the Angelina line if that's OK. n/t

[ProgressiveLiberal]

12. Sure that will work....

The least those morons could do would be to have sexy cabana boys and/or skimpy bikini gals doing the pat-downs and you get to take your pick. This would eliminate maybe 95% of the problem and probably increase airline revenue to boot!

[kestrel91316]

13. I want George Clooney patting ME down.

[iamjoy]

14. Just Smile And Nod

and say, "I normally get paid for this."

:evilgrin:

seriously, sexual assault/battery (or some feeling like they've been assaulted) is not funny. It doesn't matter how attractive the screening agent is.

[MannyGoldstein]

11. I'm flying tomorrow morning!

Does Penthouse pay if they publish my letter?

[AsahinaKimi]

15. This is a small step..

I still won't fly.. I hope a lot of people boycott flying.

[saigon68]

48. I will

[sammyscout]

16. Wait until Blackwater is contracted for patdown duty...

..who thinks they won't get blanket immunity from any pat down behavior and/or shooting people at airports if they chose to.

Thinks that out there...think again

[Bette Noir]

20. How the hell does this get decided?

I'd hate to be a TSA agent. Each and every pat-down could result in charges.

I'd hate even more to be the subject of a search, though. I won't be flying any time soon.

[LisaL]

24. I don't feel sorry for TSA agents whasoever.

Even if one agent is charged that could scare the others. Which would be perfect in my view.

[shanti]

21. this is the last straw for me

i usually just fly to LA and back once or twice a year, but next time, i'll just drive or take the train/bus. i hate driving but refuse to go thru that bs.

[saigon68]

46. If more of us did this the Corporations

and their Profits would put an end to this Pedophilia

[struggle4progress]

22. No 'enhanced' pat-downs for kids, TSA says

By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

Children going through airport security will no longer be subject to the aggressive pat-downs that have riled some passengers and will instead face less-intrusive hand searches from screeners, the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday.

"After a thorough risk assessment and after hearing concerns from parents, we made the decision that a modified pat-down would be used for children 12 years old and under who require extra screening," TSA spokeswoman Kristin Lee said in a statement ...

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2010/11/no-enhanced-pat-downs-for-kids-tsa-says/131686/1

[LisaL]

23. I am sure that's a big relief for parents of the 13 years olds.

:sarcasm:

[avaistheone1]

26. We need to keep shouting and opting out. The reckless and needless

intrusion upon on all of us needs to stop now.

[CreekDog]

31. good, they are beginning to back down...but keep up the pressure

adults should not be touching teenagers this way.

[Lance_Boyle]

37. So they plan to continue molesting 13 year olds...

that'll go over well. Maybe these prosecutors should add statutory rape to the list of possible charges.

[notadmblnd]

38. We teach our children to say no to strangers touching them

Then we are expected to stand by and watch our children be touched by strangers?

[happi1]

29. YA

Real talk. I talked to some cats the other day about this.

This shit has to stop!

[CreekDog]

30. my county

awesome!

:patriot:

[Gormy Cuss]

40. Yeah!

It's a good start.

[reggie the dog]

33. these searches are horrible but not new at all

they did bat downs where they grabbed my balls and cock many times when i was a teenager. we could not ride our bmx bikes or walk around town without getting stopped and searched for drugs, this was in the suburbs of chicago in the 90s when i was a teenager. they started doing this when we were 11 or 12, rub your privates just to humiliate you because you had the audacity to ride your bicycle from one friends house to another..... this happend so many times i forgot how many, dozens and dozens of times over the years for looking suspicious while riding a bike around in broad day light in a safe suburb where there was about one murder every 2 years for 35000 people..... but kids on bmx bikes got mollested by the cops.... ok now they do it at that airport but why was there so little concern when it has been done to teenagers at least since 1990 when i became 11 and started getting the "extra close touch" from the coppers... hell my friends and i started using drugs because we had been subject to humiliating gropes in which the cops insulted us and told us we had small dicks under the auspicies that they were looking for drugs, we figured that we may as well actually enjoy being high if we had to pay the price of being mollested just for being a teenager and going outside to see our friends.. anyone else from elk grove village illinois or any other shit town like it have a similar experience??????

[Democat]

34. The media outrage of the week, following the mystery missile!

Anyone who's gone to a hip hop concert has probably been patted down. Airports have been doing pat downs during secondary checks for years. This is not new unless you haven't left your house recently.

[Pholus]

36. Then why is the euphemism an "Enhanced Pat Down?" It's about "meeting Resistance."

Why do you hear comments like: "I'm a 20 year police veteran and we NEVER did searches like that."

Don't tell me this is the status quo. I (am forced to by work) fly plenty. I put up with this humiliation for my family. I certainly do not seek it out with my recreational travel dollars any more.

[NeoConsSuck]

35. Late night comedians are having a field day with this issue:

"People are concerned that the new airport security scanners could lead to pictures of their genitals ending up on the Internet. Apparently no one has told them that without pictures of genitals, there would be no Internet." –Conan O'Brien

"The day before Thanksgiving is National Opt-Out Day, where people are being asked to boycott the TSA's full-body scanners. Sponsors of the event say people shouldn't be made to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable while traveling. That's what Thanksgiving with your family is for." –Jimmy Fallon

"The TSA has changed airport security guidelines. Now you can have an extensive body pat-down or a naked scan. I think I speak for everybody when I say, "Hey, why can't we have both?" –David Letterman

"It was bad enough when the TSA agents would go through your underwear in your luggage. Now they're going through your underwear while you're wearing it." –Jay Leno

"Now, to make it worse, the airlines are charging a $15 molestation fee." –Jay Leno

"You can opt out of the full-body scan and choose the alternative, letting the TSA touch your T&A. It’s just like an 8th grade basement make-out party, except instead of your mother interrupting, she’s getting stroked in the next line." Stephen Colbert

David Letterman's "Top Ten Ways To Make Airport Security More Pleasant"

10. For $10, screeners will give you luxurious shiatsu massage
9. To your left, x-ray conveyor belt; to your right, complimentary hot buffet
8. Passenger's naked body scan ends up on YouTube — hey, that joke was in the monologue
7. Anyone caught with something suspicious has to eat it
6. You can watch other passengers get groped for 99 cents a minute
5. Guess the TSA agent's weight and you can bring any liquid on board
4. Passengers have option to be frisked by security or airport Cinnabon employee
3. Pipe in soft rock classics from the '70s, '80s, '90s, and today
2. Concludes with a good luck pat on the butt
1. Vibrating wands

[Maat]

41. Those are pretty good (n/t)! (You laugh or you cry.)

[panzerfaust]

39. Good: But "intent" will be impossible to prove

The land of the Free
The home of the Brave

Once this may have been true, sadly, now neither is.

[saigon68]

45. TOUCHING AND GROPING A MAN'S PENIS AND SMILING

sure sounds like the definition of AROUSAL

[TexasObserver]

42. While I agree with their intent, the Feds would swoop down on it.

In every jurisdiction in America, the US Attorney's office could assert federal jurisdiction and make the local prosecutors toe their line.

[saigon68]

47. Yes led by Obama

He sure has turned his back on us

What a little tool of the corporate elite

[TheLastMohican]

49. I wonder what should happen to general public

so that they revolt and take their country back?
How long will people put up with this dictatorial shit?
Otherwise they might as well enjoy it that someone touches your nutsack on a regular basis - the sheeple deserve to be herded by the wolves.

[goforit]

54. Demand that witnesses stand by when padded down!

[LisaL]

56. Since it's done in public

there are plenty of witnesses.

[Matariki]

57. Sounds good - but impossible to prosecute.

"and they do so with a sexual or lewd intent" - that would be difficult to prove in the context.

[LisaL]

58. If any DA brings charges, that could be something for the jury

to decide.