*Thank you to Bill O Rights for posting this in another thread (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9627535). It needed its own OP. .
Nearly 1000 testimonials so far.
http://www.aclu.org/passengers-stories-recent-travel/Are you outraged yet? Is this YOUR American government?
Testimonials from the ACLU website regarding new screening procedures:
I opted out and was sexually molested in public. The method used to search my body was on par with a sexual massage by a stranger of the same sex. My penis was touched by a man. My anus and groin were rubbed by a man. My scalp was rubbed by the same person. How can this be acceptable...? These TSA agents are not qualified to deal with the psychological or ethical responsibility of this technology.
- Joe in New Mexico
I was visibly upset and when he started to fondle me inappropriately I yelled "I want to see your supervisor!" I asked (emphatically) if he was legally allowed to grab my genitals and the supervisor said he was. After fondling my genitals he groped my buttocks and told me to have a good flight.
- Allen, Nebraska
In and around breasts, both arms and legs, inside of legs, up to and including genitals (although I clenched the top of my thighs to limit the officer's groping. Legs a second time, but from the rear (where her hand ran up my bum crack). Entire inside waistband of pants, both from the front and rear. Lifted up my hair (already in a ponytail), inside collar of shirt.
- Sharon, Massachusetts
The pat down was so invasive that the woman doing it stuck her thumb through my jeans into my vagina, significantly more than simple resistance. She cupped each of my breasts, and ran her hand inside the waistband of my jeans.... I am upset, humilated, degraded and feel abused and criminal, when I am guilty of nothing.
- Janet from Maryland
The TSA agent used her hands to feel under and between my breasts. She then rammed her hand up into my crotch until it jammed into my pubic bone.... I was touched in the pubic region in between my labia.... She then moved her hand across my pubic region and down the inner part of my upper thigh to the floor. She repeated this procedure on the other side. I was shocked and broke into tears.
- Mary in Texas
In the 4 times she explored the area where my inner thigh met my crotch, she touched my labia each time, and one pass made contact with my clitoris, through 2 layers of clothing. I told her I felt humiliated, assaulted and abused.... In my work as a nurse, if I did what the TSA did against a patient's will it would be considered assault and battery, and I did not see how the TSA should have different rules.
- Chris
This is the most humiliating experience of my entire life. Having another male on his knees in front or behind me and feeling my private areas. And in full view of other passengers. It is a disgusting sight. I now can not sleep due to the thoughts of these agents on their knees feeling my private areas.... I have never, ever been so humiliated and will never, ever fly as long as this policy is in effect.
- Ron Wilson, California
I was shaking and crying the entire time. I was begging them to hurry up but they kept stopping and telling me to calm down. It is impossible to gain composure when a stranger has her hands in your underwear. A crowd gathered and watched and I never felt so humiliated. After it was over, I ran into the ladies' room where I vomited and cried until my plane was boarding.
- Melissa, Massachusetts
While in the "private room"... the agent inappropriately touched my genitalia (more than once) and made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. The agent also pulled down my shorts (about halfway), and I had to ask the agent to let me pull them back up. I was inappropriately touched, groped, rubbed, massaged and sexually harrassed. The procedure was violating, degrading, invasive and humiliating.
- Scott in New Mexico
The TSA agent did not give me the option of going through the screening machine. She put her hand forcefully in between my legs and took it all the way up into my genital area. She then pressed on my breasts just like a doctor would during a breast exam. She then lifted my dress and put her hands inside of my leggings around my waist.... It was so rough that I felt the effects of it throughout the day.
- Dina Pember, Kennesaw, Georgia
4 other male and female TSA agents watched while she ran her hands up and down my body, starting with my hair and then going all over, including my breasts and vaginal area.
- A physician, Michigan
This new procedure was absolutely humiliating. She touched my limbs, my torso, my breasts, and rubbed my vagina with her fingers three separate times. I might have understood one rub. Three rubs was NOT acceptable. My pants were thin cotton.... As soon as I left the security area, I began to cry. My husband and I had spent one of the best weeks of our lives together for our honeymoon, and it was destroyed on the way home.
- Tiff, North Carolina
I was with two strangers, one of whom now had both of her open palms moving slowly across virtually every part of my body. She barely moved them as she groped both of my breasts. And most disturbingly, her hands karate-chopped their way a full two inches up into my vagina through my slacks. She performed this maneuver not once, but twice: once from behind me, and then once again, standing/bending in front of me.
- Alex, Washington state
The TSA agent squeezes my thighs and runs his hand up until they touched my testicles on both of my legs. This was done in full view of everyone in line. This was very uncomfortable, humiliating and seemed very unnecessary. If given the choice, I will do everything in my power to drive rather than take any commercial flights if this is the new standard of TSA screening.... I do not feel safer. I feel violated....
- Max, North Carolina
I was the only female in a crowd of men. Even though I was not next in line, I was called over to the body scanner. As I got closer to the scanner, I could clearly hear him say "got a cute one, some DD's." ... I was appalled and decided at that point to "opt out" of the scanner.... I was then put through the pat down procedure which I only can only describe as sexual assault.
- Caitlin, Connecticut
The female TSA agent did not advise me of an alternative and after she directed me through the scanner she conducted the "pat-down" WITHOUT my permission or WITHOUT warning that she would be making direct and forceful contact with my genitals FOUR times! I felt sexually violated and yet afraid to protest for fear that I would be put on some kind of no-fly list or miss my flight.
- Kim, Hawaii
Simply, I was sexually assaulted. My breasts were caressed in an almost amorous manner. And on the second canvassing of my groin, single-finger pressure was applied to my labia majora - the plane of which was near-broken, during which the agent made a wildly off-color remark.
- B. from Maryland
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