I was instructed to remove my leg. I refused, stating that it was against procedure to insist that I remove my prosthetic. Another man was brought over, who lectured me about the increased security risk and the need to keep screening procedures current. He reiterated that the rules have changed, and that he needed my prosthetic. Looking at my frightened little boy and knowing that we were becoming pressed for time, I begrudgingly removed my leg and handed it to the rude agent. "What's that?" the man asked while pointing to my liner. I explained that it was my prosthetic liner, and that I wore it to keep my prosthetic attached. He insisted that he needed to run my liner through the machine as well. I don't think that the general public understands how personal a residual limb is to the amputee. It is on par with one's genitals. I simply don't remove my liner in public exposing my limb, and I was humiliated by the request. At this point, our plane was boarding. I had amassed a group of four TSA officers around me, and Robby was scared and in tears. I knew that what they were asking me to do was wrong, but I also knew that fighting at that moment would caused us to miss our plane. I just wanted to get home. I took off my liner. I sat quietly in a chair as onlookers and gawking passengers watched me expose one of my most personal features. I felt defeated and humiliated. My liner, which is supposed to be maintained in a hygienic manner, was thrown into a screening bin inside out and run through the machine. No care was given to sanitizing the container which I am sure is riddled with fecal matter and bacteria. I was given no opportunity or materials to clean the liner after it was contaminated. It was half-hazardly thrown into my lap as I was told that I could leave. I put my leg on and gave Robby a huge hug. We gathered our carry-on items which had been removed from our bags and strewn on a metal table. Tears were rolling down my face as I called my family for support.
Read it all. Breakables warning in effect, and the TSA assholes involved ought to be fired. At the least. If they're fucking professionals they should ACT like professionals, which means knowing what the hell they're doing when dealing with things like this.
1 comment:
They are counting on you being more worried about missing your flight than being humiliated.
The lesson that boy learned was submit to terror, fright, and demonstrations of power. Instead, you miss your plane, and have him learn the lesson that might does not make right, that doing the right thing trumps everything else, and that holding THUGS accountable is the only thing that a MAN can do when threatened. Period. But the cattle do not, and will not go there, So he can plan on repeating this trauma EVERYTIME from now on.
It should be Napolitano's Staffeln. Everytime we tie these thugs to the National Socialism they are enforcing, the better.
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