Actual Complaints about the TSA From Airports Across the United States: Groping is Angering Americans

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

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

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

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 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

She ran her hands all the way up and into my crotch with force. To get graphic she could have felt if I had a feminine pad on. When she finished with the front she did the same with my back to the point that she, what I would call groped, my butt. She went under, in between, and on my breast. It was more intense than my monthly breast exam.
- Paula M. Hamilton, Corydon, Indiana

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

TSA says he is going to run the back of his hands on my buttocks and the front of his hands on my groin area.... He feels my bare arms and upper body including my balding scalp. ...
- Randy Spencer

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 have a history of having been raped. I was subjected to what I have since learned is a new TSA "enhanced pat down".... I cried throughout the groping and have had intrusive thoughts since. It was humiliating. I felt powerless. It brought up emotion I could not explain.
- Woman in her 40s

I felt molested and sexually harrassed by their search.
- Gweneth from California

I would not hesitate to say that I felt sexually assaulted by the agent.
- Vince from Kansas

This was, by far, the second most humiliating, and personally violating event in my life - the first being a date-rape in college.
- M., Connecticut

The entire affair was very punitive, and humiliating and time consuming and emotionally distressing. When I retrieved my things, I walked into the women's restroom and wept.
- Rosemary, Virginia

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

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

In all of these years and the thousands of flights and millions of airlines miles I have never been so humiliated. If my choice is to risk having my genitalia spread all over the internet and my body exposed to unknown radiation or to have my testicles bounced and my buttocks stroked I will not fly any commercial airline.... our humanity and our dignity are being violated. I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!
- Dennie from Texas

I am concerned about the exposure and I am equally concerned that someone saw my precious daughter as if she were naked. I was then put through as well and was humiliated and felt as though I were in a peep show. Before this trip, I honestly felt the scanners were a good idea and a price to be paid for travelling - after living it first hand, I have to say it is flat out WRONG.
- Celeste in Florida

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

3 or 4 TSA employees came over, basically surrounded me and very loudly proclaimed what a jerk I was for refusing the scan, were laughing at me, repeatedly berating me. The "supervisor" then spent 15 minutes examining every part of my body - it was intrusive, humiliating and without a shadow of a doubt, intended to punish me for electing to not be irradiated.
- Aaron from New York

I was wearing a sanitary napkin, so the agent notified her supervisor that I had a "foreign object." It took about 10 minutes for her to walk 70 feet, speak with the supervisor, and return. Then she collected my carry-ons and began swabbing items in each of them. This process took a verrrrrry long time.... It was obvious to me that this was punitive for refusing the body scanner.... Finally I was told to remove my sanitary napkin. By the time I got to the gate the jetway had been removed and I was not able to board.
- Suzy in California

Going through the body scanner I said, "I want you to know I do not like this machine. " the TSA agent asked me if I would like to opt out. I said "no, I don't want you to touch me like that, I think it's worse," to which she snickered and replied, "well there's a good chance we're gonna do that anyway." When I went through, she said I did need a pat down, and then she said she need to check my butt and rear crotch.... It was demeaning and indecent....
- Tiffany from Nevada

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

The sad thing is these stories are happening in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Is this freedom?