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November 22, 2010

As more Americans prepare to fly this Thanksgiving week, concerns are rising about the Transportation Security Administration's new safety regulations.

But the required full-body scans and invasive pat-downs seem to especially affect one group in particular. Survivors.

Survivors of cancer, abuse, and assault have been "mortified" when security inspections have left them feeling particularly vulnerable and violated.

Over the past few days, stories of survivors being asked to remove a prosthesis, having flashbacks of their sexual assault, and even being left covered in urine highlight the care that needs to be taken with those who are in The Survivors Club.

• Please Remove Your Prosthetic Breast
  Cathy Bossy, a breast cancer survivor and flight attendant, was forced to remove her prosthetic breast during the safety screening.
  Bossy, a 32-year veteran in the air travel industry, was subject to one of the first rounds of inspections with the full body-scanners about three months ago.
  Although this survivor was concerned with the radiation from the scan, it was when she was selected for a thorough pat-down that the uncomfortable situation crossed the line.
  A TSA worker quickly targeted her right breast - a prosthetic breast she was fitted with after cancer surgery - and demanded to know why it felt unusual. After being informed that it was a prosthetic, the inspector allegedly instructed Bossy to show and remove the prosthetic breast.
  Bossy says: "I did not take the name of the person at the time because it was just so horrific of an experience that it just blew my mind. I couldn't beleive that someone had done that to me."
  TSA says it is now investigating this claim.

• Invasive Screenings Leave Man Crying Covered in Urine
  A 61-year-old bladder cancer survivor was left crying and covered in his own urine after an enhanced TSA pat-down on November 7.
  The TSA inspector broke the seal of the cancer survivor's urine bag -- which collects urine through an opening in his stomach -- after deliberately ignoring the passenger's warning to be careful.
  "I'm just mortified, trying to figure out how am I going to take care of this," said Thomas Sawyer. "I think I had a little panic attack."
  Sawyer tried to warn the TSA agent that the bag could be easily broken, but after the agent ignored him, the seal broke and urine started dribbling down Sawyer's shirt and leg and into his pants.
  "My heart started beating. I didn't know what to do. I felt kind of trapped," Sawyer said. “Here I am in this room with no windows. I've got urine and two men I don't know. I’m standing in front of them with my underwear and had to ask to pull it up."
  After finding no contraband, Sawyer said the officers simply told him he could go, offering no apologies or assistance.
  Sawyer was forced to walk through the airport and onto his plane while soaked in urine until he could finally clean himself after takeoff.

• Sexual Assault Survivors Feel Threatened by TSA Screenings
  For sexual assault survivors, the new screening rules present an immediate danger to their selves and perceived safety. The invasive pat-downs can trigger horrifying, emotional events or set off a post-traumatic-stress reaction.
  "I started crying. It was so intimate, so horrible. I feel like I was being raped," an anonymous rape survivor recounted on a blog.
  Although defenders of the pat-down argue that it hasn't changed much, it's usage has been drastically altered. Whereas before, a pat-down was only issued after a failed metal detector test, now passengers will be patted-down if they opt out of the body scan or fail the test.
  For sexual assault survivors -- who often are uncomfortable having their bodies touched by others -- these new security screenings leave little room for empathy.
  "This kind of situation has the potential to be really psychologically retraumatizing. Everything’s happening so fast, there’s a lot of pressure, a lot of people expecting you to, don’t take too long, don’t demand special privileges, don’t ask questions. You have to catch your plane," says therapist Wendy Maltz, author of "The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse". "You don’t have the opportunity to employ techniques that could enhance a sense of calm."
  Although passengers have the right to a same-sex officer for the pat-down, any unwanted touching can retrigger a traumatic event. Moreover, men who are sexually assaulted are often the victims of other men - "but saying, ‘Hey, I want a woman to do this’ could lead to a whole other set of problems,” Maltz says.

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