TSA, workin' hard or hardly workin'?

TSA Bars AK State Rep. Sharon Cissna from flying

Alaska State Rep. Sharon Cissna of Anchorage was returning from Seattle when the TSA insisted on an intrusive hand exam at SEA-TAC Airport. Below is her [truncated] statement:

PRINCE RUPERT, BC (February 21, 2011).  The following is Rep. Sharon Cissna's account of the events of February 20th, 2011 at  SEA-TAC International Airport:

"[Heading into security after time with the line of passengers], I suddenly found myself directed into scanning by the Seattle Airport's full-body imaging scan.  The horror began again.  A female agent placed herself blocking my passage.  Scan results would again display that my breast cancer and the resulting scars pointed a TSA finger of irregularity at my chest.  I would require invasive, probing hands of a stranger over my body. Memories of violation would consume my thoughts again."

"Being a public servant and elected representative momentarily disappeared. Facing the agent I began to remember what my husband and I'd decided after the previous intensive physical search.  That I never had to submit to that horror again!  It would be difficult, we agreed, but I had the choice to say no, this twisted policy did not have to be the price of flying to Juneau!"

[The] very last thing an assault victim or molested person can deal with is yet more trauma and the groping of strangers, the hands of government 'safety' policy."

"For these people, as well as myself, I refused to submit."

 "The TSA threat of "Do you want to fly?" means something very different to Alaskans. Flying in Alaska is not a choice, but a necessity.  The freedom to travel should never come at the price of basic human dignity and pride."

Another article about Rep. Cissna's incident -> http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_lawmaker_airport_search.html

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Oh, and there's this.


TSA Source: Armed Agent Slips Past DFW Body Scanner
By Grant Stinchfield

Video Source: NBC DFW

[story truncated]
An undercover TSA agent was able to get through security at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with a handgun during testing of the enhanced-imaging body scanners, according to a high-ranking, inside source at the Transportation Security Administration.
The source said the undercover agent carried a pistol in her undergarments when she put the body scanners to the test. The officer successfully made it through the airport's body scanners every time she tried, the source said.

The TSA insider who blew the whistle on the test also said that none of the TSA agents who failed to spot the gun on the scanned image were disciplined. The source said the agents continue to work the body scanners today.