Woman arrested at ABIA after refusing enhanced pat down

[The Northerner]

Early Wednesday morning, a computer glitch shut down a security checkpoint for a couple of hours at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The line snaked out the door as many travelers waited for more than an hour and some missed their flights. One of the first people in line after that shutdown never made it through. She was arrested and banned from the airport.

Claire Hirschkind, 56, who says she is a rape victim and who has a pacemaker-type device implanted in her chest, says her constitutional rights were violated. She says she never broke any laws. But the Transportation Security Administration disagrees.

Hirschkind was hoping to spend Christmas with friends in California, but she never made it past the security checkpoint.

"I can't go through because I have the equivalent of a pacemaker in me," she said.

Hirschkind said because of the device in her body, she was led to a female TSA employee and three Austin police officers. She says she was told she was going to be patted down.

"I turned to the police officer and said, 'I have given no due cause to give up my constitutional rights. You can wand me,'" and they said, 'No, you have to do this,'" she said.

Read more: http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Woman-arrested-at-ABIA-after-refusing-enhanced-pat-down-112354199.htm

[AngryAmish]

1. I didn't know they were on tour

[Sonoman]

2. Who in the heck are those people?

If I missed something, I am certainly glad I did.

Or, is that an old Xmas card of yours?

Sonoman

[gateley]

3. Nobody you need to concern yourself with. nt

[Sonoman]

6. Thanks, I'll take your word for it.

Now I think it was ABBA, but I was to busy playing the blooz to pay attention to radio, back then.

Still am.

Sonoma

[gateley]

12. I was too busy doing anything else - I never liked them.

Speaking of blooz...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O_YMLDvvnw

[boston bean]

4. they look like they could be dancing queens.

[jberryhill]

20. Swedish terrorists

[Rex]

5. Links gone.

Maybe we should all start caring our medical records to the airport, that is if we would be believed. I think the TSA brass are on the powertrip of a lifetime.

[Bobbieo]

8. I have 2 hip and a right knee replacement and there is no way in hell I would try to get on an

airplane. People like me cannot avoid a pat down and I think we should try to find alternate means of transportation;. Why set ourselves up as a target?

[Rex]

16. I just think it is sad that we now have profiling in airports that targets

disabled people the most. Common sense seems to be a thing of the past at airports.

[kentuck]

7. This lady is a heroine.

and is to be congratulated for taking such a stand.

[CreekDog]

17. she went to jail...a terrific use of our law enforcement and TSA personnel

just freaking terrific.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Getting back on topic of OP, here is link to full story:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/rape-victim-arrested-refusing-tsa-pat/

Arrested for refusing to be groped. Good lord.
It is not enough that you can't just walk out of the airport, but to be arrested.
guess they want the message to be loud and clear as to who is in charge.

[Abq_Sarah]

14. That shouldn't be a reason for arrest

But then again, if you don't want to submit to known security procedures, don't freaking enter an airport.

[LibDemAlways]

23. If the government was interested in "security" they'd

dismantle this enormous waste of tax dollars and start from scratch.

Innocent until proven guilty is the foundation of the American justice system. There's no reason at all why the public should be subjected to procedures generally reserved for criminals in order to board a plane.

[sabrina 1]

28. BS, we have a righyt to travel. And soon these 'procedures'

will at train stations, then bus stations, malls and anywhere else they can pretend they are 'keeping us safe'. In fact they are already planning to do so. So, should all stay locked in our homes to excape these violations of Constitutional rights and harassment by this Government"

If you think I am kidding, just six years ago no one thought we ever see them in our airports. There is far too much money to be made for them stop with airports.

Chertoff smiles as citizens go to jail for standing up for their rights.

I never thought I'd see the day when Democrats would help Chertoff get rich. Last time his name was news on Democratic boards was when he let people die in NOLA and people on the left wanted him to be prosecuted. To see him pretend to be concerned about security is Orwellian beyond belief.

[dixiegrrrrl]

29. Amen to that, Sabrina.

[The Northerner]

34. +100

[Dappleganger]

35. +10000

There's already random searches being done at subways in many cities. What is next?

[LibDemAlways]

10. It's too bad the media lost interest in this issue after

Thanksgiving. Americans have all too willingly given up what few rights they had left after 911. When something like this happens, there should be a boatload of publicity and a huge public outcry. This woman did nothing wrong. She, and millions of other travellers, should not be treated like criminals for simply wanting to get from point A to B by plane. Instead of a lot of support, she gets a big yawn. For now I simply won't fly. I know that isn't a realistic option for everybody, but if enough people boycotted flying, the airlines would start to put pressure on these goons to back off.

[Bobbieo]

11. The only way airlines will pay attention to the TSA problem is when people quit flying.

You have to hit them in the payload. If enough people boycott the airlines, something will have to be done to rebuild passenger confidence. I believe it has come to the point that these TSA people REALLY enjoy their jobs - a bit too much. .

[theoldman]

13. The pacemaker is installed near the collar bone.

It is not near her boobs. Is that what she was worried about?

[CreekDog]

19. they will pat down her breasts

if she had metal in her toe, TSA will pat down her breasts also.

that's the way it goes.

actually, the true stupidity of it all is that if you don't set off the metal detector, nothing gets patted down (most of the time). if you do set it off, then suddenly, they pat you down from head to toe, swab for explosives and the whole nine yards.

that's what's so ridiculous.

now i realize some people around here think medical devices are a giant terrorist threat but that's the stupidest thing i've ever heard.

anyone with a medical device knows that for the past, almost 10 years, those with medical devices have been treated like terrorists, getting the full workup everytime they try to get on an airplane.

you can be sure that any terrorist with any capability whatsoever is not planning that means of attack because that's the group that TSA gives the most scrutiny --the medical device group. and i should mention, they give the medical device group's *bodies* severe scrutiny. not their stuff.

i'm not sure what i want TSA to do, but to focus almost singlehandedly on those with medical devices, which is pretty much what their current screening does (when it comes to explosives), that just seems like a dog and pony show.

[LibDemAlways]

21. Huge dog and pony show. I know what I want TSA to do.....

go away, disappear and be replaced by something akin to smart security. Talk to passengers in line like the Israelis do. Spend the resources on identifying potential terrorists rather than harassing old ladies in wheelchairs. The current approach is beyond stupid. The terrorists won. They have people cowing in fear and allowing their privacy to be invaded for no good reason.

[LisaL]

22. What difference does it make where her pacemaker is?

[NashVegas]

31. Former Rape Victim

So it's safe to assume an aggressive patdown would create a highly stressful situation for her.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. And the site has been scrubbed

into the memory hole we go

[somone]

18. New link:

http://www.kvue.com/home/Woman-arrested-at-ABIA-after-refusing-enhanced-pat-down-112354199.html

[nc4bo]

24. Comments from fellow travelers......:

"I understand her side of it, and their side as well, but it is for our protection so I have no problems with it," said Gwen Washington, who lives in Killeen.

"It's unfortunate that that happened and she didn't get to fly home, but it makes me feel a little safer," said Emily Protine.

The TSA did release a statement Wednesday that said in part, "Our officers are trained to treat all passengers with dignity and respect. Security is not optional."

SMDH at how easy it is for fascism to come to and make itself at home in America.

[CreekDog]

32. this person thinks it was necessary for this woman to be pushed to the ground

and dragged...

it's not enough to simply arrest her?

but we're the USA...can't just arrest ya, ya know...gotta make you get roughed up a bit...ya know.

we're tough. we'll show the lady with the pacemaker who's tougher and all us goons with our guns, we'll win.

and we'll be manly because of it. :eyes:

[woo me with science]

25. This is an OUTRAGE.

I am so angry I am shaking. This is our GOVERNMENT doing this to its citizens.

How DARE they, fucking fascists. And to everyone who thinks this is just fine, you are a SHEEP and you need to fucking WAKE UP AND READ YOUR CONSTITUTION.

[nc4bo]

26. Seems we had the same ugly thought at exactly the same time.

What a pitiful state we're in, eh?

[sabrina 1]

27. Good for her, another woman who understands the real issues

at stake. She needs to sue them now, like so many others already are doing.

I hope someone starts a class action suit for those of us who can no longer fly because of this harassment by the government. I think it's time to do so now, rather than showing up at the airport only to be subjected to being treated like a criminal.

This country will very soon be a total police state. I remember not so long ago when the very mention of these machines outraged people so much that they were unable to install them.

Free country? If Bush was right and terrorists were jealous of our freedoms, they need not be jealous anymore. They won.

[Ilsa]

30. They pushed her to the ground so they could drag her away, cuffed:

When Hirschkind refused, she says that "the police actually pushed me to the floor, (and) handcuffed me.  I was crying by then.  They drug me 25 yards across the floor in front of the whole security."

This is sickening behavior by the Gestapo police.

[sabrina 1]

33. It's at the point now where people are being persecuted.

Disgusting, I hope she sues them and if she wants to, several Civil Rights organizations already came forward for John Tyner when the TSA threatened to fine and arrest him, offering to represent him. The TSA backed off. She needs to contact them. People are now more afraid of this government than they are of terrorists. I feel so sorry for her and anyone else who is subjected to this brutality just because they are exercising their right to travel.