An 85-year-old grandmother has accused the TSA of a strip-search pat down, in the latest accusation leveled at the agency in charge of keeping air traffic safe.
Lenore Zimmerman, 85, opted out of the body scanner, because she was concerned the scan would interfere with her defibrillator, saying "I worry about my heart, so I don't want to go through those things."
Meanwhile, she added, “I walk with a walker --- I really look like a terrorist. I’m tiny. I weigh 110 pounds, 107 without clothes, and I was strip-searched.”
The incident occurred on Tuesday, as Zimmerman headed to JFK Airport for a 1 p.m. flight to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. While Zimmerman regularly goes through pat-down procedures, she called this a strip-search, instead.
Zimmerman said that she was escorted to a private room, and once there forced to remove her clothing. In addition, Zimmerman said that as she tried to lift a lightweight walker off her lap during the procedure, the metal bars banged against her leg, causing blood to trickle from a gash. “My sock was soaked with blood. I was bleeding like a pig.”
Because of the injury, a medic was forced to come to treat her. The process took so long that Zimmerman missed the 1 p.m. flight and was forced to catch a later one, two-and-a-half hours later.
The TSA denies any wrongdoing. TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said a review of closed circuit TV footage from the airport showed that “proper procedures were followed" by the TSA agents. The TSA also claimed that the closed circuit footage does not show any sign of an injury, which would belie the need for a medic.
In addition, the TSA released the following statement on Saturday: "While we regret that the passenger feels she had an unpleasant screening experience, TSA does not include strip searches as part of our security protocols and one was not conducted in this case.
"Private screening was requested by the passenger, it was granted and lasted approximately 11 minutes. TSA screening procedures are conducted in a manner designed to treat all passengers with dignity, respect and courtesy and that occurred in this instance."
Bruce Zimmerman, 53, said he can’t understand why the agents targeted his mother, and that he'd like to see someone fired over the incident. “She looks like a sweet, little old lady,” he said. “She’s not a disruptive person or uncooperative. I don't understand how this happened."
Past TSA "incidents"
A 95-year-old forced to remove her Depends for a pat down
8-month old patted down at the airport
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
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