Schumer Calls for Passenger Advocates at Airports During TSA Security Screenings
- Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:12pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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(The Blaze/AP) Two New York lawmakers have called for a passenger advocate at airports to immediately act on complaints by passengers over security screenings.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and state Sen. Michael Gianaris of Queens want the Transportation Security Administration to create the position at all airports.
The proposal to be released Sunday was prompted by an elderly woman’s recent claims that she was strip searched by security officials at Kennedy Airport, which the TSA denies, saying it doesn’t conduct strip searches. Others have since made similar claims.
The TSA said Saturday that it is planning its own advocacy service.
“The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) strives to provide the highest level of security while ensuring that all passengers are treated with dignity and respect,” the agency stated Saturday night. “TSA has programs in place for the screening of people with all types of disabilities and medical conditions and their associated equipment.”
TSA spokeswoman Kristin Lee said that last week senior leadership talked to several national groups that advocate for those with medical conditions, including colostomy bags. After the first claim, another woman reported she was stopped because of a bulge that was a colostomy bag.
Lee said that after consulting with advocates for those with various medical conditions, the TSA is planning to establish a toll-free telephone hotline in January for passengers that may need help during screening.
“This hotline will give passengers direct access to guidance and information specific to persons with disabilities or medical conditions, which they will be able to call prior to flying,” the TSA stated. “Additionally, TSA regularly trains its workforce on how to screen travelers with disabilities and medical conditions and has customer service managers at most airports to answer questions and assist passengers.”
Under the Schumer-Gianaris proposal, an advocate could be summoned in person by passengers if they feel they were inappropriately searched.
“While the safety and security of our flights must be a top priority, we need to make sure that flying does not become a fear-inducing, degrading, and potentially humiliating experience,” Schumer said.
Gianaris and Schumer were scheduled to make the announcement Sunday with relatives of the women who made the claims.
“I appreciate the TSA’s work to keep air passengers safe, but passengers should not be humiliated and degraded during their travels,” Gianaris said.
A week ago, an 85-year-old woman said she was injured and humiliated when she was strip searched at the airport after she asked to be patted down instead of going through a body scanner, allegations that transportation officials denied.
Lenore Zimmerman said she was taken to a private room where she said female agents made her take off her pants and other clothes after she asked to forgo the screening. She had worried it would interfere with her defibrillator. She missed her flight and had to take one 2 1/2 hours later, she said.
But the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement Saturday no strip search was conducted.
“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,” the TSA stated.
“Private screening was requested by the passenger, it was granted and lasted approximately 11 minutes,” the statement read. “TSA screening procedures are conducted in a manner designed to treat all passengers with dignity, respect and courtesy and that occurred in this instance.”
The private screening wasn’t recorded.
On Sunday, the TSA stated that a misunderstanding led to the removal of the woman’s back brace. The TSA said the equipment was mistaken as a money belt. Refresher courses are planned for JFK employees, the TSA stated.
“We work regularly with a coalition of advocacy groups that represent those with disabilities and medical conditions to help TSA understand their conditions and adapt screening procedures accordingly,” the TSA said.
A review of closed-circuit television at the airport showed that proper procedures before and after the screening were followed, TSA spokesman Jonathan Allen said in a statement.
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Comments (88)
republic2011
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 9:00pmYes.. typical progressive approach. Bloat the government with an unnecessary agency. Allow that agency to create an even bigger problem than existed before. And then, bloat the government some more with some more useless bureaucrats to address the problems created by the first failed program. This is the state of our Republic folks. We have 100 years of progressive legislation to back out so we don’t need any more programs to address the problems all this failed legislation created. Throw them all out, Republican and Democrat and let’s start over.
Report Post »Clara88
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 9:54pmVeterans are supporting a VETERAN….Gov Rick Perry
Report Post »Our military deserves a Commander In Chief they can be PROUD of and RESPECT
GOD BLESS OUR BRAVE MILITARY AND OUR BELOVED BRAVE VETERANS
http://www.rickperry.org/veterans/
Bluzie
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 10:03pmWell said Republic. Was thinking of making that very same statement when I read the headline and first paragraph of the story. No need for me to repeat quintessential eloquence.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 11:01pmPassenger advocates?! Why isn’t the TSA our “advocate”? We are paying for them. They are from our government, right?
This implies that , at least some of our law “enforcement” agencies of the federal government ARE NOT our advocates, as common citizens. This is an ominous implication.
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 1:55amSchumer is by far the biggest w h o r e in DC , I wouldn’t trust anything he says .
Report Post »JQCitizen
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 2:43amMy thought exactly Republican! There is only one thing Dems want more than more Government employees, and that is more UNIONIZED Government employees.
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 9:24amrepublic2011
The problem is more complicated than that, and in a sense, less complicated.
We might just have to straight up KILL THEM.
I don’t want to…but I think it’s inevitable. They will not relinquish this illegitimate power willingly.
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 10:25amI don’t want a passenger advocate.
I don’t want my rights violated to begin with where I need an advocate.
I want the TSA abolished. NOW!
RESIST THE NAZI POLICE STATE!
Report Post »randm07
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 11:15amdon’t worry “Senator Stupid” is going to fix everything ….. all we need is more government. All the woman have to do is to put on a “Burka” and you get a free pass or at least that’s the way it seems to the people watching this whole thing play out. Maybe “oBLAHma” will let us know what the fix is on the next 60 minutes ?
Report Post »piper60
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 8:15pmI haven’t flown since 9/11. Won’t, either.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 9:52amI’ve flown.
Small private aircraft, which are especially fun to pilot on crisp winter days! :)
Walk to the tarmac, get in, no illegal search required. Just that easy.
Report Post »Brad Wesselmann
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 10:18amI’m not afraid of flying and if someone actually tries to do something stupid on a flight that I am on, they are in essence giving me carte blanche on taking any and all aggression I may or may not have suppressed from the last ten years and release it on whomever feels like doing something to innocent people in my presence.
Report Post »Darla_K
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 7:25pmI am glad that I don’t have to fly anywhere, but I do feel sorry for the good people that do need to fly. Can you imagine if we set up people like the TSA people to screen voters? Making sure everyone was eligible to vote, being citizens and not a fake person? The left would cry like the babies they are.
Report Post »jjoy
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 9:24pmNo, the tsa “screeners” would strip-search Grannies, feel-up little kids, and let the illegal mexicans and terrorists vote…
Report Post »oldchevyguy
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:48pmBoycott airlines for a few months.Travel by bus or train if possible.Postpone your vacation or vacation local.How long will it be before the airlines find out we,the people, will not put up with the status quo?
Report Post »oriondma05
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 9:41pmIts not the airlines doing this though, it’s the government as usual “trying to help”.
Report Post »annieoakley
Posted on December 13, 2011 at 11:50pmThen when the airline is bankrupt, Voila! bigger government steps in and takes over another industry.
Report Post »ApplyCS
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:47pmAnother excuse for another layered bureaucracy sponsored by the “Layered Bureaucracy”.
And you guessed right we will need to increase taxes for the added cost.
Report Post »THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 7:25pmWhat we need to do is just get rid of tsa and shumer!
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 8:25amI was thinking the same thing. You have this failed govenment agency that now needs another agency to make folks feel warm and fuzzy over the failed agency…..and we get the bill. No thanks!
Report Post »Pat Alexander
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:43pm“While the safety and security of our flights must be a top priority, we need to make sure that flying does not become a fear-inducing, degrading, and potentially humiliating experience,” Schumer said.
It’s too late Chuck.
I’ll agree on this: something needs to be done. Long overdue.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 9:22pmSounds like Chuck just wants to be able to watch the old ladies getting strip searched. Maybe this could be a good job for Anthony Weiner, he could just say the old line “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours”.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:15pmHere’s an idea: ABOLISH THE TSA!!!!
See how easy that is?
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:26pmIt would be very nice to do just that.
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 8:08pmAnd abolish Schumer at the same time.
Report Post »recoveringneocon
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:14pmThe Headline shoud read “Ron Paul says abolish the TSA”
Report Post »THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 7:28pmOr else it should say “ Shumer wants to end pedofilia in airports ”
Report Post »Secessionista
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:08pmThese “advocates” need to be armed, and trained to shoot any TSA agent that touches a passenger.
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:13pmSo the answer in chuckies mind is more government at the airport, Schummer is an idiot.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:38pmMan I would volunteer for that job. They wouldn’t even have to pay me…
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 7:04pmThat’s what we need to start .. an unpaid Citizens group to monitor the TSA .. I would join!
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:54pmIf we just banned all Islamic people from flying into the US and it’s territories, we wouldn’t need a TSA. I think if we checked the record,of all airline terrorism, we would find it was 100% Islamic terrorist. That’s not profiling because of race, that’s acting sensibly trying to solve a problem and defend and protect American interest and living up to the oath the officials took when they were sworn in!
Report Post »booger71
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:41pmYour right, we don’t need their students, workers, or tourists. Kick out their Embassies too
Report Post »let us prey
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:54pmThis will be funny. I heard about a guy who was hurt at work and on workers comp many times, and he became the safety inspector. The progs will love inflating the size of this department. Just when two perverts were not enough for the job, a third comes in and tries to squash the complaint. Brilliant.
Report Post »geonj
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:50pmif congress members were forced to go through tsa screening without their identities known, they would put and end to the tsa.
Report Post »THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 7:31pmAnd make the kings stoop to the level of us peasents? It’ll never happen, They are the ELITE that knows better then us.
Report Post »Censored_by_the_Illuminati
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:46pmOf course these passenger advocates would be members of the SEIU.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:39pmPerfect! We‘ll bloat the bureaucracy even more and put idiots in charge of watching the other idiots. In a few months we can appoint a Chief Idiot to oversee the idiots who are keeping an eagle eye on the original idiots.
What idiots!
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:48pmAND….you got an idiot calling for the Chief Idiot to look over the idiots!
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:49pmI think I see a pattern here…….
Report Post »sooner12
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:55pmWe can solve our problem with the TSA by replacing them with private screeners who are more adept in this kind of business. And, like the Israelies, profiling passengers, I think is a better way of screening.
Well, one might say that worse abuse is possible. Frankly I don’t think it could get any worse than with the TSA.
Report Post »AMERICA4EVER
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:01pmOverseen by the biggest idiot!
Report Post »wordweaver
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:30pmMy thoughts as well. If you can’t privatize security at airports and abolish the TSA (the right answer), then creating new positions within the TSA to function as passenger advocates achieves nothing. If they are tasked to keep the TSA on the straight and narrow, then they need to be working for an agency outside of the TSA. Getting more foxes to guard the chicken coops is not the answer, and widening the too-large bureaucracy that is already in place costs the government more with no benefit.
Report Post »THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 7:33pmWe already have a chief idiot..his name is obama
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:35pmNext up, Schumer calls for Airport Advocates to unionize, film at 11:00.
Report Post »TEXASGRANNY73
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:32pmShyster Schumer at it again. We now need govt. lawyers (more govt. jobs for Obama) to intercede for us at the airports. We no longer have a voice period. Nudge Nudge Prod Prod. Especially the elderly and children.
Report Post »hersey10
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:29pmTypical Liberal response , add more oversite instead of actually solving the problem . The resolution is to bring in El Al and duplicate their model .
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:39pmThen you would have to hire people with a brain .. who might actually question authority if they thought they were wrong .. can’t have that. Need the mindless union drones to carry out the government harrassment and control of the citizens.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:26pmI believe the elderly womans account of what happened. Who in their right mind trusts the TSA to tell the truth? They are always assuring the public that their agents acted appropiately as more and more people tell their horror stories about the TSA .
Oh, and great that the TSA wants to form their own advocacy group. That’s what we need, more mindless, power hungry drones telling us all is well.
Report Post »MrMagoo
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:25pmHey Schoomer,we don’t need more bureaucrats on the payroll,advocates or not.We need to STRIP many TSA ‘agents’ of their jobs and the ones we do keep need to start PROFILING,like Israel does.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:40pmGo to Detroit airport .. the Muslims are the screeners!
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:24pmjust another attempt to beef up union payrolls
they were successful in unionizing the tsa, now they will create another dept, and unionize them too
typical dem strategy
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:24pmSchumer sees another foot in the door for his pals at SEIU!
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:25pmoops, did I just admit to not trusting any of these goons?
Report Post »RichNGadsden
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:24pmThis one of those rarest of rare moments for me to have every remotely agreed with anything Schumer has ever suggested. I heard about the advocates a few hours ago on Fox News, but had no idea that Chucky had anything to do with it.
Report Post »kuhl
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:22pmOne Czar group watching another Czar group. Why not just hold the Czar responsible for their roups illegal actions? Of course, that would mean Napollitano would be in front of Congress on a daily basis so they won’t do that.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:20pm“The TSA said Saturday that it is planning its own advocacy service.”
Give me a break .. that will do nothing .. . or make it even worse .. then you will have no place to go for complaints.
TEA!
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:17pmEnd the damn TSA and let the free market take over. Who does not want their planes blown up? The Airlines, that’s who….
Get rid of the TSA pedophiles instead of adding more Government bullcrap! Wake up America. Time to revolt! Stop flying like i did. Go Gault….Or be a sheeple that gets felt up at the airport.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 5:22pmI agree .. have not flown and will not fly as long as these N a z i s continue to feel people up and harrass the elderly.
Report Post »randy
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 6:39pmI refuse to fly….. Just got back from a trip from Central NY to Burnet, TX pronounced (burn it :) )
Report Post »1720 miles one way in a Hertz Rental Car. What a wonderful trip….. 4200 miles round trip! Only problem I had was being stopped in Texas for not using my turn signal. Texas State Trooper pulled me over, Asked for my license, registration and if I had a weapon in the car. I said Yes, I have my 9mm under the seat. He smiled and said. Oh don’t worry, everyone in Texas carries a pistol….. He then shook my hand and let me go on my way without a ticket :) Gotta love Texas. I’ll be moving there soon. GO TO HEII TSA!
Baddoggy
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 8:12amGlad to have you here Randy…
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