TSA Makes Cancer Victim Remove Prosthetic Breast

A flight attendant and cancer survivor said she was forced to remove and show her prosthetic breast to a TSA agent during a security pat-down.

Cathy Bossi of Charlotte, who has been a flight attendant for the past 32 years, told CBS Affiliate WBTV that in August she was asked to go through the new full-body scanners at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

As a 3-year breast cancer survivor Bossi said she didn't want the added radiation through her body, but reluctantly agreed.

"The TSA agent told me to put my ID on my back," Boss told WBTV correspondent Molly Grantham. "When I got out of there, she said because my ID was on my back, I had to go to a personal screening area."

Bossi was taken to a private room where two female Charlotte TSA agents began what she calls an "aggressive" pat-down.

Bossi said the exam halted when they got around to feeling her right breast - the one where she'd had surgery.

"She put her full hand on my breast and said, 'What is this?' Bossi recalled. "And I said, 'It's my prosthesis because I've had breast cancer.' And she said, 'Well, you'll need to show me that.'"

Bossi was asked to remove her prosthetic breast from her bra and show it to the agent.

She said she did not take down the name of the agent because of the "horrific" nature of the experience.

"It just blew my mind. I couldn't believe that somebody had done that to me,'" she told WBTV.

Bossi has since contacted the flight attendants union's Legislative Affairs Team.

She says there are better alternatives to such intrusive examinations.

"There are blowers and there are dogs that could sniff out bombs," she said. "There's no reason to have somebody's hands touching your body parts."

A TSA representative told WBTV that agents are allowed to ask to see and touch any passenger's prosthetic, but aren't supposed to remove them. Later, the TSA contacted the station and said they would review the Bossi matter.


More on TSA's New Screening Procedures:

Torches & Pitchforks at Airport Security
GOP's Mica: Ditch TSA, Hire Private Contractors
TSA Chief: Pat-Downs "For Your Safety"
9/11 Daughter: Airport Screening Foes Foolish
TSA Body Scanners: Do They Even Work?
Senators and TSA Defend "Love Pats" at Airports
Outraged Bloggers Claiming TSA Sexual Assault
Religion Offers No Break on Airport Screening
Passenger Refuses Groin Check, Full Body Scan
Should John Tyner Worry about More Than His Junk?
Poll: 4 in 5 Support Full-Body Airport Scanners
Naked Body Scan Images Never Saved, TSA Says
Poll: Do New TSA Airport Screens Go Too Far?

[jaykay3141]

Why we need profiling:

On one leg of a European flight my then-age 82 mother was selected for "random" screening. She too is a breast-cancer survivor, has minimal use of one arm and can't lift either one above her shoulder line. Born in the US, no social or political activity other than local elections, and living in a retirement community. Therefore, she posed a major threat to Western Civilization As We Know It. She didn't have a full physical search but her papers were taken, bags were searched, questions were asked, and we were diverted from the line for over a half hour without a single word of explanation.

On another leg of the trip, 3 early-20s men were in line near me. They had bought tickets at the flight counter and paid cash, one said he hadn't packed his own bags, and they had no specific travel plans. Red flags?? Nope - they were waved through because they hadn't been preselected for extra screening!

It's BS, pure and simple.

[rebgaby]

They really waved in people who had not packed their own bags? Why do they bother asking?

[rebgaby]

BTW, while I was being detained in the plexiglass "brig", and lateer, surrounded by TSA agents who refused to pat me down, and later, scanned and patted down only when I cried; during this time, the area where people are randomly chosen for pat down did a brisk business with members of the elderly who dare to fly, people in saris, and people with cains and/or walkers. At least they were rushed through. At least 30 people were put through the process while I was detained - that showed up on the video. So if you are detained, my advice is to start crying right away!

[rebgaby]

Also I learned that TSA personnel are very highly paid - the people who patted me down are paid almost $100,000 per year. These are not lowly civil servants, they are highly trained professionals - they just don't act like it. I bent over backwards to try to explain away their behavior - low pay, high stress, etc. There is no explanation to why they are consistently very touchy and bossy (don't talk, don't bend over, don't explain, etc.) Pointing to my right knee apparently got me another 5 minutes standing in the plexiglass cell. Of course they didn't know that standing for 5 minutes causes me pain.

This happened at LAX. I was told by the TSA investigator that the LAPD is stationed above the security checkpoint and if you are not perfectly behaved, you are turned over to them. TSA agents CANNOT DETAIN YOU. But they did me!

[rebgaby]

Why are women and kids sacrosanct? I have been patted down dozens of time (because a woman traveling with child and husband who paid for round trip tickets with a credit card is OH SO SUSPICIOUS) because I am disabled AND have a titanum knee. It doesn't come out, otherwise, I suppose I would have to show it to them! I always have to wait until a female TSA agent is available - wait, that is, in a plexiglass cell for all to see. But no, men are not patting down women and children.

I know that these methods are less effective than EL AL's process of interviewing people while in line - but you have to have TRAINED, intelligent interviewers for that! BTW I filed a complaint with the TSA about how I was made to stand and wait, and then refused the pat down, treated by two surly agents, and finally, after a long detainment, was patted down only after I began to cry from pain at the length of time I was made to stand (I am disabled). They had the whole thing on video, but NOT AUDIO tape. My claim was of being told to shut up, told not to explain my knee or my underwire bra, being detained so that I almost missed my flight, and being surrrounded by TSA agents and supervisors whose only purpose was to delay me and cause me pain. Of course since the audio was not available, and the "witnesses" (the TSA agents!) denied their cruel treatment, the complaint was dismissed. BTW, this is what I was told: First, when I decided to file the complaint, I was threatened with (if my claim was not proven) being tried and put in jail. Later, when my claim was dismissed, I was told that YES, I have a right to talk, ask for a chair, point to things, and in general, behave like a citizen who has not been proven guilty of anything. But I was told by TSA personnel "you cannot talk, you cannot point, you cannot explain - and if you do, we will DETAIN YOU."

[gekkobear]

So the plan is to grope women and children for my safety?

If I saw a woman or child getting groped elsewhere, I'd putmyself at some risk to stop it; why should I accept it here for possibly reduced risk exactly?

TSA - Thanks for Saving my Ass :-)
by tsarocks November 20, 2010 4:08 AM EST

Hey, you can thank them for groping women and children to possibly make you safer. Feel free to endorse the groping of women and kids for your own safety.

IF you saw a kid getting groped, would you quickly run away for increased safety in that situation as well "tsarocks"? I mean since you're willing to let kids get groped for your safety; why not?

"Complaining about them "touching your junk" is idiocy - it's NOT ABOUT YOU - it's about the safety of a plane full of people and pilots and flight attendants! Not about you or your stupid JUNK!
by rebgaby November 19, 2010 7:07 PM EST

No, it's not about me. I don't give a damn if you pat me down. But groping women and kids for my safety isn't something I'll accept. Maybe you will, I don't know. How many kids need groped so you can feel safe?

[lorax2]

This is part of a cost reduction program. The salaries of TSA have been drastically reduced. In order to attract employees at the new low salaries. TSA has been recruiting sex offenders, child molesters, and perverts. They are told they have carte blanche to grab women by the vagina,grope their breasts, fondle small children, and grab men's "junk" - all with immunity and in public view. What a deal. Just kidding. We should not whine about this latest revolting development. After all, we approved of a president lying to start a war, we approved the Patriot Act, we have approved the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. What right have we to complain that our individual freedoms have been lost. We have allowed fascists to take over our country. It's 1939 and we are in Nazi Germany.

[tsarocks]

TSA - Thanks for Saving my Ass :-)
http://www.cafepress.com/tsarocks

[countlasica]

If you or your child are groped, call the local police and have the TSA agent arrested for sexual assault and child molestation. Always make sure you have witnesses when searched, do not let them take you to a private room. Enough is enough.

[rktsci3127]

The TSA clowns are out of control. We need to hire in Israel advisers and do as they do. This is just plain stupidity probably conducted by min wage and min educated workers. Allowing this to go on is insane.

[slatep]

I would much rather be scanned than having a total stranger running their hands over my body.
I'm particular about who touches me.
It is my understanding that the person who is viewing the scan is not in the same room.
I venture to say those who view the scans have to have strong hearts or a bucket with some of the sights they must see.