It shows CNN political commentator Angela Rye at the airport in Minnesota, going through a full-body pat-down by a TSA agent. As she shared soon after via Periscope (see below), Rye went through the typical scanner machine (where you spread your legs and place your hands on your head) and afterward, a TSA agent said the scanner noted something near her vagina. She told them she wasn’t going to have anybody groping her vagina, but was told that she would need a full pat-down in order to get on her flight to New York. When she refused to, they said they could keep her from catching her flight and would call police. Therefore, she went through it, but had someone record the process. Rye ended up tearing up near the end after the TSA agent pretty much karate chopped her right hand into Rye’s vagina.
I asked the police officer to film this so I can send to @TSA. I’m hoping my humiliation will fix the system. #TSAVaginaMonologues pic.twitter.com/lypkkcpZCW
— GA has runoffs and we NEED the Senate! VOTE!! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
Rye shared that she filed an incident report that has been sent to the TSA, and did so in the hopes that they would review their policies. She wants to ensure that other people don’t have to go through a similar pat-down that feels more like a groping.
I have precheck and CLEAR. I fly weekly. Diamond on @delta. Still selected for random screening and after two machines…THIS. https://t.co/oPqrRn2xJR
— GA has runoffs and we NEED the Senate! VOTE!! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
2. Even offered to go back through AIT. They told me to get the pat down or be escorted out by police.
— GA has runoffs and we NEED the Senate! VOTE!! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
3. Instead, the officer recorded TSA’s pat down and offered to file an incident report when it was finished.
— GA has runoffs and we NEED the Senate! VOTE!! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
It’s just time for change. This makes no sense…there has to be a less intrusive way. https://t.co/BvEMv6XbUn
— GA has runoffs and we NEED the Senate! VOTE!! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
People who follow Rye were split when it comes to the inappropriateness level of the clip. Considering the fact that plenty of people hide drugs and other bad things in their hair and inside their bodies, it only makes sense that the TSA would need to do pat-downs in order to ensure that people aren’t getting onto flights with dangerous objects. But at the same time, if you’ve ever been pulled to the side and humiliated as someone pulls at the band of your pants, rubs the front of your vagina with the back of their hands (or slaps it, which is what happened to my friend in Dubai) or pats through your hair in front of everyone or in a scary private area, you can’t help but wonder if there is a better way. And honestly, how does karate chopping someone in the vagina truly check for whatever may be inside of it? (Not to mention, if some TSA agents had better attitudes, you might feel less accosted by someone just doing what’s asked of them.) More importantly, as pointed out by Rye, what about former victims of sexual assault? Should we really be putting them through such measures that can be a trigger?
With that being said, have you had an uncomfortable experience with the TSA while being screened? Do you feel like the screening Rye went through was a bit much?