New TSA Regs at airport.

[Pattie]

I was stopped at the airport in a Midwest city although I thought that I was TSA prime. The officer at the prime gate said new regs required me to be recertified for prime. I had to be screened and that was a little ackward as you all know I am 24/7 femme, The female officer that had me go in the room for strip search would not let me explain before going to the room, so I said OK you will be surprised, she was, and with a very red face said you are OK to go. I think she was pretty new on the job because when I took off my ladies slacks and the my top there was a red tide rising on her face and neck and I bet other places. That's it for now.
Will get recertified at the TSA at my home town airport next week.

[Rhonda Darling]

What is TSA PRIME?

I'm aware. of the TSA KNOWN TRAVELER program, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's GLOBAL ENTRY program, both f which allow expedited PRE-CHECK screening at airports, but PRIME is new to me.

[Jenni Yumiko]

I fly regularly and never heard of pre check's new regulation for rescreen. Do you have one of those third party ones?

[Vickie_CDTV]

That is absolutely disgraceful, making you undergo a strip search for no reason! I am not the kind of person who rocks the boat, but if I were you I'd file a complaint.

[Rhonda Darling]

On reflection, it sounds like you were the brunt of a joke on the female agent. I don't believe for a second that TSA "recertifies" anyone at the screening checkpoint. More likely you were read and the agent sent you to the female screener to give her a surprise. We all know that there is no sense questioning TSA agents on post, as they have too much " in the moment" power over you. They knew they were relatively safe from any repercussions. Always take names and write to their Inspector General to complain.

[Pattie]

Rhonda I call it prime as Know traveler is to long to print some times just being lazy on the keyboard. And yes when I got to my home city I checked in with TSA and they had a good laugh about it. No reason to complain as it was a joke for the female agent. Better luck next time I guess.

[AllieSF]

Pattie, Sorry to hear about your experience. What I do not understand is that they had you undress in front of one or more (?) agents for n0o other reason except playing a joke/prank on another maybe new TSA agent. Is that what happened? I totally get the need for the TSA. working well or not, if it prevents some or most hijackings of airplanes. However, I would never put up with that situation, a pat down yes. If I am missing something from your explanation of your experience please clarify. What they had you do was and is totally unacceptable treatment, unless they had specific reason to question your presentation, i.e. potential danger if you boarded an airplane. So, if I am understanding correctly what happen, then I do believe that you had every right to complain to the highest levels.

[Pattie]

Allie it was a prank on the new female agent when I got back to my home city I asked one of the agents here who I know pretty well and the agent knows me as well and he (she) said he heard about it before I got home , I asked him to let me in on it next and I will really make them Blush. well it is over and I will be back on the road Thursday so no forum for me for a week or so.

[AllieSF]

Thanks Pattie for the clarification. However, I still believe that it was a very improper joke on an unsuspecting passenger too. Happy travels.

[Stephanie_V]

A prank using an unsuspecting participant and what most would call a degrading procedure (Strip search) is totally unacceptable. I know if it was me I would be livid. I'm all for a good laugh (Can think of a dozen pranks played on the new recruits when I was in the military: snipe hunts, boxes of grid squares, finding cans of squelch) but that went too far. It was unprofessional and needs to be reported. To me, this sounds like a clear cut case of a civil rights violation. Unlawful SEARCH and seizure.

[CONSUELO]

As TSA is a JOKE, this sort of behavior is consistent. Thank goodness your surname was not ALI, they would have disbelieved everything about you.

That said, I think this is in very poor taste as it made you the butt of a joke too.

[Pat]

No reason to complain as it was a joke for the female agent.

And you're OK with that? You're OK that you've set this up as something that should be dismissed as "just a prank" when it happens to the next transgender person? Personally I'm a bit appalled.

[BettyMorgan]

Allie it was a prank on the new female agent when I got back to my home city I asked one of the agents here who I know pretty well and the agent knows me as well and he (she) said he heard about it before I got home , I asked him to let me in on it next and I will really make them Blush. well it is over and I will be back on the road Thursday so no forum for me for a week or so.

Do you all realize that by shrugging it off as a joke it perpetuates the transphobia? To be in on it next time and purposely making someone blush makes you part of the problem.
But now you know better, so next time you can be a trans ally and stop the jokes and harassment. Thank you.

[MelanieAnne]

You should be outraged that the TSA, the employer of last resort, and a federal agency, used you as a prank on another unsuspecting federal moron! Another "Prime" reason why the TSA is universally hated! This isn't the america I grew up in! Get out while you still can!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...307-story.html

[Lorileah]

and since we have decided this was a prank, the thread is closed

(you should have known it was false from the start, that's why we have Google)