'I just felt like I was victimized'

[suffragette]

Source: Komo News

SEA-TAC AIRPORT -- Surrounded by security and under the watchful eye of surveillance cameras, somehow a King County woman's wedding rings and other fine jewelry disappeared. She believes her jewelry was stolen by the very people she trusted.
"I just felt like I was victimized," said Laura McDavis, a disabled senior.

When her son wheeled her into busy Sea-Tac Airport, McDavis felt like a target. Her two titanium hips set off the metal detector at the security checkpoint and Transportation Security Administration security officers waved her out of her wheelchair for additional screening.

McDavis said she had her fine jewelry in a small bag sitting right on top inside her carry-on. She says the only time this bag left her sight was when the TSA officer took it.

First, it's TSA policy that officers never remove a bag from a passenger's sight. But it's up to the passenger to make sure that happens.
"So it is OK for you to say to an officer, ' Can I bring my bag with me? I need to be in contact. I need to see my bag,'" said McConkey.

Read more: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/52049822.html

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The article goes on to say that it's TSA policy not to remove a bag from a passenger's sight, and that "it's ok" for someone to ask to be in contact and see the bag.

That just makes no sense to me. If their policy is not to remove the bag, shouldn't that policy be prominently posted and followed by them? Instead, passengers, some of whom already feel intimidated, are somehow supposed to be familiar with all their policies and then have to demand they follow their own policy. That is just plain wrong.

[napi21]

1. Certainly I don't condone the actions of the TSA, but people

really shouldn't be taking their expensive jewelry with them on flights. If you can't wear it, leave it at home!

[Fumesucker]

2. I'm not sure I follow your reasoning..

Why should people not bring their legal possessions with them on an airplane flight?

[napi21]

7. Risk of theft!

[Fumesucker]

10. There is risk of theft everywhere..

About the only place with a really low risk would be in a safe deposit box.

The lady's home could have been burglarized and her jewelry stolen at home if she left it there.

[suffragette]

12. I understand your point

and it is a good idea to do that.

However, there can be additional circumstances in which people will take valuables with them, perhaps to give to someone or if they are moving or even to wear to a special occasion at their destination.

In any case. people should be treated with dignity and respect for their rights and that's something TSA violates all too often.

[hobbit709]

3. My mother had her purse searched by TSA once

And after she got to where she was going she discovered that 4 gift cards totaling $200 were missing. That was the only time her purse left her hands on the trip.

[suffragette]

4. That's terrible

It's an unforgivable abuse of office and trust.

[Bette Noir]

5. And the airlines wonder why people don't fly any more.

[bongbong]

6. TSA theft

As a victim myself of TSA theft (tho' not anywhere near the scale of jewelry), I suggest people email airlines, especially ones that they have freq flyer accts with, with the message of "I don't fly anymore because of the rampant theft by TSA agents".

Make sure you use up your freq flyer miles before you do this, however :-)

[benld74]

8. While in China,,,

their security makes TSA look like pre-school! WHile going thru security to board plane to Guanzho, my wife's boarding pass dissapeared in a matter of 10 feet of security tables, while surrounded by their 'TSA'. THey would not let her leave the area because of it. Head of adoption location intervened and she eventually boarded the plane, BUT the pass was never located.
OH by the way, they were just beginning to review tapes - when they allowed her to board!

[bertman]

9. If it's TSA policy that "officers NEVER remove a bag from a passenger's sight" why is

the passenger responsible for making sure that policy is followed? It's TSA's obligation to ensure that their employees follow TSA's rules--not the passenger. If the employee violates the rule, then the employee should be subject to disciplinary action.

This is more double-speak bullshit and evasion.

Thanks for posting this, suffragette.

[suffragette]

11. Exactly

Pure BS from them on this.

[grace0418]

13. "But it's up to the passenger to make sure that happens." WTF? Why should it be up

to me to make sure TSA follows their own rules? That's ridiculous. First of all, if I'm trying to catch a flight that I'm now running late for (even though I got to the airport 2 hours in advance) because check-in and security lines were so long, the last thing I want to do is risk additional searching and delay because I pissed off some TSA officer by demanding they follow the rules. Second of all, LEARN AND FOLLOW YOUR OWN GODDAMN RULES.

I will agree that it's just not worth it to wear expensive jewelry when I travel (not that I have any), but a women who chooses to do so shouldn't have to worry about TSA effing stealing it.

[suffragette]

15. WTF was my first thought about that as well

It's absurd, isn't it?

[grace0418]

14. I just flew out of SeaTac and my niece who was flying with me said that the TSA

agents working the line she was in weren't paying attention for one second. She said that the women who was supposed to be looking at the x-rays of everyone's bags was turned completely away from the screen talking to the woman next to her. She never once even GLANCED at the screen to see if someone was bringing something illegal into the airport. I guess that means at least that one screener wasn't looking for jewelry to steal, but she sure wasn't doing her job either. My niece said it felt almost like something from a movie where the bad guys are working with a screener who "looks the other way" while they sneak in a bomb.