'You want me to touch that thing with my bare hands?'

[Hvr]

A transgender airline passenger was forced to remove a genital prosthetic and present it for inspection in a "demeaning" encounter that adds to calls for an overhaul of unnecessary security at Australian airports.

...


"In full view of other travellers, the supervisor approached me putting rubber gloves on … When I asked him what the gloves were for, he told me that he was going to do a 'private search'," the traveller wrote, adding the measure was "demeaning and unnecessary".


The person was taken to a small room and "pulled out my prosthetic enough for them to see".
The supervisor put on a second glove and when questioned by the traveller, replied: "'You want me to touch that thing with my bare hands?'"

Read more: 'You want me to touch that thing with my bare hands?': Calls for airport security overhaul
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How can this possibly be allowed to occur? It is disgraceful and sounds like it was done for humiliation rather than security,

 

[Happy Trails]

It could have been better handled.

 

[marki]

It could have been better handled.

that was a little pun (intended?)lol

 

[Denali]

It could have been better handled.

What? The prosthetic?

Could security have actually thought it was drugs which is why he was asked to remove it?

 

[Happy Trails]

that was a little pun (intended?)lol

Part pun intended and partly serious.
It was fair enough to check it out, but no need for the attitude.

 

[RooFlyer]

How can this possibly be allowed to occur? It is disgraceful and sounds like it was done for humiliation rather than security,

Well, possibly. But its a newspaper report of a complaint as told by the National LGBTI Health Alliance. Hardly verbatim. As soon as one gets to 'newspaper report' I think we are entitled NOT to take it at face value.

 

[Cossie]

It's just another case of transgendered passengers being treated with less than the respect they deserve.

Doesn't just happen here. Transgender woman treated like 'real risk' during TSA airport search | US news | The Guardian

Why the TSA singled out a transgender woman for an 'anomaly'

There are better ways to do this without embarassing the person concerned.

Australia is doing better than a lot of other countries, especially after this episode a few years ago. Stefanie Imbruglia|transsexual passport change

 

[marki]

Part pun intended and partly serious.
It was fair enough to check it out, but no need for the attitude.

Happy Trails you don't know me very well, one thing I don't have on me is attitude, that was taken from me early and currently sits in an aircraft coughpit. By the way it does a much better job there too.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

What? The prosthetic?

Could security have actually thought it was drugs which is why he was asked to remove it?

I saw a similar scenario with Canadian Customs on the tv show Border Security International where a male pax (not trans) had a baby dolls arm down his trousers and the CBP Officers were respectful of his reasons but were concerned he might be trying to conceal drugs in it (he wasn't).

 

[Happy Trails]

Happy Trails you don't know me very well, one thing I don't have on me is attitude, that was taken from me early and currently sits in an aircraft coughpit. By the way it does a much better job there too.

marki, my comment was regarding the reported attitude of the security personnel, not your good self.

 

[Himeno]

Australia is doing better than a lot of other countries, especially after this episode a few years ago. Stefanie Imbruglia|transsexual passport change

It's easier to get the Australian government to do this change then it is to get the ACT Government to. >_<

Has TSA started training the local airport security teams?

 

[Himeno]

I found the Senate inquiry mentioned in the linked article. Unfortunately submissions are closed.
One submission (parts referenced in article) from a training captain of a regional airline suggests a number of aviation security requirements be reviewed and, potentially, repealed, including "the prohibition on liquids and gels on international flights (an egregious example of ignorance being enacted as regulation: a brief consultation with either a qualified chemist or a security specialist would highlight the pointlessness of this prohibition)" and suggests that the pointless measures of security theater only distract from measures that aren't theater.
http://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=ab6ba75d-6b86-47d8-961c-72721216c1cd&subId=302632

 

[JohnPhelan]

I saw a similar scenario with Canadian Customs on the tv show Border Security International where a male pax (not trans) had a baby dolls arm down his trousers and the CBP Officers were respectful of his reasons

I can't wait to learn what his reasons were for having the arm of a doll stuffed down his pants!!!!!

 

[Buzzard]

I think the supervisor needs to get a grip on what's acceptable and what's not.

 

[Deleted member]

I think the supervisor needs to get a grip on what's acceptable and what's not.

I think getting a grip was what he was trying to avoid.