TSA is in the news this week after a security concern was identified during the screening of an elderly woman at a Florida airport. We are sympathetic to the passenger and regret that this event occurred at such a difficult time for her and her family.
While everybody does have to be screened, TSA works with passengers to resolve security concerns in a respectful and sensitive manner. In no instance would our officers ask a passenger to remove an adult diaper.
We have reviewed the circumstances involving this screening and determined that our officers acted professionally, according to proper procedure and did not require this passenger to remove an adult diaper. Various options to proceed through the checkpoint were presented to the passenger and her daughter during private screening to resolve an anomaly discovered during a pat down. Although TSA did not request it, the daughter ultimately chose to remove the adult diaper in a bathroom and return to the checkpoint.
Out of respect for passenger privacy, we will not disclose further details about the screening of this passenger except to assure that all protocols for resolving security concerns were followed and to reiterate that TSA works very hard to ensure all interactions with passengers are done as respectfully as possible.
Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team
