Men's crotches are probably already examined. Please
read these letters:
November 26, 2004
At the Airport: Indignity vs. Security (6 Letters)
To the Editor:
Re "Many Women Say Airport Pat-Downs Are a Humiliation" (front page, Nov. 23):
I have never felt more dejected about our country's future than I did on the night of Nov. 3, sitting shoeless and jacketless on a hard plastic chair in the deserted South Bend, Ind., airport.
My bags were being searched and I had just been "patted down" in accordance with the new security policies on body searches. The female agent couldn't have been nicer as she queried me about the type of bra I was wearing, but I felt totally humiliated as I had to pull out the waistband of my pants to show her it was only a snap, not a bomb.
I understand why all this is necessary, but that doesn't change my yearning for how easy things used to be.
Susan Lawrence
Darien, Conn., Nov. 23, 2004
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To the Editor:
Traveling in India last spring, I witnessed an obvious solution to the problem of public pat-downs for women at airport security.
At every Indian airport I passed through, large or small, all passengers had to go through two layers of security: a metal detector and a physical screening. Men were screened in public, usually with a hand-held detector, and women were ushered into a curtained cubicle where a female officer gave them a thorough but respectful pat-down. The procedure was dignified, efficient and (I assume) very effective.
It's amazing to me that a country with far fewer resources and a much stronger social taboo against women being exposed in public could come up with a workable solution to this problem, while we are left floundering in a sea of lawsuits and delays.
How much would it cost to set up a curtained booth at every security checkpoint, and make sure at least one female officer is there at all times?
Jess Row
Bronx, Nov. 23, 2004
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To the Editor:
"Many Women Say Airport Pat-Downs Are a Humiliation" vividly brought back the shame and anger I felt when subjected to this. I'm glad to know it's my very precautions to avoid triggering the metal detector (top with built-in shelf bra - no underwire) that made me a target; I'll wear a sweatshirt next time, though my first choice will be to drive or take the train.
As to the notion that "travelers have the right to seek a private area," my request to at least turn my back to the terminal crowd was refused, so I felt keenly the eyes of others as I was being groped with my arms outstretched - and there's no other word than "groped" for having one's breasts palpitated in public.
"We don't want another Russia to happen" was the justification Patti LuPone's screener gave? I couldn't agree more, but it's the police state where petty functionaries wield power maliciously that I fear more than an airplane bombing.
Meredith Parsons McComb
New York, Nov. 23, 2004
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To the Editor:
As a middle-aged man, I was recently singled out, asked or told to take off my belt, shoes, glasses, coins in my pocket, cellphone and watch. Then I, too, was patted down, not once, but twice, then the magical wand came out to see if it could find explosives or whatever.
No, I don't wear a bra, but I did feel conspicuous, and it took far longer than necessary. But my flight from Houston to Kansas City arrived on time and my weekend wasn't ruined because I chose to appreciate the task of the inspectors: not one death because of negligence.
I say to those people who take offense to thorough searches at airports: Drive, rent a car, stay at a motel, and above all keep the economy booming by choosing to be irritated at the new reality of the 21st century. Islamic radicals are waging war against the civilized world.
Ignorance and whining, complaining and griping are plainly for the uninformed. I will work with the airport inspectors. They aren't perverts, and they, too, are probably embarrassed about the same issue.
As for me, I want to arrive, alive.
M. Lee Gunter
League City, Tex., Nov. 23, 2004
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To the Editor:
As a frequent traveler between Newark Liberty International Airport and Tel Aviv, I have been singled out for special security procedures several times. But I have never felt at all demeaned or humiliated by the pat-downs, even though I have been asked to lift my shirt, expose my bra, or even unzip my jeans.
The key difference that all airlines might consider is that El Al Airlines conducts these special searches in a separate room or behind a privacy screen and women are always inspected by a female security agent. My young children frequently travel alone and they have also been searched.
I'm thankful for the intense security and apprehensive that airlines might be pressured in a way that turns out to be tragic for us all.
Mary Partridge
Herzlia, Israel, Nov. 23, 2004
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To the Editor:
In your article, a woman says that "men don't know how offensive it is to be touched by anyone when you don't want to be touched."
I beg to differ. Having metal joint implants after a traffic accident 14 years ago, and despite an explanatory letter from my doctor, aggressive body and other searches are the rule when I travel by plane, not only for me, but for my family if it travels with me.
The intrusiveness of these searches is not just a women's issue - it is a civil liberties issue for all of us. And if we have a hope of achieving what we clearly want - security protocols that protect us without depriving us of our dignity - it won't happen if we start out divided among ourselves.
Paul Gurwitz
Forest Hills, Queens, Nov. 23, 2004
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