Two elderly women claimed this week that TSA employees, during private screenings at John F. Kennedy International Airport, embarrassed them by asking them to lower their pants and expose private items to the officers, reports WPLG. One claims she was made to lower her pants and underwear so her back brace could be inspected; the other said she was made to lower her waste and show officers her colostomy bag.
The TSA says the officers followed proper procedures in both cases, the station reported.
But with the aging US population, such searched may become even more common, according to the WPLG report. Many prosthetics and medical devices cannot go through regular scans.
“You have pacemakers, you have artificial hips, you have artificial knees,” Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said, according to the station.”As we get older and we keep ourselves together, it’s going to take more and more surgery. There’s going to be more and more medical improvements, but that can create what appears to be a security issue.”
Prosthetics can set off metal detectors, while bags and catheters create bulges in people’s clothing that security officials are likely to question.
The TSA says it continues to try and tailor screening procedure for different demographics. The agency has formed an advisory committee, with 70 disability groups, to adapt screening techniques.
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