Many Americans will be traveling by commercial flight for the holidays to spend time with family and friends, but before they reach their destinations, they have to make it through airport security. This can be especially daunting as the TSA has invasive and violative pat-down practices. Nothing ruins the holiday spirit more than basically being sexually assaulted by a TSA agent. Just a few years ago, my mother was randomly chosen for a TSA pat-down. The TSA agent told her that because she was a larger than average bra size, they would have to search inside her bra. My mother, being the sassy woman she is, told the TSA agent that she would rather her haul her off for refusing a search than allow her to put her hands on her breasts. The TSA agent eventually just patted her down over her shirt, but my mother and I were both shocked at how aggressive these searches were. A TSA pat-down can happen to anyone. Some are chosen because they may have set off a metal detector or some other alarm; however, some are chosen at random. Having a complete stranger grope intimate parts of your body in a crowd of people is something no one should have to experience, especially not just because they need to travel. The invasiveness of these pat-downs, while understandably anxiety inducing for anyone, can be especially traumatic for children and survivors of rape or sexual assault. Many parents have expressed how helpless they feel seeing the uncomfortable look on their child's face as they have their bodies touched by strange adults. Videos of upset children being patted down or separated from their parents by the TSA eventually reached members of congress, who vowed to change the way the TSA handles children. That is fantastic, but that's only one small step to ensuring better TSA practices. It is great that the TSA is taking steps to better protect children, but what about adults? Having a stranger slide their hands all over your body can be just as traumatic as an adult. For individuals who may be survivors of sexual assault or rape and suffering from PTSD, TSA pat-downs could be very triggering, and the TSA should be addressing how they plan to accommodate these travelers. Traveling should not be a triggering experience.
