Introduction To This Website

In April of 2009 I was falsely charged and arrested for misdemeanor battery by a TSA agent in Burbank, California. Although I cannot go into details on my case at this time, I can say that the case is scheduled for dismissal in October 2010.

Because of my experience I have been able to network with others that have had similar traumatic episodes at the airports. I have set up an e-mail address where abuse can be reported; it is "TSA_abuse@hotmail.com"; that's TSA, underscore for the space, abuse.

The purpose of this blog is to highlight some of these events. My intention is to create a non-governmental reporting agency where abuses can be cited. If TSA agents know that they will be reported for unprofessional and/or unethical behavior, perhaps they will spend more time doing their job rather than harrassing the passengers as they go through the screening process.

There are some commonalities I have found in many of the abuses done by TSA. A few of them include things such as:

1. Refusal to cooperate with passenger's request for name and/or badge number.

2. False allegations made by TSA agent(s). These allegations often are translated as a criminal offense.

3. Onlooking TSA agents often laugh and joke at the scene with the passenger being abused.

4. When video is requested, it has either been destroyed or the cameras were not functioning and therefore no video was made.

I personally would not hesitate to record, on my camera or cell phone, abuse that was being done and give my contact information to the individual being abused. I would not provide my personal information to the TSA agents unless they told me I legally had to. The individual being abused should definitely file a complaint with TSA even though they will probably only get a letter of apology for "the uncomfortable experience" and an expression that they will try to use the information obtained to try to improve the screening process.

There have been so many complaints about the TSA screening process and abuses by TSA agents that Rep. Darrell Issa has begun an official investigation. The letter he wrote can be seen below; simply click on the box in the top right corner with the 4 arrows and the document will be enlarged:


TSA Investigation Underway -

I have actually had a few kind and rofessional agents help me in the airport. I wish I could say that the majority of the agents were that way, but at this time I cannot. It is indeed a shame that the negative behavior of some agents can create a negative image for all agents, including the good ones...but that's just the way it is. Maybe we can actually start to have the good agents reprimand and report the bad ones. Wouldn't that be a novel idea?