Lenore Zimmerman: TSA 'Strip-Searched' Me

UPDATE 12/5:

The TSA issued a statement to The Daily News on Sunday apologizing to Zimmerman, saying: “TSA contacted the passenger to apologize that she feels she had an unpleasant screening experience; however, TSA does not include strip searches in its protocols and a strip search did not occur in this case.

Zimmerman still holds that the TSA is "lying" and may "sue them anyway."

PREVIOUSLY: An 85-year-old Long Island woman is threatening to sue the TSA after what she claims was a bloody strip-search by the agency.

Lenore Zimmerman, of Long Beach, was on her way from JFK airport to Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday when she claims the TSA took her into a private room and began removing her clothes, the Daily News reports.

The retired receptionist, who uses a walker and stands 4 foot 11, said her son dropped her off at the airport for a 1pm flight. When she got to security, she asked if she could not go through the scanners--fearing it could interfere with her defibrillator--and instead be patted down, which she claims she normally does. Instead, she was taken by two female agents to a private room.

"I walk with a walker -- I really look like a terrorist," she told the paper. "I'm tiny. I weigh 110 pounds, 107 without clothes, and I was strip-searched."

Zimmerman claims that when she went to remove her walker from her lap (as she was in a wheelchair) one of the metal bars hit her leg and set off a flow of blood from a previous cut. "My sock was soaked with blood. I was bleeding like a pig," she told the paper.

Yet closed-circuit footage from the airport shows that "proper procedures were followed," TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein told the paper.

Medics arrived to treat her injury, causing her to miss her 1pm flight to Florida. Zimmerman got a tetanus shot for fear of infection from the walker.

This isn't the first time the TSA has caught flack from patting down the elderly. In June, a 95-year-old, cancer-stricken woman claims the TSA made her remove her adult diaper during a search.

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Comments

[dbrett480]

07:50 PM on 12/08/2011

There is no evidence that a strip search occurred and since she didn't want to go through the metal detectors, it appears as if the proper procedure was followed by TSA officers.

[celticfireusa]

09:39 AM on 12/07/2011

If they used profiling ,but the PC police is against it,might end this nonsence

[majesticjkr]

05:30 AM on 12/06/2011

maybe the old woman was fibbing and the plan was to sue,

[slash77]

02:45 AM on 12/06/2011

This is not an issue about 'age'…. It is an issue of TSA violating the U.S. Constitution on unreasonable searches and TSA over stepping established laws…..

This is the Democracy we are trying to sell to the rest of the world….and no there is no evidence that we are any safer ….

[Matt12]

10:33 PM on 12/05/2011

Bubula for money!!

[llwlknsn]

09:03 PM on 12/05/2011

If it never happened why is the TSA apologizing? Funny thing, before you start calling travelers liars, you better make sure what they are claiming never happened.

I believe granny, over the Police State.

[myself I]

08:57 PM on 12/05/2011

SHE didn't want to go through the scanner. It wasn't TSAs fault SHE hit her own leg. What does a terrorist look like? I think her statements were racist. Everyone is treated the same. Go to airport early, like the airlines tell you to do. Stop whining and talking about lawsuits.
I know an 85 yo woman who recently was arrested for selling drugs. Being older doesn't always mean "lawful".

[xenubarb]

11:39 AM on 01/12/2012

Did you even read the article before flying off the handle? She was afraid the scanner would interfere with her defibrillator. And it went downhill from there.

How would you like it if she were YOUR mother? I suspect with zero fans, even your mommy doesn't like you.

[Rodney Donovan]

12:17 PM on 03/19/2012

Yeah! I don't like the commie fool either. Probably likes getting his junk felt.....Abolish the TSA now!

[klasakt]

08:07 PM on 12/05/2011

"TSA contacted the passenger to apologize that she feels she had an unpleasant screening experience; ...> ROFL

Really, they apologized that she "feels" she had an unpleasant screening experience? Gee, I wonder why she "felt" that her experience was unpleasant with how professional the TSA does its job. :)

[fredyacht1]

07:30 PM on 12/05/2011

TSA should be strip searched in the public square....left wing political correctness gone completely wrong. You need to profile like Israel does to be effective

[tvLestat]

07:53 PM on 12/05/2011

would you stop using common sense, people are not going to understand you. just say its Bush's fault and move on!

[klasakt]

08:08 PM on 12/05/2011

LOL

[David Amaya]

09:08 PM on 12/05/2011

my vote exactly!! No one is going to take you seriously with all the GOOD ideas!!

your your criminal act of intellect you are both getting faved, (your faults, you just should have said 'she shouldn't fly' or something else dumb and not use your heads!!)

[buchnerj6]

07:28 PM on 12/05/2011

How would TSA even know there was a problem with mrs Zimmerman, they dont speak English do they?

[Kylepaul1016]

07:23 PM on 12/05/2011

like Ron Paul says fire TSA.

[belldn3]

07:18 PM on 12/05/2011

Yes, Thank you for being here everyone. Our official statement on this whole debacle is.......... Some sick and twisted little pervert wanted to see those sagging utters, and he did. We are not proud of his behavior, but we do think he had stones for looking at them and yes it gave him an erection. We are issuing in, new training techniques to avoid future altercations. Thank you, that is all.

[llwlknsn]

09:04 PM on 12/05/2011

You forgot...."Next!"

[rjrisright]

07:14 PM on 12/05/2011

Those old NYC / Ft. Lauderdale jew-broad's are the nastiest creature's on the face of the planet...and all deserve a smack right upside the head.

[akcincinnati]

07:10 PM on 12/05/2011

Just to admission that she was taken to a private room indicates a strip. Who does TSA think they are fooling?

[Jeremiah Price]

02:41 PM on 12/06/2011

Private rooms are not for a strip search...dont be stupid.

[Rodney Donovan]

12:20 PM on 03/19/2012

Don tush my as Felix!!

[ebonidesire]

07:02 PM on 12/05/2011

Tsa is lying how can they say it wasproper procedure if she was taken to a private room? I would assume that room has no two sided mirror where someone can see on the other side. Can't wait for this TSA thing to get bounced!