Steven deForest is an experienced air traveler, but he says nothing could have prepared him for the confrontation he recently had with a TSA screener in Las Vegas.
"I chose to opt out of the backscatter X-ray and submit to a physical search," he says.
DeForest was ushered into a glass holding box until a screener could be found to conduct the search.
"A bulky young TSA agent came over to pat me down," he remembers. "He told me to turn around. He was using his command voice, barking orders. I told him that I wasn't comfortable turning away from my luggage, which had already been screened, and wanted to keep it in my sight."
The agent issued more orders -- "Stay there, I didn't tell you to move!" and "Empty your pockets!" -- and deForest says the federal screener seemed irritated that he didn't obey him without hesitation.
And that's when deForest says he was punished. The agent knelt in front of him to conduct a pat-down.
"As he raised his hands he was looking at me," he says. "Then he gave a quick flick and smacked me in one of my testicles."
The TSA says its full-body scanners are optional and that it trains its agents to treat "opt-outs" like deForest with respect. But during the last few weeks, a different picture has emerged from within the TSA's own ranks.
Passengers are complaining that TSA agents are punishing them for failure to comply quickly to their orders, or simply for opting out, an allegation that TSA insiders admit is true.
The most troubling is the case of former TSA agent John Irwin, who admitted to stealing $520 from a passenger because the passenger wasn't deferential enough to him.
The scenario was virtually identical to deForest's. Last November, a passenger asked to opt out of the full body scanner, and when he complained at being led into a private screening area, Irwin removed $520 in cash that had been screened and hid it in a TSA supervisor's drawer.
And who can forget the woman who missed her flight last month because of her bad "attitude"? It might be difficult to believe a TSA agent would prevent her from making her flight, except that the incident was captured on video and posted to YouTube.
The latest wave of complaints about TSA agents punishing passengers isn't new. Back in 2010, when the TSA began using full-body scanners, I spoke with passengers who said the pat-downs were retaliatory. But this is one of those rare times when TSA agents essentially agree that their actions at the screening area are intended to punish rather than protect airline passengers.
Of course, some passengers understand that airport screening is a game and they seem ready to turn the tables. When this woman was told she couldn't bring her vodka through a checkpoint last week, she retaliated by drinking it. At 7:30 a.m.
Imbibing distilled spirits before being screened is totally legal, by the way -- but I wouldn't recommend it.
But most passengers probably feel a lot like deForest, the passenger whose genitals were rapped in Las Vegas: upset, but ultimately powerless to stop it from happening.
"I can't over-emphasize the feeling of humiliation, rage, and frustration," he told me. "I believe I have a better idea of what a woman feels when she is groped, or worse. I was deliberately assaulted by someone who knew that he could get away with it."
He's right. Unless an agent comes forward to confess that he or she intentionally roughed up a passenger, or stole money from him, or made her miss her flight, it's hard to prove anything.
A delay in screening a passenger can seem like punishment, but who knows, the screening area might be short staffed? Valuables can go missing from a tray, but how can you be sure another passenger didn't accidentally take it?
And a pat-down can look proper, but it can feel like rape.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.