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Woman arrested after refusing US airport pat-down
Australian News.Net
Monday 27th December, 2010
Authorities in Texas have arrested a woman for refusing to go through an enhanced pat-down.
The woman, Claire Hirschkind, 56, was waiting at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport when she refused to be frisked.
Ms Hirschkind told officials she would not be patted down because she had a pacemaker-type device implanted in her chest.
The Huffington Post reported the Transportation Security Administration said the invasive pat-down would have been quite legal had it been agreed to.
Ms Hirschkind was on her way to California to spend the holiday with friends when she was stopped at a security point.
Because of the device in her body, she was led to a female TSA employee and three Austin police officers who told her she was about to be patted down.
Hirschkind said she agreed to the pat down on the condition they could not feel her breasts.
Upon her refusal she said, police pushed her to the floor and handcuffed her.
US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said full-body scannings and pat-downs will continue at airports around the country.
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Comments on this story
| By Relic of Freedom, 12-27-10, 02:09 PM |
| I am completely stumped on why and how people are being arrested for refusing to be scanned or patted down. Doesn't one have to commit an ACTUAL crime in order to be arrested?? There was no crime committed. The most that TSA should be allowed to do at that point is order the person to leave the airport... and even tack on that the person is prohibited from returning. But arrested? There is no law that allows them to do so. What's the charge when these travelers are arrested? Refusing to be searched? That's not a crime. It's a right given to us by the 4th amendment. Trespassing? She was a ticket holder and wasn't trespassing... unless they ordered her to leave and she refused, which wasn't the case. So, why are people not mentioning the absurdity of people being ARRESTED for merely refusing to be patted down?? |
| By Titus Andronicus, 12-28-10, 07:00 AM |
| I agree. I have read every news story out there on this situation, and not one mentions what law/statute she violated. This seems more like a case of outrageously rude behavior on the part of those in charge of patting her down. It seems like they could have simply notified security to not let her go into the boarding area and then simply let her cool her heels until she became bored and decided to go home. |
| By Titus Andronicus, 12-28-10, 07:03 AM |
| I agree. I have read every news story out there on this situation, and not one mentions what law/statute she violated. This seems more like a case of outrageously rude behavior on the part of those in charge of patting her down. It seems as if they could have simply notified security to not let her go into the boarding area and then simply let her cool her heels until she became bored and decided to go home. |
| By steever, 12-28-10, 06:14 PM |
| well, the terrorists truly have won. all this pat down bs is absolutely insane.
http://www.saynotopatdowns.info |
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