Woman Removes Bra To Get Through Security

Nancy Kates of Berkeley, California had an interesting airport experience recently.  Kates arrived at Oakland International Airport to fly JetBlue and was detained – because of her bra.  Whereas some of us can get through airport security while carrying pepper spray or the wrong boarding pass, the underwire in Kates’ bra set off the metal detector in the airport. (There really must be something about JetBlue, because the only time I’ve flown them within the last 3 years, my watch set it off and it’s never set off the detectors at Delta/Northwest, Southwest, United or US Airways.)  But Kates, described as “big busted,” was patted down by a female TSA agent.

“The woman touched my breast. I said, ‘You can’t do that,’ ” Kates said. “She said, ‘We have to pat you down.’ I said, ‘You can’t treat me as a criminal for wearing a bra.’ “

Kates was told by a supervisor that underwire in bras was a leading cause in setting off metal detectors (never had that happen here, but okay) and that she’d have to submit to a patdown or be taken off the flight.  Instead, Kates decided to remove her bra altogether.  When she walked through without setting off an alarm, TSA officials then decided to search all of her carry-on luggagage (spiteful much?)  Kates was detained a total of 40 minutes and subsequently missed her flight to Boston.  She was booked on another flight and arrived 4 hours later than planned.

“It’s actually a little funny in a way, but a sad, sad commentary on the state of our country,” Kates said. “This is bigger than just me. There are 150 million women in America, and this could happen to any of them.”

That’s very true.  Kates will be talking to her family lawyer, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the National Women’s Organization to see how to pursue the incident.

What do you think?  How should this all play out?

[Source]