Traveler In Philadelphia Claims She Was Inappropriately Screened

A traveler passing through Philadelphia en route from Barcelona, Spain to her home in San Diego says TSA agents made her extremely uncomfortable in the screening process.

The passenger, 63-year-old Nancy Ann Phillips, has had both knees replaced with titanium, and a metal plate supports her back. She says she's used to having metal detectors alert when she walks through.

But on this trip, Phillips said when she was called aside for additional screening, the female TSA agent touched her in, shall we say, an inappropriate place, with the screening wand. When she asked if someone else could finish the screening, the ensuing standoff led to her being detained for nearly two hours.

She said after the agent allegedly brushed her inappropriately with the wand, she was asked to go into a private room to complete the screening. She refused, saying she "didn't feel safe" in that situation. She was screened in the public area twice more. Her airline was alerted that she was being detained.

Phillips says she was harassed, accused, and threatened because she "rocked the boat." She said she felt like she was being treated "like a terrorist."

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that TSA tells a different story. They say Phillips was already upset that her plane getting into Philadelphia was late, and that she would have to take a later flight to San Diego. They said she was "defensive and uncooperative." TSA spokesperson Ann Davis said  a videotape of the incident showed the initial screener held the wand properly, and that Phillips reacted before any "unwelcome" contact was made.

The problem is, that tape has been destroyed, so there is no evidence to prove whether Phillips or TSA representatives are telling the truth, or if it lies somewhere in the middle.

Eventually, according to Phillips, after being told by a TSA supervisor identified only as "Mike" that he hadn't decided whether she was going to be allowed to board her flight to California, she asked that a local police sergeant get involved. He ran a background check, and asked if she wanted to make a criminal complaint, which she declined. After talking to all parties involved, the sergeant told Phillips she was free to go.

As to the tape? Airport policy calls for most digital recordings to be erased after 30 days.

FMI: www.tsa.gov, www.phl.org