A man from Atlanta was recently stopped at the airport and needed to have a pat down. However he had a big problem – he refused to be patted down by a male TSA agent.
A fact of life of going through the TSA checkpoint is that you may have to get a pat down. As the TSA explains it:
Pat-down screening is used to resolve alarms; provide an alternate to metal detectors and imaging technology; and as an unpredictable security measure.
- You refuse to go through the body scanner or metal detector. This could be because of medical reasons or just not wanting to. Either way, if you don’t go through them, you’ll need to get a pat down instead.
- An unpredictable security measure. Sometimes you’re just randomly chosen.
- You got SSSS on your boarding pass. This “enhanced screening” includes getting a pat down.
- The scanner detects an abnormality. You may have left something in your pocket. Your clothing may set it off. You may be one of those “lucky” people who just typically “beep” in the machine (here’s why that may happen).
TSA’s Gender Policy for Pat Downs
TSA’s policy is also that if you do need to get a pat down, it will be done by someone who is the same gender as you (or rather, as how you present. If you present as a male, you’ll be patted down by a male TSA officer. If you present as female, you’ll have a female TSA officer pat you down. And unfortunately, the current administration has banned transgender TSA officers from doing pat downs).
However, there are some people who would rather not be patted down by someone who is the same gender as them. They could have strong issues with homophobia. Or they might have been molested as a child by someone who’s the same gender and now don’t want to be touched on their backside, or near their genitals by someone who’s the same sex as them. Of course, there are also those who may be inappropriately trying to get a thrill by being touched by someone of the opposite sex, but one would assume those sorts of situations are few and far between.
The Atlanta Man’s Refusal
But back to Atlanta guy.
The video appears to be from 2024 and came from airport police body cam. The passenger in question, who said his name was David, needed to be patted down, which he said he was fine with – but he didn’t want to be patted down by a male TSA agent, saying, “I don’t want no man touching me,” “I don’t want no man rubbing my @$$,” etc.
Videos of the Incident
Here’s the first video (NSFW Warning: there are a few instances of adult language in this video):
@jack.haynes19
The event happened at Tampa International Airport (TPA). David said he had the day off so he flew down for the day. And it appeared he was trying to get back to Atlanta.
Unfortunately for David, as much as he appeared to try to stay calm, he was eventually trespassed from the airport, and arrested:
@jack.haynes19
He was still trying to explain his side in the police car:
@jack.haynes19
The Rest of the Story
We found David’s arrest information online, and it appears that, in addition to being trespassed, he was also charged with disorderly intoxication.
We can’t find any more information about his arrest, if he was released on bond, etc.
It’s unfortunate that Dyer was intoxicated when all of this happened. Had he been sober, he may have had a much different, and perhaps happier ending to his travel day. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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