Shame on the TSA

[babygonnermann]

I just wanted to share with all of you the appalling experience that my friend's sister went through yesterday. I cannot believe that this happened.


Yesterday morning I had a flight booked leaving LAS VEGAS on WESTJET FLIGHT 917 to TORONTO. I was traveling with my beloved and beautiful cat Micropussy. I had booked him a ticket that allows us both to travel together in the airplane cabin as long as I was carrying him in a soft animal carrier (it looks like a duffle bag, except there is mesh on both the small ends of the bag as well as on one of the longer sides of the bag for ventilation). We have travelled together like this before about a year ago when I took we came to LAS VEGAS through TORONTO with WESTJET.

This morning before I got to the airport I took Micropussy to the SANDY HILL ANIMAL CLINIC located at 3752 East Tropicana, Las Vegas, NV, 89121, (702)451-8808 to make sure he was healthy enough to fly and obtain a Certificate of Health so that I would have no problems taking him through Canada Customs. And then we were off to MCCARREN AIRPORT.

I checked my bags and the women at the WESTJET counter were lovely, they all wanted to see Micropussy in his bag and told me how beautiful he was. After that we went to the TSA CHECKPOINT for the AB GATES. When I reached the first TSA AGENT that checks your ID and boarding pass to make sure they match up I told him I was traveling with a cat and asked him if there was any special procedure I needed to take with my cat. He told me what was suppose to happen. He said this, "You will put your bags through the xray machine and then a TSA agent will take you and your cat to a private screening room so that you can take your cat out of the bag so they agent can take the bag to be x-rayed and will bring the bag back to you and you will be on your way." That sounded fine to me as that was exactly how we were handled a year ago at the TSA screening at the Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto.

When I got to the x-ray machine I told the TSA AGENT there I was traveling with a cat and asked for a PRIVATE SCREENING. She told me I had to take Micropussy out of the bag right there....At this point Micropussy was a little agitated with all the beeping and people going through the security and I did not want to take him out of the bag in the middle of the airport. I was scared he would run away, so again I asked the TSA AGENT if I could get a PRIVATE SCREENING and told her I really didn't want to take my cat out of his bag in the middle of the airport. She called her SUPERVISOR who told me to take Micropussy out of the bag right there and I would have to hold him while I walked through the metal detector and they x-rayed my bag. Again I asked for a PRIVATE SCREENING and was in tears at that point saying I did not want to take him out of the bag in the middle of the airport. The TSA AGENTS made me take Micropussy out of the bag in the middle of the airport with thousands of people walking by and and noises... he was terrified to death. I was so scared to unzip the bag I was trying to figure out how to unzip the bag and not have him run out...he was so scared I was trying to hold him and he was scratching me and clawing me(I have a ton of scratches on my arms and hands)...I could barely hold onto him....but the worst part of all is that when I opened the bag because he was so scared he was trying to force himself out of the bag by pushing up on it that the zipper on one side of the bag broke so that when I got the carrier back from the TSA AGENT that x-rayed it I could put Micropussy back in the bag but it would close properly because the zipper was broken. So here I am sitting on the floor just past the metal detector right beside the x-ray machine in the middle of the airport trying to figure out what to do and nobody was helping me... I even asked the TSA SUPERVISOR what I should do because the zipper on my bag had broken and she didn't offer me a private room at that point either. Instead she said she could get me some tape to tape up the bag.... But she didn't instead she stood there with her friend and watched me struggle on the floor with Micropussy. I had to ask 3 times for tape and finally some old man TSA AGENT brought me TSA PACKING TAPE(this tape barely sticks to a cardboard box let alone a canvas bag...I was so distraught, I was crying, bleeding and I was so concerned about him not getting out of the bag I started to tape it and didn't even realize I was taping up two of his air vents on his bag....

At that point I walked to the gate with Micropussy screaming in the broken bag...I couldn't believe what had just happened to me and my cat and immediately got on the phone with TSA CUSTOMER SERVICE at MCCARREN AIRPORT where I spoke with TERESA JONES to complain about the way Micropussy and I were treated and the fact that my pet carrier was broken because of that. When I got off the phone with Teresa (who said she would call me back and has not as of yet) I checked on Micropussy because he had all the sudden become really quiet and I couldn't really see him anymore because of all the tape around the bag. He wasn't moving and I realized he was dead. Again I didn't know what to do so I went to the WESTJET AGENTS.

A half an hour went by waiting with my dead cat for a TSA MANAGER to come speak to me. When someone finally came it was a lady named KATHERINE LA SPINA and her partner (I don't remember his name). I didn't know what to do, I couldn't believe what had just happened to me and I didn't understand why I couldn't get a private screening when I specifically requested one at least 3 times...I asked them why they bother to have posters up in the airport that say if you don't feel comfortable going through the screening process you can request a PRIVATE SCREENING and later read this on their website:


The Screening Process

A primary goal of TSA is to treat all passengers with courtesy, dignity, and respect during the security screening processes. In support of this goal TSA has trained its screeners in the proper treatment of passengers and their belongings. That specialized training includes accommodating passengers with special needs. We have conducted outreach to religious and disability organizations to ensure that our screeners are sensitive to all passengers.

Private Screening

Your screening may include a hand-wanding procedure and pat-down inspection. You may request a private area for your personal screening. The private area will either be a separate room or an area out of the view of the general public.


This did not happen to me. I know there were surveillance cameras recording video and audio of what happened to me at the TSA checkpoint and apparently TSA is reviewing the tapes. I have put in a phone request to TSA CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT TERESA JONES as well as an email request TSA MANAGER KATHERINE LA SPINA to have copies of these tapes sent to me. My rights have been violated by the TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION and now my beautiful cat is dead. I have not heard from anyone at TSA since it happened. Not a phone call, not an apology. If nothing else what I would like more than anything is to have the TSA SUPERVISOR who 3 TIMES DENIED ME A PRIVATE SCREENING to be fired. I will likely sue TSA for negligence and violating my rights if I can find a lawyer willing to work my case pro bono. I DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANY ONE ELSE. Regardless of whether I was traveling with an animal or not if I requested a PRIVATE SCREENING I should have got one and I didn't.

Later that day when I took MIcropussy back to SANDY HILL ANIMAL CLINIC to be "disposed of" the vet took x-rays of his heart just to determine how he died. She wanted to make sure that he was in good health and didn't have a pre-existing heart condition that would have caused his death if he got overly excited. Instead what she determined is that Micropussy suffocated to death because of the taped up air vents on his carrier.... So now I am feeling like I killed him because I was the one that taped the bag....I wasn't even thinking about the air vents. I just wanted to tape the bag really well so he wouldn't get out and I was using packing tape. He was dying in my arms as we walked from TSA to the gate and I didn't even know it.

Anyone who knows me knows that I loves Micropussy so much, he was my best friend and we have a great 8 years together. He was the best cat ever, he loved people and lots of attention and I will miss him so much. As I am writing this I am sitting at the very back(thanks Westjet, right by the washrooms and the seat doesn't recline) of WESTJET flight 919 from LAS VEGAS to TORONTO, with a suitcase full of cat toys and no cat. The nice people at WESTJET have offered to return the $50 I paid to take Micropussy with me and that is all the compensation I have received from anyone. It's horribly sad. I just can't believe this has happened and I would like to seek justice for Micropussy.

[Zonny]

Holy crap! I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your dear kitty!

Oh wait, just editing to say I now realize this was not your kitty. But still, yikes!

Z

[WandaJean]

oh I am in tears..I am so so sorry for your loss and the horrible experience you went through with the TSA.
HUGE HUGS to you...I am speechless..but I do hope you pursue the TSA until justice is served.

[jonnys_bub]

that was the most sad thing i have ever read

[scbpooh]

This is absolutely horrible!!!!! Im speechless!!! Im so sorry this has happened to you.
R.I.P Micropussy

[Amybee28]

I would forward this story to the star if I were you. I'm so sorry about your kitty.

[Litesandsirens911]

OMG!! I can't even think of what to say...I am shocked at how they treated her and the cat!...I am sooooo sorry that is horrible!

[spice_43]

OMG that is unbelievable and I am so sorry for the loss of your beloved cat...

[miztia]

I am so sorry for what just happened to you. That is horrible!!!R.I.P Micropussy

[tidytaurus]

Well my dear I am so very sorry for your loss, I know the rules and security have changed in airports but this is absolutely unacceptable. I can't beleive nobody offered to help you and to deny you the right to have a private screening when you were concerned your precious family member would flee from the fear of the environment is not you being unreasonable at all. You will probably beat yourself up about this for a long time, I really hope you are able to deal with your loss in a productive way by making a point with the airlines regarding this whole situation so others will not have to deal with the loss of a loved one in the way you are being forced too.

[Sally888]

Im just a little confused with the private screening part, I just took both these flights in April and theres actually a seperate line you get into called 'personal screening' you don't even have to go through the regular screening you just go get in the line for this.

Im just curious why she didnt simply go in this line up.

[abbasgirl]

What? I'm in shock!!! What an absolutely horrible story! I'm sitting here reading your sister's story with my own beloved cat on my lap and I think when the initial shock wears off I will burst into tears. Not only should she sue everyone involved but she should go to her local TV station and/or newspaper with her story. I think they would be very interested in how your sister was treated.

[babygonnermann]

Im just a little confused with the private screening part, I just took both these flights in April and theres actually a seperate line you get into called 'personal screening' you don't even have to go through the regular screening you just go get in the line for this.

Im just curious why she didnt simply go in this line up.

This was at an airport in Las Vegas, I believe. I'm not sure what it's like down there.

And just to clarify for everyone who has already posted, it was not my cat, it was my friend's sister's cat. Really unfortunate, and I hope that something comes out of it.

[Racefan]

That's horrible. I'm sorry that happenened to her.

[tidytaurus]

I got so wrapped up in the whole story I forgot it wasn't you that it was happening to. I have reread this 3 times now and I still can't get through it without leaky eye syndrome.