Woman arrested after refusing US airport pat-down

Calcutta 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.

Have your say on this story