TSA Didn't Require Woman, 95, to Remove Diaper

Ah, the TSA diaper incident.

Over the weekend, social media was up in arms after hearing the story of a 95-year-old woman who was reportedly forced to remove her adult diaper before being permitted to pass through security.

Well, it turns out that, while the woman's daughter did remove her diaper, it wasn't exactly forced.

No, in some ways, it was a choice.

If you ask the TSA whether its agents acted properly, it would vehemently deny any wrongdoing. In fact, according to Reuters, the agency stands behinds its agents, and feels that they acted professionally and in accord with proper procedure.

Jean Weber, the daughter of the elderly woman, would generally agree.

When agents were screening her mother in a private room (she was in a wheelchair), they felt that her adult diaper was wet and firm, reports CNN. She was given options.

According to Weber, she could have located her checked luggage to change the diaper, or she could have allowed agents to inspect it. She, instead, chose to remove it in the restroom given the circumstances.

Even if not entirely true, the TSA diaper incident is a good example of just how much power agents have, and how little the public can do about it.

Despite 4th Amendment concerns, courts have been supportive of screenings, either because there is an element of implied consent, or because they are reasonable administrative searches.

It's going to take something exponentially worse than the TSA diaper incident for this to change.

Related Resources:

• TSA stands by officers after pat-down of elderly woman in Florida (CNN)
• Airport Screening Going Too Far? (FindLaw's Law & Daily Life)
• Anti-TSA Rallying Cry: 'Don't Touch My Junk' (FindLaw's Law & Daily Life)