No female TSA agents means no flight for Denver woman

[jnelsoninjax]

DENVER -- A Denver woman claims she couldn?t board a flight from Wyoming to Denver because of her gender. Jennifer Winning makes the flight from the small airport of Rock Springs, WY to Denver often, but on January 29th it was different.

?They wouldn`t let me get on the plane because I`m female,? Winning said.

She said she checked in and arrived at security about 35 minutes before the scheduled departure of her United flight.

?They asked if I was on the flight to Denver, I said yes, they said that they couldn`t screen me because they sent all the female TSA agents home,? Winning said.

A female agent was necessary because of those new pat-downs.

?I said, `Would you be willing to let me sign a waiver and I would approve for a man to pat me down if necessary?` and they said no,? she said.

Winning missed her flight and wound up renting a car for $165 and driving the roughly 350 miles back to Denver. She said she?s getting over her anger, but thinks the policies need to be clearer.

?If you can?t clear it without a female, why would you send them home?? she said.

FOX31 Denver received this statement from the TSA regarding this incident:

?In small airports, TSA works closely with the airlines and airport to keep the security checkpoints open to ensure that all passengers are screened appropriately.

Once TSA is informed by the airline that our screening services are no longer needed, the security checkpoint is closed. In this instance, SkyWest made final boarding announcements and notified TSA that no additional passengers would be accepted.

In addition, a TSA officer also made two public announcements asking any remaining passengers to report to the security checkpoint for screening.

After both the flight and checkpoint were closed, a female passenger requested screening. While there were no female officers present at the time, ultimately the passenger was not screened by TSA because the airline was no longer accepting passengers for the flight.?

Source

[mokthraka]

Who spends money to fly 350 miles 0_0

[Ci7]

Who spends money to fly 350 miles 0_0

not sure if serious

not everyone feel like driving all the way?

[farmeunit]

Who spends money to fly 350 miles 0_0

Sometimes it cheaper or just plain easier. It's their money, it's their decision.

[Japlabot]

The United website says that check in closes 30 minutes before departure. She was there 35 minutes before. The TSA excuse sounds like complete baloney. I hope that a lawsuit ensues.

[fmanchu]

Great last name.

[DocM]

The United website says that check in closes 30 minutes before departure. She was there 35 minutes before. The TSA excuse sounds like complete baloney. I hope that a lawsuit ensues.

So do I - TSA has turned into yet another Federal bureaucratic nightmare, and about the only way to get it reformed/replaced is to raise holy hell.

[ArialBlue]

The thing is she said she wouldn't mind getting checked by a male TSA and it didn't work.

[Growled Member]

Sounds like the usual government incompetence.

[-Alex-]

Sounds like the usual government incompetence.

Government? :s

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

Not so much #Winning now is she?

:D

[Gone]

The TSA needs an overhaul, and a great majority of those jackasses need to be fired. The TSA is a joke, and they spent extra time patting down military flying than the foreign civillian. Hell, they spend more time patting down 80 year old women than they do trying to do anything useful.

Yes, I hate the TSA.

[spenser.d]

Never understood the issue with TSA. If you follow some simple directions it takes all of 3 minutes to go through actual security (not counting waiting in line). Might take a bit more if you get picked at random but then you still just follow directions and go on your way. Honestly if you're checking in 35 minutes before you're flight, you're taking a chance. If you haven't figured that out by now, that's your own problem. Plan ahead.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

Government? :s

yes - www.tsa.gov

actually, i just remembered that the TSA has the Precheck program now. if you make usual flights, like Ms. Winning, then she should do that so she can skip the security lines.

[Charisma Veteran]

Who spends money to fly 350 miles 0_0

Maybe it was the last leg of several flights, or maybe it's a trip she regularly makes for work, etc and doesn't feel like driving every time. I make a regular trip about that distance myself, and it really gets old after a while. If I could afford to fly it sometimes instead of driving, I definitely would. 1 hour in a plane vs ~6 in a car? No question.

This story doesn't surprise me in the least, some airports, airlines, etc are just so ******* incompetent sometimes, it's incredibly annoying. I love travelling, I even like flying, I just wish the TSA and all the new regulations in the last ten years would go away.

[eblkheart]

yes - www.tsa.gov

actually, i just remembered that the TSA has the Precheck program now. if you make usual flights, like Ms. Winning, then she should do that so she can skip the security lines.

actually its very limited as of right now:

• Atlanta: T-South Checkpoint (Delta only)
  
• Dallas: Terminal C, Checkpoint C30 (American only)
  
• Detroit: Checkpoint 2 on the ticketing level (Delta only)
  
• Las Vegas: D Gates First Class Checkpoint (American and Delta)
  
• Los Angeles: TSA Pre?? screening lane (American only)
  
• Miami: D2 Checkpoint (American only)
  
• Minneapolis: Lindbergh Terminal, Checkpoint 4 (American and Delta)
  

They are

opening more airports this year to this program, however, where she was flying from (middle nowhere essentially, I used to live in Wyoming, where antelope outnumber humans), I doubt they will have this program there. From Denver should be easy peasy though once it's implemented.

[Klownicle]

I'll drive before I fly.

[-Alex-]

yes - www.tsa.gov actually, i just remembered that the TSA has the Precheck program now. if you make usual flights, like Ms. Winning, then she should do that so she can skip the security lines.

As they said though, SkyWest is who decided when the TSA agents were to go home.