Sex toy note angers traveller
November 13, 2011 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie
Tuesday 25th October 2011
Sex toy note angers traveller
Frequent fliers are often given words of encouragement by airport staff when they travel, but one note from a member of the Transport Security Administration (TSA) has left a passenger feeling ‘unsatisfied’.
Jill Filipovic, a New York writer and lawyer, says she found a note reading: ‘GET YOUR FREAK ON GIRL’ after a TSA screener discovered an item of a personal nature.
Ms Filipovic said she was travelling from New Jersey to Dublin over the weekend and found the note when she opened her luggage on Monday morning.
She initially Tweeted: “Just unpacked my suitcase and found this note from TSA. Guess they discovered a ‘personal item’ in my bag. Wow.”
She then wrote on the blog Feministe: “Total violation of privacy, wildly inappropriate and clearly not ok, but I also just died laughing in my hotel room.”
She identified the item in an email to New York Magazine: “It was a US$15 ‘bullet vibe’ from Babeland, about the most basic sex toy you can imagine.”
She went on to say: “To the agent who wrote the note, I’d like to say that he has actually impeded me from ‘getting my freak on’, since I now have to dispose of the offending item, as I’m not sure what he did with it while it was in his possession. It has now been officially retired, since I have no idea if the TSA agents manhandled it.”
Alex Jones’s Infowars have thrown a few punches at the TSA by stating on their website: “While proving themselves adept at identifying women’s vibrators, TSA screeners are notoriously less skilled at actually doing what they’re paid to do – finding dangerous items.
“TSA screeners missed a loaded gun inside a checked bag at Los Angeles International Airport yesterday.”
Greg Soule, a TSA spokesman, said Filipovic has not filed a complaint about the incident, but the TSA “takes all allegations of inappropriate conduct seriously and is investigating this claim.” It certainly seems that the TSA will probe more deeply into the allegation.
What do you think gappers? Have you ever had any similar experiences or been concerned about anything you brought through customs (on a gap year or otherwise)? Would you see this as an invasion of privacy, or would you see the funny side? Have you ever been subjected to an awkward security search? Come on peeps – you can tell us…
Photo of TSA notice (©Jill Filipovic / twitpic)
Photo of Jill Filipovic taken by Jim Milles (via Creative Commons)
Comments…
kristiangodfrey
I know in singapore its illegal to possess handcuffs, and some travellers have been caught out with the fluffy variety in their luggage.
25 October 2011
Cormac
I flew over to Australia in March and part of my trip was to attend a travel conference which had the fancy dress theme of “battle.”
I landed in Brisbane carrying a plastic bullet-belt in my suitcase and was then unlucky enough to have my case randomly spot-checked whilst leaving the airport. In retrospect, the looks on the faces of the guys at customs were hilarious as they looked at the bullets on the x-ray thinking they were real, at the time it was a bit scary! Stupid thing to do I know… I should probably know better working for a travel advice website!
Anyway, I managed to have a laugh and a joke with the guys and showed them the conference itinerary and they gave me back my bullets and had a joke about Gaddafi attending the conference as “guest speaker.”
I did also get taken into a little room for a “random” explosive residue test on my way back to the UK though, so I am slightly concerned that I may now be “on a list.” That or I just look dodgy… or perhaps I got racially profiled for having an Irish passport!
25 October 2011
James1985
I used to get my bag checked when i left work at a sports shop every night. The manager did it to everyone.
So one day i decided to fill my bag up with sex toys and watch the twats face as he opened the bag. Definite virgin, should of seen his face!
25 October 2011
Alexandra_q2
When I transited the USA on a trip back from Peru last month I had to go through the body scanner (which I didn’t want to do) and then was frisked anyway “ma’am, I’m going to search you which will involve me touching your back, hips and buttocks” and then had my hands swabbed for (I guess) drugs.
While this was happening my hand luggage containing a 330ml carton of juice was going through the scanners and came out the other side. Meanwhile my checked luggage containing coca tea leaves and coca tea bags, which I have since learnt is illegal in both the USA and UK was happily making its way onto the plane.
25 October 2011
Andy
“Coca tea leaves and coca tea bags, which I have since learnt is illegal in both the USA and UK.”
I’ve always wondered whether you could bring coca leaves to the UK. Sad to see it’s not allowed.
I’m a massive Coca fan. It kept me going many times in Bolivia when I was hungover, tired or suffering from altitude sickness. I’m totally on the side of farmers who want to grow it. It’s properly part of Bolivian/Peruvian heritage and lifestyle. The distinction between growing it and producing cocaine is massive.
But back on topic, this woman is clearly not that embarrassed about this or she wouldn’t have gone public. And the fact that she put this out through media channels rather than actually complaining to the organisation in question is very suspicious.
It’s even possible that she just made the whole thing up to get some publicity. She’s sort of a media/blogger/presenter type figure, isn’t she? Nice free coverage to get…
26 October 2011
Gimli of Glóin
Whilst travelling through Moria one of the foolish halflings dropped a helmet into the mines. Customs were not happy!
26 October 2011
