22 Oct, 2019 → by ClaimboUser758222
security screening staff

1

The following is a letter I wrote about my experience to an email address I found online for a contact for Charles De Gualle airport: Today I had an outgoing flight from CDG airport, and I had a very humiliating and overly physically invasive experience with the airport security team. For your reference, I went through the security line around 12:40pm toward gate 48, for a Norwegian flight that was leaving to Oakland California. After all my carry on items went through the security scanning and passed with no issues, the one single bin that held my cell phone, iPad, and boarding pass was randomly flagged for security search (or at least that is what I was told). I sat and patiently waited as the woman in front of me was being searched first, and she had several bottles of perfume that the security staff had to open one at a time and inspect. Finally it was my turn for my cellphone and iPad to be searched. Again - ALL MY OTHER BELONGINGS HAD ALREADY BEEN THROUGH AND I HAD COLLECTED THEM, except this ONE singular bin with my phone and iPad. The security team didn't speak any English, which after reading many other people's reviews online seems to be an ongoing problem. I have no idea how an entire staff of 6-8 people can work at an international airport and not ONE of them can explain something in English, but that's not my point. After the iPad and iPhone were swabbed, and the lady carrying the swab walked it slowly over to the machine to test it (stopping to talk to others along the way), she tested it and apparently some alarm went off. I have no idea what the alarm was for, but every security person started coming over to look at the screen and talking about it right in front of me, and then staring at me like I'm the one who set off this major alarm. What happened next is what was the most invasive and mortifying experience I've ever had at any airport, both domestically in the United States and internationally. I was told (in French) to follow a lady over, who proceeded to pat down by body with her full hands open, including feeling and squeezing under my breasts, between them, and all around the sides of them. She continued to search every inch of my body, in a way that felt extremely violating and way beyond what was necessary. I am hopeful that you have video footage that you can reference to see what happened. I am wearing all black and sandals, and I have blonde hair that was back in a low bun. This woman's search of my body was so invasive that I was crying. Nobody cared - they just kept talking to each other in French and not explaining anything to me. After that awful experience, she then went through EVERY SINGLE THING I OWN, even though nothing else had been flagged besides my iPhone and iPad. She unpacked every piece of every bag, and then left it all in a big pile overflowing my suitcase. Meanwhile, I was afraid I was going to miss my flight, and I kept asking why they were searching everything I own even though only the phone and iPad were selected for random screening. All I was told is "it's procedure" over and over, even though clearly I was very confused and upset and crying. The entire process felt like it lasted forever. I contributed to get more and more emotional after feeling so overly violated, and the security staff just took her sweet time going through everything as slow as could be and turning her head to have conversations with her coworkers while she did it. When I asked her to please hurry so I wouldn't miss my flight, the male working told me "NO, she can take as long as she wants to go through it all". Isn't it interesting that the security team acts like they don't speak any English in order to explain to me what is happening, but they can come out with full sentences to chastise me when I ask for them to please hurry so that I don't miss my flight?! I am blown away at how unprofessional, inappropriate, and overall AWFUL this experience was. I will NEVER fly into CDG airport ever again, and will be letting as many people as possible via social media, Reddit, and any other forum possible about how awful your security staff was. I am a woman who can handle a lot; but I draw the line at being touched inappropriately and treated like the [censored] on someone's shoe that doesn't even deserve an explanation or my own rights. You should be ashamed. Sara
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