CNN 2010-11-26

All right. Let's hope that no one else has a TSA experience like Tom Sawyer. You may remember his story that he told us yesterday. Here it is quickly, the back story.

Mr. Sawyer is a bladder cancer survivor¹ and he has to wear a urostomy bag to collect his urine. Now, a few weeks ago in Detroit, he asked for a private pat-down because of his medical device. Well, clearly, the agent didn't know, or didn't even care about Sawyer's situation.

When he got to my chest area, he used his open palm and started doing down my chest quite hard. And I knew that if he got near where my urostomy bag was, there was a possibility of pulling the seal off it. And I said, at that point, you need to go slower and you need to go softer or you're going to pull my urostomy bag off. And he goes, what's that? And I said, it doesn't matter, just go softer. And low and behold², he got down to where the urostomy bag was -- I happen to have one of the bags here to show you -- and pulled the seal kind of half off it. And once that happened, it was kind of like pulling the seal off -- half off of a battle of orange juice and tipping it upside down. The urine started coming out to my bag and on to my shirt and down my pants.

And it just sounds like a horrendous³ experience, Tom. I mean --

It was embarrassing, very embarrassing. It's been three years for me so I'm used to my urostomy now. But it's not something I like to show the world.

Sure.

I think one of the biggest fears for all ostomy patients is that we'll have a leak in public, let alone at an airport.

So this was your worst nightmare.

And he didn't apologize. He didn't do anything. Well, I probably -- there are worse nightmares but it certainly was a horrible nightmare.

Yes.

And I had to walk out in the airport, try to get cleaned up.

You know, I heard that yesterday and my heart sunk and I hear it today and it brings tears to my eyes. I mean, just -- how it got choked up. You actually got to talk to him again today, John. The TSA, John Pistole, the head of TSA called him to apologize. We've heard about all these stories, but this is just absolutely unacceptable.

The TSA saw him on AMERICAN MORNING yesterday. They called us and said, how do we get in touch with this guy? The administrator⁴ would like to give him a call. You can imagine what the poor guy went through because he was trying to explain to the TSA screener, I have a medical condition, you need to know about it before you pat me down knowing that the appliance was there. And the guy just didn't seem to care too much about it. But the TSA administrator John Pistole, to his credit, did care about it and telephoned Thomas yesterday. The two of them talked at length. They said they even shared some light banter⁵ back and forth⁶. You know, how's your day been? Oh, well not too busy. No, neither was mine. I've received a couple of phone calls. But then they got down to the nuts and bolts of it. He was very apologetic. And Thomas even suggested that maybe he had something to teach to the TSA. Let's listen to a little of what he told me this morning.

He went on to apologize to me on behalf of the TSA and then he had some -- some things to say. I had to do a little correcting. He had a part of the story mixed up which a lot of people do right now. And we did that, and then, he asked me what I thought -- because I kept talking about training. What I thought. And so, I talked to him that I really don't believe that they've been trained as well as -- to handle a medical condition as what -- various medical conditions is what many of the TSA postings have been saying. And he said he had -- was going to be talking at 3:00 yesterday afternoon to his supervisors⁷ and the whole thing was going to be discussed, and there is going to be a larger meeting.And I offered to actually attend that meeting. And I would demonstrate and talk with them about the world of urostomies, colostomies, insulin pumps, et cetera and will help educate the agents if he was so moved . And he said I might take you up on that. And so, it was a congenial conversation.

So I wonder if he's going to go to that meeting. And my guess is, he sure as hell won't fly.

I don't think --

Unless he's got a private plane coming to him from the TSA.

I don't think he's going to go to that meeting. But wouldn't it be a good idea for some sensitivity training and education for TSA screeners to hear from real people out there and their real stories? You know, as opposed to just some clinical explanation of what it is, hear from somebody who's been through the pat-down and say, here is what it feels like when you're on my end of it. But, you're right. He's not planning on flying any time soon. And even if he were, he would think twice about it because he says that the screeners don't have the level of training that they need to be sensitive to people with medical conditions. And his is only one of a panoply⁸ of medical conditions out there that they should be aware of.

Sure.

He didn't go so far as to say that these enhanced pat-downs should stop altogether.

Yes. It's not that he -- he's in support of security. He's just saying, know what the hell you're doing and --

He says, I'm a good American. I know that that airline security is a paramount⁹ importance. But he thinks that the screeners need to dial it back a little bit until they are adequately trained.

You can tell he's got a good heart. Poor guy.

He sure does.

He's doing a great job --

The poor fellow. To go through what he went through, can you imagine? And he had to go through the airport, get on the aircraft, wasn't until the plane was actually in the air that he had a chance to change out of his clothes and put on a fresh shirt.

We'll definitely follow his story and see what happens. It would be great to see him speak to some of those agents.

1 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

2 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

3 horrendous   

adj.可怕的，令人惊惧的

参考例句：

• He described it as the most horrendous experience of his life.他形容这是自己一生中最可怕的经历。
• The mining industry in China has a horrendous safety record.中国的煤矿工业具有令人不安的安全记录。

4 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

5 banter   

n.嘲弄，戏谑；v.取笑，逗弄，开玩笑

参考例句：

• The actress exchanged banter with reporters.女演员与记者相互开玩笑。
• She engages in friendly banter with her customers.她常和顾客逗乐。

6 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

7 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

8 panoply   

n.全副甲胄，礼服

参考例句：

• But all they had added was the trappings and panoply of applied science.但是他们所增添的一切,不过是实用科学的装饰和甲胄罢了。
• The lakes were surrounded By a panoply of mountains.群湖为壮丽的群山所环抱。

9 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。