A New York writer and lawyer got more that she bargained for in the form of a note from the Transport Security Administration (TSA) after a recent flight to Ireland.
The note commenting on a vibrator in the woman’s bag read “Get your freak on girl”. When Jill Filipovic landed in Dublin she was shocked to see that someone had scribbled the message on the official printed note, intended to inform the passenger her bag had been opened.
She tweeted “Just unpacked my suitcase and found this note from TSA. Guess they discovered a “personal item” in my bag. Wow.”
Filipovic, a blogger for the website Feministe, wrote “This is what TSA will do when they inspect a bag you checked and find a, um, "personal item” in an article with the headline “Your tax dollars at work”.
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She continued saying it was a “total violation of privacy, wildly inappropriate and clearly not ok, but I also just died laughing in my hotel room.”
Responding to commenters on the website, she clarified what this “personal item” was. She said, “So my parents read this blog and they don’t need to know the details, but... it was about the most basic lady-thing you can imagine.”
In an email to New York Magazine she said, “It was a $15 bullet vibe (vibrator) from Babeland, about the most basic sex toy you can imagine. It has now been officially retired, since I have no idea if the TSA agents manhandled it.”
Filipovic was traveling from Newark, New Jersey to Dublin, she found the note on Monday when she arrived at her hotel.
Speaking to ABC news, she said that she had been with her bag from the time she packed it until it was handed over to the airport authorities. She then picked the bag up in Dublin.
This led her to believe it was a TSA staff member who wrote the note. Despite her light hearted banter on the matter, Filipovic has said she found the remark ‘offensive’ and plans to file a complaint.
A TSA spokesman said, “TSA takes all allegations of inappropriate conduct seriously and is investigating this claim.” They continued saying that if inappropriate conduct was discovered then “appropriate disciplinary action” would be taken.
The TSA has launched an investigation into the incident.
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18 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.lunastar | Oct 28, 2011, 11:26 AM EDT
I think its really funny..but nevertheless, the baggage guy was wrong..loll..I would of laughed at it..I would not even think of bring a vibrator to Ireland..I don't need too..loll Hell, I am going back to Ireland soon..haha..
BooDawn | Oct 27, 2011, 04:48 PM EDT
Bad vibes from the TSA. Should mind their own buzziness.If she's badly stuck, I could modify a Black and Decker jigsaw for her. Should do the trick.
ballindaggin | Oct 27, 2011, 04:46 AM EDT
Just a publicity stunt. Never really happened.Why would someone with her looks need an electric poker?
ciarrai | Oct 26, 2011, 08:22 PM EDT
I agree with a fellow correspondent: TMI. I really don't come to this website for this kind of stuff. One more vulgar, off-color piece and I will discontinue. Promise.
Blackthorn62 | Oct 26, 2011, 07:35 PM EDT
Very inappropriate RE: the note in the baggage. People think your business is their business these days.
etighe1130 | Oct 26, 2011, 06:52 PM EDT
I would file that under "TMI"....
Scrivner | Oct 26, 2011, 04:40 PM EDT
Is it better to imagine that a gov't agent is inspecting your privates, or to know that they actually are inspecting them? Same goes for your financial affairs, just read thru the American "Bank Secrecy Act"--a classic oxymoron.
whatISinAname | Oct 26, 2011, 04:30 PM EDT
Something just does not "smell right" no joke intended with this woman's story. Anyway if I were to guess sounds like she is out for publicity for her website.
whatISinAname | Oct 26, 2011, 03:46 PM EDT
Does not seem strange that this article would be written but does seem strange that the "victim" would submit a photo of herself for the article.
SingleDonald | Oct 26, 2011, 02:04 PM EDT
Aine, I question the extent of your "abuse of trust" philosophy. I started my State career with the N.Y. State Employment Service. On a couple of occasions, I called a female applicant, on her birthday, to wish her a happy birthday. I used the phone #, and referenced the date of birth she put on her application. I only did so when I had exceptionlly good rapport with a job applicant. Nobody ever complained about this. If they had, I would have resisted any form of "discipline" with all of my might! Women have to "lighten up" when well intentioned guys do things like this, especially if their phone numbers are listed in the directory.
SingleDonald | Oct 26, 2011, 01:51 PM EDT
Although this was invasive, as are most TSA searches, Jill's light hearted manner may be a mitigating factor in handing out any discipline to the TSA worker, if he can be identified. Also, since she chose to go public with this, how embarrassed could she really have been? A quiet complaint to TSA would have been taken more seriously. Under the circumstances, if I was a TSA supervisor, I would merely give a verbal warning to the transgressor not to do anything like this again.
Aine2093 | Oct 26, 2011, 01:02 PM EDT
Regardless of what the item was that was found, it was an invasion of a travellers right to privacy and an abuse of trust to use on any information you receive in the course of your employment to write any comment (negative or positive) about any of the items you or I have in our suitcase. If an employee cannot or will not see that this is wrong they have bad judgement and could even go so far as to have bad judgement in spreading personal information beyond the realms of their job description. They cannot use the cop out of "It was only a joke".People get hurt by these type of jokes. Plain and simple.
michaelidaho | Oct 26, 2011, 12:47 PM EDT
Really??...A woman with a sex drive so strong she can not do without a vibrator on a brief business trip...Maybe I have just been living with my head buried in the sand all these years.
Jamcelt | Oct 26, 2011, 12:03 PM EDT
She's a feminist. She hasn't the foggiest idea how to get a man...
irishcoffeekid | Oct 26, 2011, 12:00 PM EDT
Guess she doesn't have much faith in meeting a hot Irish guy if she brought her battery operated boyfriend with her!!!
Springfield9 | Oct 26, 2011, 11:28 AM EDT
Those items are frequently used with ice cubes to keep drinks cool ..... you just drop them in, with the ice, and everthing is suitably agitated.
fastjack7 | Oct 26, 2011, 10:47 AM EDT
In reply to "antoman" Now thats a well thought out and "DAMN GOOD QUESTION"!! HA
antoman | Oct 26, 2011, 08:11 AM EDT
Why would she bring a vibrator with her to Ireland?