Opinion: Security concerns are no excuse for treating Americans without dignity at airports

To the editor: Transportation Security Administration officers and customs officials at airports may have the right to search the persons and possessions, including cellphones, of travelers. They do not have the right, however, to insult, jab, harass or otherwise mistreat people. (“My phone was searched at LAX, which apparently is the new normal,” Opinion, April 7)

I have encountered rude TSA officers myself, and I am not Muslim, including one who reduced me to tears because I was insufficiently deferential (never mind that during the incident I said nothing and handed over my documents promptly as asked — evidently she didn’t like the expression on my face).

It is incumbent upon the TSA and our border control agencies to train their workers to treat all Americans, including those wearing a hijab, with courtesy and sensitivity. They are not interrogating presumed criminals here; they are checking the credentials of human beings, and our country is not yet a fascist dictatorship.

Gayle K. Brunelle, Brea

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To the editor: I was appalled to read of the experiences of Lubana Adi, an American citizen, at Los Angeles International Airport during her recent trip to Turkey to visit her Syrian relatives.

Last I heard, neither of President Trump’s directives on the treatment of immigrants has been approved by the courts, but apparently the security people at our airports don’t want to be hampered by trivial things like the law when they are engaged in groping and bullying human beings.

If they want to behave like Nazis, the least they could do is wear brown shirts — they would be easier to identify.

Jeff Williams, Arcadia

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