OH, MY!Jill Filipovic got a big surprise when she opened her bag, which contained a vibrator, and found a note from a TSA screener. (
)
The Transportation Security Administration is firing the bawdy baggage inspector who left a note in a Brooklyn woman’s luggage that said “Get your freak on girl,” after he found a sex toy in her suitcase at Newark Airport.
On Monday, the female traveler — lawyer and blogger Jill Filipovic — posted a message on Twitter with a photo of the agent’s note, written on one of the official inspection notices placed in searched bags.
“Just unpacked my suitcase and found this note from TSA,” Filipovic tweeted. “Guess they discovered a ‘personal item’ in my bag. Wow. “
The “personal item” turned out to be what she called a discreet, miniature vibrator.
Filipovic’s more than 6,000 Twitter followers burned up the Internet with complaints about the Newark agent’s behavior. The TSA then first suspended the man — and announced late Thursday that they would move to fire him.
“TSA completed its investigation of this matter and has initiated action to remove the individual from federal service,” said TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein, adding that she could not name the agent.
“During the removal action process, the employee will not perform any screening duties,” she added.
A source told The Post that the sex-obsessed screener was caught because the TSA knew who was on duty where Filipovic’s bag went through.
“[He was identified] based upon flight information provided by the passenger, which checkpoint she would have gone through, what times she went through screening and who was performing screening duties at that time,” the source said.
The agent will be allowed to make his case on why he shouldn’t be dismissed at a hearing, though sources said his firing is almost certain.
Saying the note was just a joke won’t fly at the hearing, the source added.
“The fact that it may have been a joke doesn’t take away from the utter inappropriateness of what he did,” the source said.
Despite Filipovic’s anger over the incident, she said the agent’s firing was not her wish.
“I get no satisfaction in hearing that someone lost their job over this. I would much prefer a look at why ‘security’ has been used to justify so many intrusions on our civil liberties, rather than fire a person who made a mistake,” she blogged.
She also believes that the incident reveals much deeper problems at the TSA.
“The invasion is inherent to the TSA’s mission, regardless of whether a funny note is left behind — the note only serves to highlight the absurdity of all this security theater,” Filipovic wrote.
Additional reporting by Bill Sanderson