I know it's not quite as bad as what your wife went through, but when I was 16 coming back from a group trip to France (my first time overseas and out of the country) TSA stopped ME specifically (none of the other teens) and said I had triggered their metal detectors. It was the hair clips in my hair that triggered it, but they patted me down anyway. And when I say "patted down" what I really mean is a grown adult man rubbed his hands VERY thoroughly all over my body in front of my whole group. After he had felt me up well enough to his liking he sent me on my way and I felt so embarrassed and awkward. All over some HAIR CLIPS that I showed to them. Nope, they didn't care. Whatever excuse they can get to feel up teen girls. And this was after I had already been felt up by some weird old man while I was in France. Needless to say I was so done with nonsense like that.
I had a male TSA agent grope my boobs because my underwire bra set off the metal detector. He did this even after the handheld wand clearly beeped right under my boobs. He even asked "are you wearing an underwire?" Then proceeded to "make sure that's what it was." And he did it in front of everyone else in line. I was in college at the time, it was not too long after 9/11. It was humiliating. Needless to say I never wore an underwire bra to the airport again. Funny that my bra had never set off the metal detector before, and I had flown extensively in my youth.
I only wear sports bras now when flying to avoid this nonsense. It's more comfy anyway, AND it's harder for a TSA agent to "accidentally" slip his hand under your bra to feel up even more than he should. Disgusting that this is even an issue we need to be aware of and protect ourselves from.
I know it's not quite as bad as what your wife went through, but when I was 16 coming back from a group trip to France (my first time overseas and out of the country) TSA stopped ME specifically (none of the other teens) and said I had triggered their metal detectors. It was the hair clips in my hair that triggered it, but they patted me down anyway. And when I say "patted down" what I really mean is a grown adult man rubbed his hands VERY thoroughly all over my body in front of my whole group. After he had felt me up well enough to his liking he sent me on my way and I felt so embarrassed and awkward. All over some HAIR CLIPS that I showed to them. Nope, they didn't care. Whatever excuse they can get to feel up teen girls. And this was after I had already been felt up by some weird old man while I was in France. Needless to say I was so done with nonsense like that.
I had a male TSA agent grope my boobs because my underwire bra set off the metal detector. He did this even after the handheld wand clearly beeped right under my boobs. He even asked "are you wearing an underwire?" Then proceeded to "make sure that's what it was." And he did it in front of everyone else in line. I was in college at the time, it was not too long after 9/11. It was humiliating. Needless to say I never wore an underwire bra to the airport again. Funny that my bra had never set off the metal detector before, and I had flown extensively in my youth.
I only wear sports bras now when flying to avoid this nonsense. It's more comfy anyway, AND it's harder for a TSA agent to "accidentally" slip his hand under your bra to feel up even more than he should. Disgusting that this is even an issue we need to be aware of and protect ourselves from.