AN Irish author who was forced to strip by “spiteful” security staff at Luton Airport has stated that she is "not bothered by apologies," after the airport refused to express regret over the incident.
Mary Kenny suffered the distressing ordeal before flying to Kerry from the Bedfordshire airport this week after staff did not believe she had hip replacements .
"I know businesses are wary that an apology might involve some kind of legal liability, and the alarming prospect of compensation," she said.
The well-known Dublin journalist, who is now based in Kent, said it felt like she was being “punished” for asking an airport employee to stop calling her ‘darling’.
Security workers told the 69-year-old “we want to see the scars” as they led her into an isolation room, she claimed.
“When I got to security there was a young woman and as usual I told her about my hip replacements and she said ‘alright my darling, come through’,” Ms Kenny told The Irish Post.
But shortly after the writer objected to the “patronising and sexist” term, she found herself being led into an isolation room.
“The woman then called over a very, very tall girl who forced me into a cubicle and said ‘take off your clothes, we want to see the scars,’” Ms Kenny said.
“I was then instructed to take down my knickers and tights because the scars are on your bottom and the top of your thighs.
“It was all done in a slightly punitive way… their whole attitude was as if I was telling a lie.
Mary Kenny“I do not imagine that they think a woman of 69 going to Kerry is an al-Qaeda terrorist.
“But anyway they duly inspected the scars as I stood there with my knickers down and then they just walked away.”
She added: “I do not think they had any grounds to suspect that I was a criminal or a terrorist really.
“I think they were just being a bit officious and also just a little bit spiteful, frankly.”
Luton Airport said it “regrets” that Ms Kenny was unhappy with her treatment.
But a spokesperson insisted that the airport “follows Department for Transport guidance on all security search processes”.
“It is a requirement to resolve activations of the archway metal detector in each and every case, if this cannot be resolved by a standard search then it is necessary for a private search to be carried out,” she added.
Responding to the airport’s statement, Ms Kenny said she has never received such treatment in 30 years of regular flying between England and Ireland since her first hip replacement.
“I have never had any problems at Gatwick or at Heathrow,” she added.
The author, who could not call in an airport manager on the day of the incident because she was running late for her flight, called on the airport to change the way it treats customers in security.
“People who are flying do not like to be treated as cattle,” she said.
“I think Luton could improve their customer relations a little bit. People know that there has to be security, but they also feel like it could be done in a more peaceful and customer-friendly way.”
