TSA apologizes for forcing 4-year-old to remove leg braces at airport screening

[sabra]

Source: USA Today

The Transportation Security Administration concedes that a 4-year-old boy heading to Walt Disney World for a birthday celebration should not have been forced to remove his leg braces during an airport-security screening in Philadelphia, a Philly columnist writes.

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Daniel Rubin writes that the incident occurred last March when Ryan Thomas was flying to Orlando with his parents, Bob and Leona, but that the TSA apologized last week only after the columnist got wind of it.

Rubin says Ryan was born 16 weeks prematurely and started to walk only last March because his ankles are malformed and his legs have low muscle tone.

TSA screeners insisted that Ryan take off his braces and walk through the detector unaccompanied.

Rubin writes that the TSA, in its apology, said Ryan should have been taken into a private area and swabbed for traces of explosive materials.

Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/02/tsa-apologizes-for-forcing-4-year-old-to-remove-leg-braces-at-airport-screening/1

[WriteDown]

1. TSA, the government's finest workers....

Where do they find these people? Or is it the guidelines? This is nuts.

[DrDan]

9. or perhaps the lack of guidelines - allowing each employee to pursue

any tactics they wish

[jmowreader]

38. Sounds more like a lack of flexibility coupled with no guidelines

"If you do anything not in the book we will fire you immediately." In a job where EVERYTHING is not in the book?

[KittyWampus]

10. someone posted about TSA workers on the initial thread about this story- they aren't union

don't get paid much etc.

This means high turnover and not the most professional staff.

[dflprincess]

27. A group of powerless people with a little bit of authority is a dangersous thing

It's why we hear so many stories about the stupid things TSA workers have done.

[bitchkitty]

2. Everyone knows that 4 year olds carry explosives in their leg braces.

Don't be so hard on them! :)

[rexcat]

41. As I was told 8 years ago as my 6 year old son was being frisked ...

by TSA agent because he had an "SSSS" designation on his ticket "you know terrorist use children". The implication was that we are all considered terrorists until proven otherwise. Of course the ticket my son had was obtained through my frequent flyer program on Delta Air Lines. At the time I had accumulated over 2 million miles and was at the Platinum level in the program so an "SSSS" designation on his ticket made no sense.

What we are dealing with when we go through "security" at the airports are low paid individuals who can't think for themselves and are not allowed to think for themselves. They have a rule book to follow no matter how stupid the policy is. What we call "airport security" is just window dressing so people will continue to fly. If a terrorist wanted to do something they would go through the back door of the airport which is wide open. That is continually proven as was the case when the Delta plane from JFK landed in Tokyo and they found a dead person in the wheel well of the airplane. There are countless examples that I could use. The TSA at any airport has never passed an inspection since the inception of this poorly run program but the newspaper articles are always on page 5 or 6 of the newspapers.

[Kittycat]

3. One of the many reasons we avoid flying with our son at all costs.

Those include paying $100/leg when he was on oxygen - only for the airline to force us to empty his tank before boarding and then tell us we couldn't start their tank until after take off. Hello earth to idiot, he would have died in that time - that's why we were paying for the use of oxygen!

Then their only allowing us to take 1 cans of his pediatrician prescribed/non-otc milk through security (which is delivered by a feeding pump) - when he needs almost 2 cans, per feeding, every 3 hours. In addition to having to pay $100 to have them ensure the food we're paying separate for, is at a customer service pick-up area at the other end of the airport.

[Snazzy]

4. should have taken into the backroom and swabbed, huh

That's the solution. Fucking amazing.

[Alcibiades]

5. Can we stop this bullshit?

Mothers being forced to jettison breast milk, medical equipment of all kinds being subject to scrutiny, the tiny little tubes of toothpaste, all these ineffective measures to protect against people who have never done a terrorist act in this way with any of these things, but someone such as Abdulmutallab can buy a one-way ticket with cash, bypass normal passport control and have no additional scrutiny whatsoever.

[KansDem]

12. "but someone such as Abdulmutallab can buy a one-way ticket with cash,..."

"...bypass normal passport control and have no additional scrutiny whatsoever."

It really makes me wonder what's going on!

[Plucketeer]

16. Uhhh...

Not to steal from the focus of this thread, but the underpants bomber had purchased a round-trip ticket. At least, that's what I heard.

[Not Me]

20. Abdulmutallab also had no luggage for an international flight

What I want to know, is why haven't we deflected responsibility for his getting on the plane to Amsterdam airport security?
They were the ones that fell down on the job.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Alcibiades]

32. That's interesting

Check out their stock price history:

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=ICTSF.OB#chart1:symbol=ictsf.ob;range=my;indicator=volume;charttype=line;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=on;source=undefined

How do you have an airport security firm that actually loses stock value after 9-11?

[Alcibiades]

33. Actually, I was wrong

The had a big gain: on Sept 10, 2001, it closed at 4.45: on sept 17, it closed at 9.05. Pretty funny: they fail big, but double in value in a week. I cannot think of any other business where that is possible.

They were trading at $2.10 before Christmas, but now stand at $2.55.

[Lance_Boyle]

37. Because security at Schiphol that day bagged their quota of 'drug smugglers.'

They're HEROES, don'tcha know? Couldn't let those marijuana seeds or that gram of hash through. Nevermind the explosives - those fine security men and women are there to prevent REAL CONTRABAND from flying. You know, priorities...

[liberalhistorian]

14. Yeah, cause everyone with an A-rab name

or who even looks slightly A-rab is automatically one of them there terra-ists. Right. Sheesh, I'm sick of this hateful profiling bullshit. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were two of the worst domestic terrorists ever, yet they were both clean-cut, white and former soldiers, for God's sake. They would NEVER have been stopped because of that. That's the problem with profiling. It often doesn't stop the REAL terrorists because of bullshit racist preconceived notions.

[Alcibiades]

29. Abdulmutallab doesn't look particulary Arab to me

He looks like a clean-cut young Nigerian man, not an Arab.



There are ways to "profile" a terrorist that don't involve ethnicity. Abdulmutallab had traveled to Yemen, somewhere where Al Queda has been active, and had also been banned from traveling to Britain, and his father had warned the State Department that he had been radicalized. He did pay cash, was traveling alone, and had no checked baggage. These are the red flags that should have alerted someone, somewhere, before he boarded in Amsterdam. These are the things that make him fit the "profile," not his ethnicity: he's a Nigerian, and we have good reason to suspect that he was specifically chosen for this mission precisely because he is an English-speaking non-Arab.

McVeigh and Nichols didn't board an airplane, which is what we are talking about here. More to the point, though, the movement of which they were a part has fallen apart, largely because it has been targeted by law enforcement, using the same sorts of police techniques that ought to have been employed in this case. You can rest assured that there are very many of their comrades who are, in fact, currently targeted for extra security measures.

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. I just got it!

All the airline horror stories - from 'too fat to fly' to passenger rage over seat space to TSA idiocy is all a PLOT by BIG RAIL, to undermine air transportation and make people DEMAND high speed rail!

What'll they think of next?

[WriteDown]

7. Droll...

:)

[KittyWampus]

11. genius!

[KansDem]

8. "TSA screeners insisted that Ryan take off his braces and walk through the detector unaccompanied."

Assholes! :grr:

[Jennicut]

13. The TSA made my 2 year old walk by herself through a metal detector while she was crying.

Because my husband left his keys in his pocket by mistake. They can go f*ck off as far as I am concerned. They do crap like this all the time.

[slackmaster]

15. Firesign Theatre called it in the early 1970s

PA system: "No Asians, no Asians on this flight please... ...No Asians, no Negroes, and noone wearing any metal objects..."

Security guard: "Take that truss off that man! Take that chastity belt off that woman!"

Passengers in unison: "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!"

[liberalhistorian]

21. LOL, talk about

being prescient decades ahead of time!

[Bragi]

23. Only mistake there was thinking passengers would object

In reality, any American resolve to preserve privacy and resist intrusive security collapsed when the Twin Towers went down. Americans now smile and thank TSA workers for any pre-flight indignities.

[Vidar]

35. Which album? I can't remember that one.

[woodsprite]

17. Just like my Daddy always said "Sometimes 'sorry' just doesn't cut it." n/t

[hlthe2b]

18. There was a DU thread not long ago lauding the professionalism of TSA

I think it included a poll as to whether DUers had actually ever had the difficulties that are purported. I wrote my own observation of a really repugnant incident that was directed towards (and horrendously embarrassed) an older female passenger, but which affected everyone who witnessed.

I think we are starting to recognize how out of control many of those staffing TSA actually are. It worries me that they are being given yet more unbridled power to abuse the public.

[berttheturk]

40. I think it was Tom Daschle that said "we can't professionalize unless we federalize?" n/t

[Plucketeer]

19. The TSA jerks

should have been the ones taken to a private area for "swabing". There someone should have swabbed the floor with those ass holes! :grr:

[LibertyLover]

22. I've had a couple of run-ins with TSA and a small child

I've written about the one where I was pulled for extra screening. My daughter is adopted and is of a different ethnicity then I am. The family in front of us on line that day happened to be of the same ethnicity as my daughter and so the screener apparently assumed that she was with them. I could see the look on his face when I took her hand and we both proceeded over to the screening area - it was a classic "oh shit" look. During the screening I was told I could not maintain contact with my then 3 year old child to comfort her because she was afraid, nor could I turn my head to watch her. At one point she tried to leave the area and go into the main terminal by walking under the ropes screening the area off and not one of the several TSA agents standing and observing the security area moved to stop her. I left where I was and picked her up and was scolded by the TSA agent who was questioning me for doing so. I had to go through the metal detector again and they yelled at her because she followed me.

Another time, when she was 4 we were again flying on our own without my husband and TSA insisted she put her stuffed bunny on the x-ray. Then they had her walk through the metal screening gate on her own. I didn't have a problem with that because I could see her and told her to stand off to the side until I got through. The TSA agent then told her to move along and not wait for me (!). The TSA agent then left, leaving me on one side of the detector and my kid on the other. I told her to wait and she did. They got another agent over after a couple of minutes who did apologize and got me through quickly.

[Liberal_in_LA]

36. awful!

[defendandprotect]

47. The move to brutal and cruel management . . . "America" . .. ???

[Lugnut]

25. Who supervises these cretins?

:mad:

I'm glad I have no reason to fly anywhere.

[slackmaster]

26. Other cretins

Cretins with higher pay grades.

[berttheturk]

39. hahahahaha - thanks for the laugh! How true!!!! n/t

[marshall]

28. Airport screeners are not the sharpest of folks

They can't even buy uniforms that fit properly--how can they be expected to make complex decisions involving like trying to decide if somebody is a terrorist or not.

A friend of mine who travels by air a lot and is confined to a wheelchair is always in fear of being to made to pull himself on the ground through the metal detector.

[Stumbler]

30. Thank goodness for the TSA

I sure feel a lot safer knowing their looking out for the threats posed by 4 year-olds in leg braces. I hope that Philly reporter ends up on O'Reily's pinhead lineup.... :sarcasm:

[timtom]

31. TSA: garbage in, garbage out.

[dipsydoodle]

34. That is totally out of order

A complete disgrace.x(

[demigoddess]

42. what is the matter with these people and the stupid Congress that started it all???

i can't stand what my country has become!!!!!!

[troubledamerican]

43. And then Harry Reid offered a tearful apology to the NSA.

It's his forté.

[alp227]

44. America, where safety and liberty don't mix.

So to protect all the airplane passengers from terrorist threats the TSA needs to risk an ill child's life? That IS so respectful! :sarcasm:

[marshall]

45. They likely have been told not to profile anybody

In order to avoid even the appearance of discrimination they have probably been told to check everybody regardless of race, age, gender, or nationality.

[defendandprotect]

46. "America" . . . ???

[PoliticalOne65]

48. Charter pools

Just charter a plane and avoid the TSA all together. I know that is not an option for most people. I was being sarcastic. There are charter pools now. If I join the pool. I have to find out when the next charter is leaving my town for a destination, and get on. If I am planning a vacation, I my have to bounce all across the country but I will finally get to my destination without having to go through one of those TSA inspections.

[bemildred]

49. Stalin would be proud.

What have we come to here? Has fear really made us this stupid?

[panzerfaust]

50. Recently we were traveling and watched children being

frisked in public including their 'private parts'

This was on a Delta flight leaving Grand Cayman.

[otohara]

51. They Scanned My Brace

when I asked why, she said "explosives"

[panAmerican]

52. Yup, airport "security" is all camouflage

As long as the security staff goes through the motions, we the flying public, like to think that everything is all right. The sad thing is we know those things are ineffective, yet we as a country still accept to pay for massive bureaucracy that does thing for us.