'TSA Agents Took My Son'

[Newsjock]

Source: My Bottle's Up

My worst nightmare took place yesterday. Worse than events that have taken place and that I have survived in my short 28 years of living. Worse than my wildest of dreams could conjure.

My son was taken from me.

Taken.

My son was taken from me by the TSA agents at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport yesterday.

He was taken away from me and OUT OF MY SIGHT because his pacifier clip went off when I carried him through the metal detector.

According to the Transportation Security Administration website, “We will not ask you to do anything that will separate you from your child or children.”

Bullshit TSA.

Read more: http://www.mybottlesup.com/tsa-agents-took-my-son

[BuyingThyme]

1. kcik

[Blue_In_AK]

2. Wow, what a story.

She may have over-reacted just a bit, but I certainly don't blame her. I had some tense moments myself getting out of LAX in May. Some of the airports are zoos.

[MadMaddie]

65. No I don't think she overreacted. The TSA agents should have

used some common sense and maybe a little compassion. All they had to do was walk them through seperatly. Once they figured out it was the baby, remove the clip and try it again.

This is why we lost the Olympics, this is why the airline industry is losing customers too.

Yes, we need to be vigilant but this was uncalled for. There should be at minimum suspensions. If these agents can't think their way through a situation like this how will they respond when a real crisis occurs?

[rd_kent]

164. The TSA agents DID use common sense and compassion

The lady made the story up. Maybe next time, you will reserve judgment until the facts come out.

[lolly]

185. And you know this,why?

Because it's completely out of character with anything we've ever seen from the TSA goons?

Oh, wait . . .

[tammywammy]

187. Because there's video of the whole thing and at no point did they take her child away from her. n/t

[rd_kent]

189. Because the TSA posted the video of the incedent

and its completely out of character for a blogger to make shit up

Oh, wait. . .

[nannah]

75. my two year old grandson was selected for a full search

at a west coast airport. he was frightened and crying as he was separated from his family, put in a public spotlight, and touched by strangers.

[barbtries]

129. that just makes me see red

a 2-year-old terrorist?! this is one obvious symptom of the illness that took hold of this country the day gwbush assumed an office he did not win. we need serious help.

how many terrorists have been stopped as they went through airport security, as opposed to how many innocent people have been unnecessarily terrorized and humiliated going through it? i'm okay with metal detectors but scan machines that show a stranger your naked body? separating children from their parents? and so many of the TSA agents appear to be frustrated wannabe cops drunk on the little power they have to spread misery. gawd.

i wonder, can something be done about this. some changes are in order.

i haven't flown for a while. are we still on "ORANGE"?

[Pavulon]

145. This thread is based on a lie, 1047 and 1303 blew up on the same day

that is not a lie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Russian_aircraft_bombings

I prefer reasonable security measures. Is that shoe bomber dipshit decided to go to the lav to light the blasting cap he would have destroyed that aircraft.

[Darth_Kitten]

203. Yeah, like parents would NEVER hide something on a baby....

n/t

[rd_kent]

212. It makes me see red too, especially when someone LIES about an incedent like this.

The lady made it all up. She lied!

[barbtries]

215. i didn't know it at the time

and if you look you'll see that my response was to a different post than the OP

[seabeyond]

134. as i am being searched my 4 and 6 yr old taken away from father, put behind a table, and stuff

searched. after i was searched, i walked behind table to sit with children, especially youngest who obviously was fearful. police came to stand beside tsa employee adn told me and children there to protect tsa worker from ..... me

pissed me off. leaned into youngest and laughed, told him, can you believe, they are afraid of ME. a pasificist. told police, treat us all like animals and we just might become.

stopped using airports.

[LibertyLover]

234. My two year old daughter was allowed to walk away by the TSA

agents when I got selected for "enhanced" scrutiny on a flight out of Baltimore. I was told to face the wall for a pat-down and when I kept turning my head to try and keep my daughter in sight I was told to face the wall or else. I said that I had to keep my child in my sight. Meanwhile 2 or 3 TSA agents stood there doing jack shit as she walked under the rope and out into the main security area. I went and got her and the female TSA agent who had patted me down (and seemed pissed that she had not discovered some hidden weapon on me) told me that if I left the area again I would be in trouble. I told her that if my daughter left my sight again, I would do whatever I had to to get her back. TSA was miffed that I had nothing they could make a stink about. When they had me go through the metal detector again, my daughter happily followed and the agent manning it got ticked off that she had. They finally let me go, but it scared me to death.

[gleaner]

89. No she didn't over react .....

Babies and toddlers live in a very small universe comprised by their family and people the family knows well. You take a kid to a strange place and have strangers carting him to where he can't see his mother, you almost always have one terrified baby. I don't think any mother or grandmother wants this for the little ones. I don't, and I don't even have any.

This is ridiculous. What would the baby have done with the pacifier? Spit it at a building somewhere in an attempt to knock it over? Wonder baby for sure, if that was the case.

This crap has got to stop. One way is to make the security agents real federal employees with accountability. Bush opposed that vehemently. I, mean he might have had to have paid them a decent salary, given them the wonderful FEHB health plans and, God help us, maybe even some job tenure. Then they could have been well trained and perhaps they would be more professional now.

I'm sure not flying anywhere. There is absolutely no place I want to see bad enough to have someone shove a metal detector up my butt if they are having a bad day.

[rd_kent]

165. Yes, she did!

Actually, she lied. Made it up. Next time, hold your poutrage until the facts come out.

[gleaner]

228. Uh, check the date on my post ....

It was the 16th and I didn't know she made it up like all the posters on the 17th. Between this and the lovely balloons there is a lot of stuff that has been made up. I wonder if it is a phase of the moon?

Lovely word, "poutrage," did you just make it up? In any case I am not enraged and I'm not pouting. Just sitting here looking at a post where the poster doesn't look at dates. Hmmmm. Do you suppose that was a phase of the moon too?

[EFerrari]

92. Just a bit? What happened to this mom was horrible

and she overreacted all over the place. How many adults does she need to help her calm down already? Good grief.

[krabigirl]

102. If you read the bottom of the article, you would understand....

You think she was over-reacting, but she actually suffers from generalized anxiety disorder. She hadn't taken her emergency medication and was nearly experiencing a panic attack. If a stranger grabbed her kid and took him away from her sight, it would be kidnapping. But hey, since it's some random TSA agent, it's ok? Enough to cause even someone without anxiety to panic.

[EFerrari]

109. I had a panic disorder the whole time my kids were little.

Panic attacks don't kill you. You know that after the first one.

The TSA agents were huge assholes if this story is in any way accurate and it probably is. Assholes.

[rd_kent]

166. If you would wait to pass judement until the facts come out.....

you could save your poutrage for something worthy. The lady made the story up, its a lie!

[Warren DeMontague]

3. Unfortunately, there are more than a few "little chieftans" in airport security.

Disclaimer: I've had plenty of good experiences with helpful people, too.

But the ones who get off on their little power trip, running their little fiefdoms. Ugh.

Flying in general has just become so deeply, deeply unpleasant.. I'd rather spend 4 hours at the dentist.

Unfortunately, if I can make a prediction, this thread will probably be visited soon by the "kids don't belong on airplanes in the first place" crowd.

[FarCenter]

13. The kid seems OK, but the mother might consider taking the train next time

[Pavulon]

15. or her benzos before the security line..(nt)

[FarCenter]

25. Next time take the Xanax before the checkpoint, not at the gate bathroom

"I ran to the bathroom. I placed Jackson on the diaper changing station with his juice and then I hit the floor. I could not see. I had no peripheral vision.

Channeling my mother, thinking of my phone call with her, I began to calm down.

I had an emergency Xanax in my jeans pocket. I always carry an emergency Xanax in my pocket. The result of severe anxiety.

I took the pill, but it did very little. I was so traumatized that it would’ve taken probably 4 Xanax to get my blood pressure back down to a normal level."

[brendan120678]

40. So she sat him up high on a changing table, and then she...

LET HIM OUT OF HER SIGHT when she, as she put it, "hit the floor"?

And what happens when little Jackson finished his juice and starts to squirm around looking for mommy?

[krabigirl]

105. Agreed there. She should have taken an extended-release Xanax.

It would have helped.
Edi: Would have helped her, but the situation was still absolute BS.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Flying is bad enough, trying to fly with a baby or little kid is absolute hell.

I can't speak for this lady, but I've only done it when there has been absolutely NO alternative.

[mimitabby]

26. sigh

i've flown with babies and it was not a problem. Really.

[Shell Beau]

63. Not every baby is a happy baby. People have

been kicked off planes for "disruptive" babies. It can be easy for some and not so much for others. Babies can be very temperamental. Luckily, I have never had to fly with my baby, but car trips have been interesting, and she is about as happy as babies can get.

[EFerrari]

113. I had one of each. A take-a-long delight and the fussy baby from hell.

They're still that way, 30 years later. lol

[Warren DeMontague]

77. Oh, it CAN BE okay.

But I'd rather not do it unless absolutely necessary.

Jesus, just getting ON an airplane is bad enough, these days.

How long was the flight?

And how many babies? One? Any toddlers along for the ride-- at the same time?

Sure-- one can be a piece of cake. Two, three little kids? That always adds a little excitement to the game.

[damntexdem]

42. What can one say but that flying has become a nightmare.

And for many of us, it is one we cannot avoid -- anymore than we can avoid nightmares by not sleeping.

[arcadian]

4. Homeland Security = Gestapo

[damntexdem]

43. Call it by its real name: Hoaxland Security.

[rd_kent]

167. Not this time. They did it right....the lady lied.

[Darth_Kitten]

204. Seriously the Gestapo? Honestly.....

Maybe people SHOULD read up on World War II and what the Nazis really were like. :eyes:

[Xithras]

241. Actually the Gestapo is a very fitting description.

People doing inhuman things to other people to assuage their internal desire for power, claiming a gossamer blanket of "orders" as a cover. The actions may be different, but their aspirations and disregard of their fellow humans is just the same.

[merh]

5. I hope to god she reported these assholes.

[rd_kent]

168. I hope to god she gets blasted for making the whole thing up!

Save your poutrage until the facts come out next time.

[merh]

195. Save your insults for someone else.

My comment was rational and not near as emotional as your reply to me.

I'd have reported the TSA folks and not have blogged about it.

The TSA folks were assholes if they didn't give her the chance to remove the pacifier clip and walk back through with her child. Would have saved them all a whole lot of time.

In an airport a mere 10 minutes can seem like hours when you are trying to catch a plane.

I am curious after watching the video why the blurred the wand scanning process. Did the operator touch the mother with the wand?

Again, my post was a legitimate response, report the workers.

Your response, like so many all over the board is just rude. As if you know so much, as if you are posting on the wrong board too.

[rd_kent]

211. What part of "I hope to god she reported these assholes" is rational and unemotional?

Especially when, after the FACTS have come out, they really werent assholes that needed reporting at all?

[merh]

217. What part of "and not near as emotional as your reply to me" do you not understand?

All the facts have not come out, the video is not continuous. There are missing time periods.

You don't either, especially if you are relying on the video.

There are missing time periods not captured on the video. The time clock jumps and seconds are left out of this video Sure, it appears that it wasn't more than seconds, but for someone prone to anxiety (she had her xanac with her), seconds can be days if trying to make a flight especially if you have a child to be concerned with.

What is truly sad is that she was required to unzip her pants, in public, in the presence of men, while she was "wanded". The exposure is so sensitive, the TSA blurred the video as she was wanded. I counted at lest 3 men walking around the area as the video was blurred. The additional screening appears to be in the public view as well.

No one should be required to expose themselves.

As a screener cautions:

Also something else you could do to help screeners and yourself. During the hand wanding process you may be asked to undo your belt, and then roll down the top of your pants over the zipper. Under no circumstances should you unbutton your pants and pull them down. I wouldn't bring this up it hadn't happen numerous times.

http://www.mysummervacation.com/2003_security_screener.html

If she was required to expose herself in public her rights were violated.

And please realize, TSA policy provides that if one fails to walk through properly or if the person causes the WTMD to alarm, they only get one chance. Two people went through the process, she should have been afforded a second chance.

Did she lie, I don't know. Did she exaggerate, it is possible but that is not something that is uncommon or unexpected given her circumstances and that does not explain away the TSA violating her civil rights.

.

[rd_kent]

218. There is no missing time.

maybe a second or two as they change views while she walks from one place to another, but a no time is there missing video where they could have "taken my son, out of my view" nor where ANY of the shit she says happened could have happened.


My whole point was that you posted an emotional, outraged response to something you KNEW nothing about. Called people you know nothing about "assholes: and called for them to be "reported" based on nothing but a womans claim that has since turned out to be completely false. Sure, my response was a bit harsh, and next time I will temper my own language. Perhaps next time, you could do the same.

[merh]

219. I didn't post as near as an emotional response as you did in

response to me and all I said was the woman should contact the TSA and report the agents.

You see, TSA policy provides that a person is entitled to one walk through. There were two people participating in that walk through. Once mom explained the clip she should have been afforded the second walk through.

My response was rational and I do believe the TSA agents were assholes for not affording her the second walk through.

Given you have spammed this thread with your attacks, it is you that is the more emotional, you need to stop pointing fingers and take your own advice.

That video is incomplete and what it shows is a blatant civil rights violation.

[rd_kent]

222. You ARE entitled to your opinion, right or wrong.

[merh]

224. Not according to the post you made to me that caused this

exchange between the two of us to begin.

[rd_kent]

235. No, Im entitled to mine too, right or wrong.

[merh]

236. Your post to me was that I was not entitled to my opinion.

I have merely challenged you and your method of attacking others.

Your posts are clear, you are the one that has tried to shut down the opinions of others by mocking them or insulting them for having an opinion.

I believe you should try a little harder to practice what you preach.

[naaman fletcher]

233. What makes you think this?

You say:

"What is truly sad is that she was required to unzip her pants, in public, in the presence of men."

Why do you say that? Is that proven?

[Echo In Light]

6. Police $tate

[katandmoon]

7. "Just get me to the airport... put me on a plane...Hurry hurry hurry before I go insane"

[ThatsMyBarack]

57. "I wanna be sedated."

Okay, back to the OP: Unless serious changes are made in airport security, I will never fly again.

[Mari333]

80. I have already made that decision

I will not fly.
My brother worked for the TSA years ago, and he told me, its bullshit. He said, 'just between you and me, anyone who wanted to bring anything on a plane could do it..they have some real idiots working there."

that bothered me, a lot.

train, car, boat. thats it for me.

[Bonobo]

8. It is a nightmare. How many millions have we lost in tourism $$$ alone?

With our weak dollar, tourism should be through the roof.

But our heavy-handed treatment of visitors in this country turns people off.

It is one of the reasons we lost the Olympics.

Americans used to be ugly when traveling abroad. Now we are ugly when visited as well.

[Ignis]

24. Several of my Euro friends tried some NYC shop-tourism...

...But despite the great prices and the sales on top of those, they were very insulted by the treatment they received from the TSA. Of course, one of them is a Sikh, so you can imagine the bullshit he encountered.

[gratuitous]

9. We have ceded our security . . .

We have ceded our security measures to the most scaredy-cat, pants-wettingest nervous nellies. We have given up on our own judgment and common sense, and decided to throw in with people who would, like Frank Burns in that M*A*S*H episode, check their toothpaste for explosives. Rather than say, "You know something? I'm going to live my life free from fear. I will take reasonable precautions, but I'm not going to be stampeded into jumping from every shadow by people who would abscond with an infant over fear of a pacifier," we have communally decided to hand over all the authority to the milquetoasts who are afraid of everything.

[malaise]

48. But look at what they've forced all international airports

to buy -all sorts of equipment and you now have to buy ridiculously priced water, drinks or food. It's one hell of a racket and more than a few people are getting rich..

[MadMaddie]

67. gratuitous this should be the argument of the Democrats.

Tradgedies will happen but we will not live in fear. The Republicans allowed Osama Bin Laden to dictate the future and no one says a word about it. The draconian laws that the * admin implemented have essentially negatively impacted the tourist industry. I believe this is one of the reasons that the US didn't get the Olympic bid.

No one ever uses this argument, the Repugs are fearful of their own shadows and this country allowed them to instill fear in many Americans.

[krabigirl]

104. Yep, and the sheeple just lie down and let them trample all over...all of us.

I have severely cut down my flying after the 2003 liquids-bomb-hoax bs.

[Pavulon]

144. The woman is a liar, and TATP is one of several

binary explosives that could destroy an aircraft. To bad she did not file a report, then she would be facing criminal charges.

http://www.tsa.gov/blog

[JDPriestly]

10. A lot of these precautions are just unnecessary. The entire system

needs to be reviewed for efficiency. We do need airport security. But it has been in place long enough that we should know what really needs to be checked and what does not.

I don't mind going through security checkpoints. I did it all the time in my work -- every time you enter a court in L.A., you go through a security check. As one who worked in the court, I have to say, I appreciated the fact that these checks were done.

Some years ago, before they had security checkpoints, I just happened to reach the foot of a stairs at the courthouse just as they were escorting a little girl away whose father had just shot the child's mother -- in front of the child in a courthouse hallway. So, in this country that is insane with weapons and anger, these security checks are saving lives. They discourage desperate people from carrying weapons on planes.

But the security needs to be more rational. And less expensive. Whoever pays for it could save a lot of money with some intelligent reorganization of the process. Right now, this is just a full employment project for right-wing types.

[Bonobo]

11. We need an airport bill of rights.

They can still keep you on the tarmac for as long as THEY decide.

And YOU/US have not a thing to say about it.

In the airport, you don't have the rights you are accustomed to.

[wroberts189]

23. I remember a time when flying was fun and there was not a hint of fear.

Yeah you had to go through the gate but it was all relaxed and pleasant.. no big deal. (Now they want to view your nude body)

At the worst ...Take out your keys sir... wooops sorry ..walk through again. Here is your keys you go down this hall to get to .. thank you!

Everyone was laid back .. walkmans (now ipods) , papers, books , magazines.. sleeping.

Now they think every tube of toothpaste or bottle of tanning lotion is a bomb.

Land of the free home of the brave?

[Pavulon]

31. Thank radical islam..

blowing up trains in spain, jets in russia, and good old plo style hijacking. They really fucked up the golden age of travel. I remember guys with machine guns in train station in europe long before 9/11. Security is tight in europe, some parts of asia, and latin america is hit and miss.

[wroberts189]

50. One day all is peaceful ..next day we live in fear forever?

radical Islam ..perhaps


Or perhaps its our own fear. Whatever ...we need to get a grip.


New Hampshire has a license plate.. live free or die.


Sign me up.

I want the good old days and I see no reason we cannot go back to them.

[Pavulon]

52. I agree. I think we can balance security and common sense..

the whole water and shoe thing are a giant "fuck you" to common sense. I am sure there is some technology that can scan a shoe on my foot..

[krabigirl]

108. Yep. The terrorists truly did win. It's very sad.

[la_chupa]

12. this is crazy

I shudder to think what would happen if someone took one of my sister's kids out of her sight. It would be safer to take a cub from a grizzly.

true story

[rd_kent]

169. No, this is a lie.

She made it all up.

[Pavulon]

14. Klonipin first = no panic..

a lady managed to blow up a jet over russia because they did not check her. If you act all nervous and freak out you are going to get singled out. If it was such a big deal refuse to hand over you kid and wait for the airport police. The reaction made it worse.

This is a valuable lesson in how NOT to handle a situation.

[Gormy Cuss]

19. It is a big deal to be asked to hand over your kid and watch them walk away with him.

I agree with you that this is a valuable less in how not to handle the situation -- a lesson for the TSA. The moronic "security" team didn't allow her to remove the visible offending item before she walked through the metal detector a second time. The only reasons to say no to that reasonable request is a)because some efficiency expert has figured out that keeping everyone moving forward in the line is better or b)the TSA likes punishing passengers for doing a poor job at conforming to all of the rules.

[Bonobo]

27. +1

[Pavulon]

29. I do lots of flying and TSA are just people. Perception

matters. Some of those guys (and gals) are jackasses, some are nice people. However I have found that if you are reasonable they are too. I have waked in and set off the detector and the guy looked at my waist and said "forget your blackberry" and let me ditch it and go back through.
I dont think they like punishing people but if they think you are making their life hard they will respond in kind.

[Gormy Cuss]

37. I've found that it's idiosyncratic to the airport and sometimes even the terminal within the airport

SFO, my home airport, is populated by insecure little Napoleons. Probably related to the fact that they're contractors not TSA employees. OAK is much better.

Your example illustrates my point however. There's no reason from a professional point of view that the woman should not have been allowed to remove the clip and pass through, but because she annoyed the TSA staff they chose to punish her and in the process stepped way over the line by removing the child from her line of sight.

[Pavulon]

39. Yep, here at RDU

the folks are nice enough but TSA is a pretty low paying boring and generally shitty job. She should have been able to go back through. I have had TSA bust balls for laptop procedure (no shoes on laptop) but pretending to give a shit and moving my stuff around seemed the reasonable choice. When something went wrong freaking just made it worse. I have found that throwing attitude at someone who is in the position to ruin my day fails. Yelling at ticket agents, police officers, or the like generally ends up with a loss for you.

Luckily if any of this is true and she chooses to press the matter it is all on tape. So the real story is probably somewhere in the middle.

[lolly]

190. That's the definition of punishing people

If you're not nice to me, I'll make your life hard.

So, that's their job? To make life hard for people who don't behave according to their standards?

Gee, and I thought it was their job to keep people safe, not f++k with people who were unpleasant to them.

[rd_kent]

170. That "moronic security team" wasn't moronic at all.

in fact, they did their job well.

[Gormy Cuss]

198. Back seat drive much?

The post from yesterday was based on the assertions on the woman's blog. There was no TSA response available then. Based on the blogger's assertions the supposed behavior of the agents was moronic.

That her account was bogus doesn't mean that out of line behavior by TSA agents hasn't or will not happen. I've witnessed enough minor incidences personally to say that it's within the realm of possibility that her account could have been credible.

[Are_grits_groceries]

20. Have you ever had a panic attack??

They are horrible, and at times you can't remember to do the things that might help.

As for the meds, she seemed to be fine until they started treating her like a nonperson and then taking her son. A lot of people don't take meds unless they absolutely have to. What do you think they would have done if she had tried that?

[Pavulon]

34. TSA is not police. She could have refused

missed her flight and dealt with airport police. That is exactly what she should have done. The police may have detained her and kept her away from her bags, they may have had her kid placed into protective custody if she freaked out and went to jail. All happen every day to someone.

[DireStrike]

90. Not everyone knows all the intricacies of dealing with such authority figures.

The female TSA agent, who had been standing there the entire time said to me, “You need to adjust your attitude and do as you are told.”

When people have uniforms and badges and authority over you, and one of them treats you like THIS, most people would be terrified or enraged. I'm sure only a tiny percentage of fliers have any idea what the exact limits of TSA authority are, and what they are allowed to do or not do in dealing with these people.

[Pavulon]

91. Sure. but as americans we can always ask to speak to the boss.

or for police. Sure it may make it worse but there are lots of police at airports. I can see why she freaked but her post reads as exactly what NOT to do in any airport in any country.

4 xanax, that is between 1 and 4mg dose. That is a lot of benzo.

If any of this actually happened.

[lolly]

191. Oh, just miss your flight

No big deal. That won't result in any problems for anybody.

So, we should all be prepared to miss our flights if we stand up for our rights against an out-of-control TSA goon?

[a la izquierda]

45. I had a panic attack on a flight...

I hate flying, but usually xanax nips it in the bud.
Anyway, one of the flight attendants brought me up to the galley, gave me water, a muffin and a cold towel. Another flight attendant said "You can't be here, go back to your seat." The other flight attendant took me to the back galley and let me sit with her for awhile. Nice lady.

I've never had a panic attack going through security. But they're damn scary when they happen at 30K feet and you can do nothing about it...

[Rhiannon12866]

101. I know! I had one, too, and it was on an international flight...

JFK to Finland, so it was one long nightmare. It's a horrible feeling. You feel like you're dying. :scared:

I just desperately had to get off, but I was told that it was six more hours! x(

And I had Xanax, too. I took 1 1/2 of them and that did me no good. Usually one will put me to sleep... :-(

I definitely wouldn't have made it if it hadn't been for the kindness of the flight attendant who sat with me and humored me through the rest of the flight. They brought me up into a room with a curtain and gave me some oxygen, but mostly kept me company, talking to me the whole time. They were amazing. I still felt like hell, but it made a difference to have someone there. Fly FinAir! :-)

I do have to say that I had never been afraid of flying before. But now I avoid it, haven't flown since before 9/11... :-(

[a la izquierda]

135. Funny thing is, I love traveling...

my husband and I are planning a 5th anniversary trip to Costa Rica. I am back and forth to Mexico at least 4 times a year, plus trips to visit family on either coast. I just don't like the feeling of not being in control of the vehicle, and it's 30000 feet up. Interestingly, I love trains, but don't like buses at all (think Mexican bus drivers, they're sort of terrifying).

However, I will probably switch back to Klonapin next time I fly. I don't like having to take two (or more) xanax to be comfortable. At least with Klonapin, I'll sleep the whole way.

[Rhiannon12866]

199. I love traveling, too, though I haven't done it for quite awhile.

I never used to mind flying, flew back from Europe by myself when I was much younger and didn't mind a bit, but now I really dread it. My fears started when I was on a plane that had to make an emergency landing on a flight from NC to NY, but the transatlantic flight experience scared me witless. I know what caused it, that I was overtired and exhausted, worked overtime and stayed up most of the night before that trip, but that terrified feeling is something you can't reason yourself out of... For me, I think it's also claustrophobia. :scared:

I prefer trains, too, but they don't go over oceans. And I know what you mean about drivers. I once rode down the Caucasus Mountains (no guard rails over there) with a Russian driver who talked with his hands... :scared:

I do know people who say they will never fly, but that means that there are so many things that they weill never see... Like another country, continent, culture. The last time I flew was in 2000, west coast to the east coast. I didn't enjoy the flying part, but know that it's necessary if you're going to get places... :-)

I hope that you have a lovely trip, good weather and clear skies. The destination will be well worth the trip. :pals:

Someday, I really do hope to see Finland again. And Russia, and Ireland... Probably not Australia, LOL. Just wish that FinAir went to all of those places... :D

[ipaint]

22. I wonder how many terrorists/bombers the TSA has caught in the last 8 years

because they were acting nervous. Of course this women wasn't at all nervous until they locked her and her baby in a box with holes in it, let a stranger gather her stuff and no one would talk to her. Minor detail.

[FarCenter]

30. It is pretty likely that TSA has never caught a terrorist/bomber

When TSA testers attempt to smuggle fake bombs through the checkpoints they often succeed.

If terrorist/bombers were attempting to get through, some of them would and we would hear about the results.

Therefore, it is not likely that terrorist/bombers are making the attempt, and therfore, none are being caught.

[wolfgangmo]

49. Bingo - we have a winner.

The security in the US is pathetic. It is a dog and pony show for the plebes. As for security, it is a joke from the ground up.

[DireStrike]

85. I agree. This situation should not have been handled anything like this.

No passenger should ever be told they need to "adjust their attitude and do what 're told."

No child should be taken from their parent.

No passenger should be locked up and traumatized over an EASILY REMEDIED situation.


I find this horrifying and infuriating. I hope to god every TSA agent in that airport gets fired.

[rd_kent]

171. Youre right.....if it had happened.

She made it all up. Dont you feel smart now?

[DireStrike]

183. ...sorry I was lied to...?

Yeah, I'm so stupid for imagining that petty authority figures might abuse their power. :eyes:

[rd_kent]

188. Perhaps just wait a bit next time

and dont take the word of a blogger as the gospel.

[bertman]

100. Pavulon, you are a fucking idiot. Did you read the narrative? The woman did not freak out

as you so stupidly call it, until THE ASSHOLES TOOK HER KID AWAY FROM HER.

[Pavulon]

132. She was in tsa line 15 mins before boarding and LET them take her kid..

if any of what that post contains is not pure fiction. TSA are not police, she GAVE them her kid (according to her) and then she had some panic problem and called her mom and freaked. Sounds like bullshit to me.

EIther way all she had to do was say "i am not leaving my child, we can work that out or you can call the airport police".

OH yea, fuck you moron this is some cross posted bullshit that may have never happened. Are we going to start posts about what some unknown asshole tweets?

I believe half of what I read in real news sources, none of some ladies blog rant.

[krabigirl]

106. Um, mmkay, doesn't explain why the kid needed to be searched OUT of her sight.

[Pavulon]

136. Strange huh, good thing that area is under video surveillance.

she should file a formal complaint. The real story will be on the tape. This entire narrative sounds odd to me. However it is a great lesson in what NOT to do.

dont show up late.
if you have breakthrough panic, consult a doctor. xanax during a panic attack, to late. remember you GP is not a psychiatrist
dont just comply, ask for a supervisor. Apparently none of this was more important than missing a flight..TSA are not police.
Dont be in security line 15 mins before boarding. Be at you gate drinking coffee/ beer 45 mins before boarding.

These things assume you are sober and thinking properly. If not, fly with a person who is.

If something is "the worst experience in you life" file a complaint with the police or feds, dont bitch on your blog.

Are we going to start posting tweets and using them for GD topics. This is a persons narrative with no fact checking.

[rd_kent]

172. She made it all up, mmmkay?

[AllyCat]

116. Pavulon, you obviously do not have children. Or a clue

[Pavulon]

133. Umm, if this actually happened.

she let it happen. TSA are not police. So "no, please get the airport police" is the right choice if any of this exists outside her mind. I deal with tsa a whole lot, they are underpaid folks doing a shit job with no police power. They going to ship her baby to GBay if she asked for airport police? This sounds fishy and like a blog rant. Either way it is on tape, so if TSA broke the rules she can complain.

[Bosso 63]

147. That's my guess too.

[liberal N proud]

16. Some TSA agents are on power trips

Some are quite accommodating and respectful while others are simply on a total power trip.

I had one get in my face because I didn't have the right baggie for my 3 ounces of shit. I didn't say a word and threw the baggie, contents and all in a nearby trash can. She really got in my face then. Not sure what she wanted me to do with it and I wasn't going to argue with her. I think she was pissed because I didn't confront her.

For a parent to have their child taken by complete strangers has to be horrifying to say the least.

[rd_kent]

173. And some bloggers are liars.

She made it up. Not true.

[winyanstaz]

17. and what was done to that child while it was taken away?

Pedophiles often will use any excuse to be alone with a child if even for a few moments.
My step-father liked to grope little kids while the other parents were in the room with their backs turned...he got a big kick out of it..and was good at explaining away what the kid's reactions would be. He especially was sexually attracted to babies and the very young kids.
This lady needs to have taken the baby to a dr right away (which I am sure was not an option at the moment) and she needs to sue.

[Divine Discontent]

182. exactly... tens of thousands of adults fondle kids daily - it's shameful & who knows if that's what

might have happened when strangers take children from their parent.

[rd_kent]

213. Nothing...this child was never taken.

the lady lied.

[wroberts189]

18. This era of fear must stop. It is long past time for some simple common sense...

Stop treating us as if we are all a potential bomber.


A woman with her baby? If this story is true someone needs to get fired. I doubt they have the competence to ever catch any real bad guys.

on edit knr

[Pavulon]

32. If assholes would not blow up planes or hide 22 pistols in teddy bears

then there would be no tsa..

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/handgunbear1.html

[wroberts189]

51. It was a woman with her baby...??? nt

[Pavulon]

53. Yep a 9 year old had a teddy bear with a pistol inside.

so the baby thing is not relevant. Security sucks but just because you have a baby does not mean you get to bypass it. It sounds like the woman's behavior contributed.

[mike_c]

74. personally, I'd rather live with the risk of occasional tragedy...

...than be constrained all my life by security that makes life safe at the expense of social liberty. Yes, we know there are bad people out there. There will always be bad people out there. Living with that is just part of being human. Trying to maintain absolute security from bad people doing bad things is impossible, and trying is the surest way to an authoritarian security state.

[Pavulon]

87. Metal detectors and people wasting your time at airports sucks

however they were in place before 9/11 and europe's security was quite strict as long as I could remember. Taking steps so some ass cant fly a jet into a nuclear reactor or chemical plant outside shithole newark is reasonable. You want to ride a motorcycle with no helmet feel free.

[wolfgangmo]

54. If Bush had not dropped the ball when coming into office

And then let the biggest peacetime attack on US soil happen despite multiple strong warnings that it was imminent while he busilly filled his pants while panicing and reading "My Pet Pony" (or whatever the **** that book was called) and then using it as an excuse to take the leash off of Darth Cheney and institute the biggest expansion of the federal government in the history of the US while at the same time making America and American's both less safe internationally and pathetically frightened domestically (depsite the fact that absolutely ZERO attachs have happened since).

But yah, if you ignore all of that then you could blame some random dipwad with a .22 and a teddy bear.

Honestly, (most) American's are completely reactionary. They seem to be incapable of advanced planing and rational thought when it comes to security.

[wroberts189]

61. +1 ..and it was "My pet goat" nt

[wroberts189]

58. The thing is though they easily caught them....

Somebody competent was on the job.


Went through the machine and whoever was watching did their job well.


But it does not mean all teddy bears should be now suspect...? just scan them.



http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/handgunbear1.html


JULY 17--Forget about that 250-pound black bear that attacked two Colorado campers this week. This is America's most dangerous ursine. Last Friday, screeners at Orlando International Airport found a loaded .22-caliber Derringer concealed inside a teddy bear carried by a 10-year-old Ohio boy. According to the kid, he was given the bear by a young girl he had met while vacationing--and was unaware that the gat was stashed in the bear's belly. No charges have been brought against the boy or his parents, though the bear remains in federal custody. The piece, which had been reported stolen from a Barstow, California home seven years ago, was jammed in the bear through a small hole near the animal's furry behind. These two photos were provided to TSG by the Transportation Security Administration, which helpfully named the below image "Teddy Bear Rearview.jpg." (1 page)

[SkyIsGrey]

126. There is someone staring at you through your window..

You looked didn't you?

[LibDemAlways]

120. Thank you for the healthy dose of common sense.

"Stop treating us all as if we are a potential bomber."

A couple of years ago the metal in my ankle from an old injury set off an alarm at SEA-TAC. I explained the problem and invited the TSA guy to wand my ankle after showing him the 6 inch scar. He completely ignored what I was telling him and called a female screener over. She proceeded to do a complete bra feel up in full view of everybody. Needless to say I was beyond pissed and let everyone within earshot know it. While this was going on an elderly woman in a wheelchair came through. She was hunched over and had to be at least 90. The assholes yanked her shoes off and literally hoisted her out of the chair to wand her. She looked utterly terrified. Her daughter, who looked to be in her 70s, was kept away. She was crying and pleading with the people to leave her mother, who had Alzheimers, alone. It was horrible.

When I relayed this story to a group of women at a friend's house a few days later, one woman told me I should be glad the inspection was so thorough. "You and the old woman could have been terrorists," was her brilliant comment.

The government has done a fine job of scaring the public into submission and making gullible people believe that the TSA is useful. If anyone was truly interested in causing havoc aboard an airplane, they surely would figure out how to slip past the screeners. The system as it stands now is total bullshit.

[Pavulon]

143. And we are all responding to a lie

http://www.tsa.gov/blog

[tekisui]

148. I watched the video, never saw her separated from her kid.

If this is the same woman, which I assume it is, she 'embellished' the story in her post.

[LibDemAlways]

150. Nowhere in my post do I address the OP. I was responding to

post #18, specifically the comment about common sense.

My story as relayed is 100% accurate and I stand firmly behind my comment that TSA as it is presently run is a joke - lots of morons enjoying their unfettered authority to harrass the public.

I watched the video and have no way of knowing if the woman was the same one who posted the story on her blog. At any rate, the woman in the video was certainly given the once over by the goon squad. I felt sorry for her.

[mantis49]

156. OK, the woman seems to be seriously delusional

n/t

[TicketyBoo]

181. I am wondering

if this is even the same woman?

Why are they obscuring part of the search? It's obvious that the search was done in public, with both passengers and other workers walking around all the time it was being done. So why obscure the search in the video?

The fact that they were obviously doing an intimate search in public makes me cringe. I haven't flown since 9/11. I hope never to have to fly again.

Sad, sick and sorry shame.

[Swamp Rat]

28. Sue them

[rd_kent]

174. Yes, the TSA should sue her for defamation.

[Swamp Rat]

223. If they have grounds, then yes.

If this is a hoax, then the TSA should nail him/her/them for defamation or loss of revenue, whatever. I'm all for stopping nutjobs who fuck up everyone else's flight plans.

[Celebration]

33. That's so odd

TSA agents are fine here. Why wouldn't they let her just take the clip off and walk back through? I've always been allowed to walk back through if I set off the alarm, getting my keys out of my pocket or whatever.

[Pavulon]

35. Me too. In many different countries. However I have never had a panic attack

in security, that may have added to the problem.

[Missy Vixen]

60. Aren't you lucky you don't have an anxiety disorder?

Do you think she's making it up?

:eyes:

[Pavulon]

83. It reads like high drama "and then i took 4 xanax"

after the tsa man raped poor little johnny. It is airport security. It sucks, it sucks in china and it sucks in argentina. It also sucks in atlanta. tsa has busted my balls over tools, like I am going to stab someone with a torx driver. show up early and expect to have stupid people waste your time, or charter a g5.

IF someone broke regs it is on tape, if she went all wonky and got detained it is on tape. I would be anxious standing in the tsa line 15 minutes before boarding.

The trick with anxiety disorder is apparently to have enough benzo on board to not have breakthrough panic. Once you are in panic mode it takes lots more to control, according to my source for all things medical.

[AllyCat]

117. Reading comprehension. Take a course in reading comprehension

That is NOT what she said. If your source for all things medical is the internet, you could take a course in that too.

[Pavulon]

137. Wife, a doc. If you are popping benzo in response to panic

you are already fucked. That is not how panic disorders are treated, at least by competent doctors. Here is some xanax, take it once you have a panic attack. wrong.

I digress, this story is not a news source, it is a blog, with no facts, flight numbers, times. Nothing says this cant be a fictional account. Not even a DU er. its a cross post.

I have spent hundreds of hours traveling and never seen tsa do this. I have set off detectors and know what they do.

[krabigirl]

107. Me neither. I have anxiety issues as well and did get special screening. I freaked, internally only.

Which was amazing for me, lol. I was just super nice to the screeners and they didn't give me a hard time. The person who put me there, though, was a Gestapo and a jerk. AND I didn't have my daughter with me...not sure what I would have done in that case.

[bikebloke]

36. Hyper-security and things still get through

On a recent flight, I went through the whole rigmarole taking off my shoes, removing my belt and emptying my pockets into a plastic bag before stuffing it into my day pack for x-ray. Only once through, and replacing everything, I realized that my keys were still in my pocket. Oops. They didn't catch them.

[flyarm]

38. my husband worked in Canada for many years, Every time we crossed the border driving or flying US

Immigrations always took my son in another room and asked him if I was indeed his mother..and they would question him about many things..this went on from the time he was three years old, through and until he was 16 years old.

This was long before 9/11 ..oh and i was a flight crew for a major airline with every kind of flying clearances.

They have a job to do and that is to keep the majority of people safe. I know it is uncomfortable and un-nerving for those that don't fly much..but remember , it is their job to keep the majority of us safe.

It is not a perfect system..there is no such thing.

With babies it can be horrifying..but for others with toddlers or young children..discuss it with them, tell them this can occur so they are not frightened. It is a reality of flying today,even more so than the 29 years ago it was happening with my son, and my family..much has changed in my son's 32 years..but then again alot hasn't changed!

Oh and my son was on over 200 flights before the age of 2, so we experienced this many many times in his youth.

[backscatter712]

46. It helps when talking to your kids about the TSA if you read them a book...

[wolfgangmo]

55. 2 by 2

Hands of blue.

[WonderGrunion]

221. Firefly getting cancelled was a real crime.

This woman's blog was just made up nonsense.

[NutmegYankee]

79. But today taking a kid away into a room is grounds for claiming Child rape too!

You can play the pedophile game against them now.

[Gormy Cuss]

111. Crossing the border, not traveling domestically.

Entirely different circumstances.

The TSA has a job to do and if the incident transpired as blogged, they didn't do it correctly. It has nothing to do with keeping people safe.

[AllyCat]

118. The website for TSA says they won't separate you from your children

So they lie. Why on earth would need to take a BABY away from his mother? Asking him "Is this your mother would likely be met with the response, "goo goo gaa gaa". Rubbish. Utter rubbish. There is not one thing about what they did that kept ANYONE safe. It is all for show and utterly worthless.

[Pavulon]

140. Someone lied.. To the video tape..

that would be nice to see. TSA tapes all secure areas and retains tape forever.

[Missy Vixen]

41. I don't have kids. I have a CPAP machine.

The only time I have not held up the ENTIRE line (due to TSA agents repeatedly swabbing, re-swabbing, asking for my driver's license, etcetera,) was in San Francisco airport a year ago this summer.

There's someone else in this thread who's suggested that the parent in question with the hellish experience at Atlanta's airport doesn't need to obey the TSA -- sure, if she doesn't mind being Tased.

I have to fly again in July. I am already dreading it.

[Pavulon]

44. I suggested if she had a problem to ask for police. TSA

agents are not armed LEO and rely on airport police if there is a problem. "I am not giving you my baby, I will wait here for the police to arrive is reasonable." Running away, or otherwise freaking out, not a great idea.

[Missy Vixen]

59. Good luck with that

I witnessed a TSA agent flipping out at DFW over nothing more than a woman politely asking him which direction her boarding gate was in. I was afraid for her safety, and for mine if I spoke up. Whom do you think LEO would be listening to in that instance -- the passenger, or the TSA agent? In a time when a 72-year-old woman was recently Tased, they wouldn't even hesitate, and you know it as well as I do.

The woman in question already had an anxiety disorder. To watch her child being taken away by a stranger, on top of the knowledge that she was probably missing her flight and would be stuck in an airport for God knows how long, brought on that panic attack. Panic attacks aren't convenient, either.

[Pavulon]

70. TSA are unarmed. Police are accountable

for their actions in court. I have seen TSA be a pain in the ass, incompetent, and generally what you would expect from a bus driver given a shred of authority.

If she was at TSA at 45 minutes to depart , she was 15 minutes from boarding in a security line, meaning she was really stupid. I travel an average of 500k a year and never show up with less than an hour before boarding AT THE GATE. I'd rather kill time reading and drinking coffee. She should have kept her shit straight, missed her flight, and asked for an LEO at the scene.

IF any of this really happened, it is all on tape.

[JoeyT]

78. Really?

"Police are accountable for their actions in court." Haha. I was wondering what your problem was. You may not have an anxiety disorder, but you sure are delusional. So how many times have they been sued and lost? Could you link to a few of those?

No one is accountable for their actions because we've allowed a bunch of cowards to dictate reality for the rest of us.
To quote Bill Maher "I wish someone would just start Fly at Your Own Risk Airlines.".

[Pavulon]

86. Hey champ, i took 23 international flights last year

and god knows how many domestics. I have more air miles than most. The TSA do not have guns. They are not going to fight you in an airport. They are low paid people doing a shit boring job.

Guess what, security sucks in frankfurt, it sucks in BA, it sucks in singapore. TSA is a joke compared to many. Cant count the times my shit has been dumped, luggage pulled, and hours wasted over pointless searches.

You want to read about police settlements and findings knock yourself out. Police are liable in court. I personally think some tsa shit is stupid, however when assholes try to light a bomb in their shoe and blow up jets with explosives someone has to do something.

There is an at risk airline, it is called "charter jet" pay up and you can catch your jet at general aviation. Bill Maher can pony up and fly a gulfstream. No tsa there.

[Truth2Tell]

98. Pavulon, can I ask you a question?

Do you know if the law enforcement unions have any ongoing beef with TSA or if they put up a fight when it was created? It seems to me like professional law enforcement people should have some major issues with the way this whole program is run.

I'm guessing that the incident in this OP would have been a non-event had even one or two actual police officers been working at that checkpoint. Someone with even a modicum of experience and training could have de-escalated that situation and been done with it. But instead of trained law enforcement or professional security people, we get low wage McRentacops working for privatized non-accountable politically connected companies.

Where are the real cops in this whole expansion of "Homeland Security"? If we're gonna become a Checkpoint State shouldn't we at least actually train and pay our security people like professional law enforcement? It works for Israel.

Not that I think we need to do any of this at all, but if we must, let's at least unionize. :)

[Pavulon]

141. TSA should be a federally run program

for reasons of accountability and worker quality and pay. I live in the South East so there are no unionized law enforcement agencies here. I don't know who pays TSA but I do know they are not police.

[newspeak]

210. I agree with you

I was actually praying for that after 9/11--make it federal, but under *, I knew the corps were gonna win again.

[DiverDave]

192. WOW!, wife's a doc

you travel 500K a year, what ELSE do you do?
Jump tall buildings in a single bound,Maybe?
I think your pants are on fire.

Dude, take your medication and stop typing till they kick in.

And maybe the Mod's should look and see if you have 2 I.D.'s on here.

[Name removed]

201. Deleted message

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

[DiverDave]

238. Jeez, that mouth,

I guess that goes over well at the Doc's functions.
Oh, and you need to chill...till they tombstone you, anyway.

[Pavulon]

245. I love pizza. mmm tasty.(nt)

[Pavulon]

247. I got mad id's, more socks than you and your 2k posts

I just make up id and post from the same ip addy and no one catches me because I am the internet pimp ninja. I fly, it sucks to travel that much and to pay student loans. Any one looking can see the external addresses I log with and figure out I am legit.

You got a problem with me take it up with the mods, else you are breaking rules and managing to look pretty silly.

[REP]

47. I travel with a CPAP

I have it in a bag marked "Medical Equipment" and I keep the manual with it. I think this helps, so I'm mentioning it, just in case.

[Missy Vixen]

62. REP, I'm going to try it

I had the letter from the Department of Transportation, it was in the Respironics bag, etcetera, and seriously -- the only place that didn't hassle me was SFO. Dallas was particularly egregious. I just know that the next time I have to go there, I'll need to allow extra time to have the machine swabbed three times, produce my boarding pass, produce my driver's license, and ask for a supervisor. ;-)

[liberalhistorian]

96. I apologize in advance if this seems ignorant, but

what is a CPAP machine?

[REP]

114. Medical equipment

It's a respiratory device for people with collapsing airways or whose brains "forget" to breathe when they're asleep (obstructive or central sleep apnea; when both types are present, it's called mixed apnea and that's what I have).

[Subdivisions]

158. 'swabbing, re-swabbing,' ?

What do you mean "swabbing"?

[Missy Vixen]

206. The exterior of the machine is swabbed for explosives residue

In other words, the guy from DFW didn't get what he was looking for on the first pass, so he swabbed and re-swabbed.

Seriously: As REP already mentioned, it's a piece of medical equipment. For those of us with sleep apnea, it's one more hoop to jump through when boarding a flight. For those of us with sleep apnea, though, it's the difference between health and a long list of maladies I'd like to avoid. ;-)

[hedgehog]

56. I think this woman was acting so oddly that they would have searched her regardless.

Once you or something you have sets off the alarm, the last thing they want to do is take a chance that you do indeed have a bomb and will explode it under the pretense of taking out whatever innocent item is in your bag. For those who would suggest that a young white woman with child couldn't possibly be a terrorist, isn't that reverse profiling?

As for her terror that her child was taken out of her sight, what was she expecting to happen? That her child would be abandoned on the highway? That he would be kidnapped by the TSA? Seriously, this is one step from the FEMA camps.

As to her concern about missing her flight - here is the info from Delta-

To get a general idea of when you should arrive at the airport, add the required check-in time below to the current security wait time.

Atlanta, GA 45 minutes before departure

http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/itineraries_checkin/requirements/index.jsp


I think she was the one cutting things awfully close to begin with.


She runs into trouble at the shopping mall, too.

http://www.mybottlesup.com/content/uppercutting-a-punkass

[Missy Vixen]

66. How would you feel?

>As for her terror that her child was taken out of her sight, what was she expecting to happen? That her child would be abandoned on the highway? That he would be kidnapped by the TSA?<

Sooo, a complete stranger takes possession of one's two-year-old child, and will not give information as to where that child is, or what the purpose is of separating the child in the first place. If the child in question was being taken away for a more intensive body cavity type search, it should have been done in front of the parent, period. There's also the tiny issue of the fact that a two-year-old can run pretty fast if they want to. Imagine the fun of a two-year-old racing through a crowded airport, for instance.

There are parents in our neighborhood that won't let their kids play in the front yard without supervision. When my niece was younger and we were out for the afternoon, she was NEVER out of my sight, and she was a hell of a lot older than two then.

There is no justification for what happened to this woman and her child. None. To pretend like there is is ridiculous.

[Pavulon]

84. Standing by for video tape...

if it happened, lots of if here.

[Missy Vixen]

207. At this point, I'm sure the videotape wouldn't be enough for you, would it? n/t

[Pavulon]

216. Turns out, she made it up. Balloon baby..

takeaway. time it out to be at the gate at least 30 minutes prior to boarding. Dont lie, video tape sucks.

dont trust internet posts for truth...

[Ms. Toad]

68. She's fine as to time.

Those guidelines are for arrival at the airport - not clearing security. The time consuming parts of the airport are the ticket/check-in line (she's past that) and security (aside from needing extra screening she's past that, too). By the time she's on the other side of the security screening, she generally wouldn't need more than 15 minutes to make her flight (although she might have to move quickly at some airports).

[jbnow]

97. You're right that they shouldn't chance it. But what would normally be done after

alarm went off and they were told the pacifier had metal...if they would take the pacifier and have them walk through again
They were wasting a lot of time by not doing that first.

Their choices are sometimes surprising. Before the liquid fear changed things my son decided to take a case of local beer home to CA. I mocked him, told him no way could he take glass bottles in carry on luggage. Not possible. Bottles were too easily a weapon. He just smiled and said he isn't a terrorist, they won't care. The naivety of youth!

They didn't care...and he had 3 flights on the way home. They all saw it and he just told them they miss the brand. They didn't inspect the bottles to see if there were Molotov cocktails among them.
This was repeated every Christmas until they limited liquids on board (he never tried after that) and he never had a problem. He's charming but that is just strange.

[krabigirl]

103. Wait, so someone who "acts oddly" should be screened? She has a medical condition!

Disgusting how that should make someone be a "target" for screening.

[Ms. Toad]

64. Sorry, but this story seems a bit over the top to me

When you are subjected to "special" screening TSA doesn't leave your luggage on the conveyor to be corralled by a stranger. They pick up your luggage and take it to the screening area. Once you have set off their alert (whether that was reasonable in he first place or not) you are not allowed to touch it because you - and your luggage - are suspect. They won't risk you transferring something dangerous to your luggage, and they are not going to allow someone else to touch it in case you were traveling in pairs and your accomplice's role is to whisk off the bomb (or whatever they suspect) if you get caught.

They also don't leave you out of their sight in a plastic cube (with only holes to see you through). If you were carrying something dangerous, you could plant it there, toss it over the side, under the side, hide it in a body cavity, or whatever. Not to mention that if someone did walk off with your luggage while it was out of your sight they might "have to" shut down the entire terminal until it could be located.

As for whether a pacifier clip would set off the detectors - in my experience, possible, but probably not. I've accidentally gone through with a metal belt buckle, metal watches, and coins - none of which have set off the detectors.

The woman seems very inexperienced at flying (not many people who fly regularly would be panicked at being on the flight side of the screening gate with 45 minutes to go before the plane took off). Airline employees sometimes start moving you to the front of the ticket line if you are 45 minutes, standing in a ticket line, and not yet in the screening line, but at 45 minutes out unless you are heading for an international flight you can even still check bags before heading for security. She probably did run into some TSA agents with an inflated view of their own importance - but I have a hard time believing the recitation of the events is accurate because the factors I noted above do not bear any resemblance to any of the dozen plus times I (or a member of my family - including my pre-teen daughter) have been subjected to "special" screening since 9/11.

[ret5hd]

69. I believe this story is a hoax, for the reasons you have cited.

[REP]

71. My husband has been through special screening (too much shampoo)

This was during the Bush years, and my husband started giving his opinion of what should happen to Bush rather loudly. In an airport, after being singled out for extra screening because suspicious carryon. My husband was way out of line and was saying inappropriate shit, and all they did was take his shampoo. I was the one who gave him attitude for being a moron!

[tosh]

220. REP, I don't mean to find humor in this inconvenience to you, but

I am :rofl: at "...my husband started giving his opinion of what should happen to Bush rather loudly."

[REP]

226. I think it's funny as hell ... now

At the time not so much. I didn't want to miss our flight!

[katandmoon]

72. THANK YOU.

[MajorChode]

81. +1

[nini]

88. I don't believe it either and thought the same things

at the very least she shouldn't be traveling alone with the kid if she can't handle stressful situations without needing a xanax to get through it.

[lolly]

196. OK, I'll grant that

I don't have any debilitating diseases (not yet, at least . . .) and I don't think I would want to travel alone with a toddler. When I'm with a young child who can't fend for himself, I would prefer having a "spare" adult along in case something happened. Going alone when you already know you have severe panic attacks that can hinder your ability to function is not a good idea.

[tammywammy]

95. + 2

[EmeraldCityGrl]

73. Give small minded people a little authority

and inevitably they use that authority to terrorize others.

[lattemom]

76. It's a Hoax

Post will be up on TSA's blog tonight, including video.

[omega minimo]

99. and you know this how?

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

139. I just viewed it

you can too.

HOAX. http://www.tsa.gov/blog

[Fla Dem]

155. Wow...Just Wow . I was ready to be outraged, but..........

From viewing the video, it would appear this person has completely fabricated the whole "The TSA took my son" scenario. Her child never left her sight. It would appear no TSA officer even touched her son. If I have any criticism at all, it would be that the TSA didn't just remove the pacifier clip and let her walk through the detectors again, and that it took 8 minutes for them to wand her and let them go on their way. Don't know what ax this woman had to grind with the TSA, but she just made a fool out of herself with her blog.

I'm sure there's enough valid complaints about the TSA and airport security in general. But made up incidences that can be easily refuted, undermine legitimate issues.

[Trillo]

180. It does appear the child was with her the whole time.

There are a couple of missing sections, but the context doesn't suggest they were critical moments, unless I missed some of them. It bothered me that the search of her was blurred.

Looking at mybottlesup, the website itself seems largely broken. I cannot get the categories to work, have tried two different browsers, one which is a fully standard install and that allows all scripting, etc. I cannot verify that there are any other stories on that weblog. Most of them result in a black or dark screen.

It's possible the weblog is a splog of sorts. It seems to have lots of advertising, and seems to be part of some kind weblog network. Its possible that the story is made up simply to drive traffic to increase revenue.

At least with books, novels in particular, one usually knows when one is reading fiction, and opening a particular page doesn't mean you're helping the author or associates to earn money.

[RoyGBiv]

231. Watch the body language too ...

She was rushed, impatient, and being confrontational. It's fortunate that she didn't run into those TSA officials who tend to make bigger deals of things than they actually are.

There's a guard at the OKC airport who likes to belittle passengers who forget to remove all the metal from their pockets before going through the metal detector. I had an encounter with her when I forgot I'd left my keys in my pocket. She was rude and made a situation that could have been resolved in seconds draw out over several minutes. Still, it wasn't a big deal, just a bad moment, and in the end, the whole thing was actually my fault. If I'd remembered to remove my keys, I wouldn't have set off the alarm in the first place. She could have handled it better, but it wasn't like anything actually bad happened to me. Hell, it was probably worse for everyone else than it was for me, since I had my shoes off for about ten minutes during the ordeal. :)

I fly several times per year, and I generally get more irritated with fellow passengers than I do with TSA or other airport officials. Many of the delays I experience tend to boil down to those other passengers not paying attention to the rules or just generally being obnoxious. I got behind someone in the security line last week who had an expired passport, which was the only ID they had on them. The TSA official was attempting to be helpful, but the passenger decided to be an idiot and be confrontational. If he'd simply done what the TSA official asked (or, better yet, made sure his passport was still valid before going to the airport ... ya know, being responsible about the whole thing) it all would have been over quickly. As it was, other TSA officials had to get involved, and it delayed the line for a good half hour while they sorted out an individual who seemed to be on the verge of being violent.

[rd_kent]

175. The TSA posted the security footage. She lied.

[myrna minx]

154. Yep, you're correct.

Welcome to DU. :hi:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6797671

[Kievan Rus]

82. Combined with what happened at the Pittsburgh G-20, this is scary

[Trillo]

93. Here's the key, at least as I see it, "do as you are told"

They told her, “You need to adjust your attitude and do as you are told.”

[scentopine]

94. Happened to my daughter. 4 yrs old. I refused to leave her....

I would not let them take her behind a screening curtain. She was hysterical. Screaming. It was back when they could nab you at the gate at boarding time. They told me to stay back as they led her off by the hand.

I just followed them. They would have had to shoot me.

NEVER NEVER NEVER stand for anyone taking your child away. NEVER. Scream, shout, kick, fight, DO NOT LET THEM.

Wait til all you fucks who think this is just hysteria see their 4 yr old get surrounded by 3 armed men and hauled off screaming and crying for a search where you can't see them. Let's see you cooly blow a kiss and wave bye-bye.

If one day your kids decide to leave you alone to die in an old age home, you'll have the time to think about things like that I guess.

[EFerrari]

112. I agree with you about not letting go of your kid and about doing whatever it takes

to get attention on you to shame or force the bastards to stand down on it.

And this woman made a bad situation worse for herself and for her kid by going out of her own control. If you have something like GAD or panic disorder or whatever, it's really important to plan and take care of yourself BECAUSE you're will have to deal with bastards like these at some point. It's up to you to make sure you're in the best shape possible to defend yourself and your kid, imo.

[Hawkeye-X]

110. Holy fucking shit.

I have a soon-to-be 8 months old child, and if that happened to me, I would leave the airport and straight to an attorney, and filing a 100 million, nay, a billion dollar lawsuit against Department of Fatherland, TSA and whoever the 2 bit company that hired these jerks for every single penny and refuse to settle until I see action happening, like the dismantling of the Fatherland Security and the dismantling of TSA, and the Chapter 7 bankruptcy of the said 2-bit company.

Hawkeye-X

[Pavulon]

146. Turns out it is all a lie. She made it up. Video tape is cool.(nt)

[spiritual_gunfighter]

197. The video tape doesnt lie

In the video she is already getting mad about 30 seconds after she enters the box with her child. She is waving her arms and from the looks of it yelling at the TSA agents. She was just mad that she nearly missed her flight due to her acting like an asshole and probably showing up to the airport late in the first place and is making up this story to get some kind of revenge.

[AllyCat]

115. My God I would have been hysterical!

How on earth did you manage? I'm so sorry this has happened to you and your sweet little guy!

[dd20045]

119. sounds like false imprisonment to me

id talk to any civil lawyers you may know. this is a big deal and completely horrific. my prayers go out to you and your family.

[tblue37]

123. When a person posts a story from another source, that doesn't mean that

it happened to the person who posted the story. The person who started this thread is not the person that this happened to.

[Liberty Belle]

121. I would've threatened to call my Congressional Rep & the media....

Asked for the spellings of their names, titles, etc. If you have a family member who's an attorney or a friend who's a reporter, mention that, too.

[Towelie]

122. Hoax..complete bullshit

[tomm2thumbs]

124. they embedded a chip in her baby and don't let anyone tell you otherwise

an S-chip... I know you have heard of them.

[AnneD]

125. When we were traveling to Dubai.....

my young 13yo daughter kept setting off the detector. We had a 2 hour layover on our way to Hyderabad. The female screener kept talking to us in arabic-I speak english, spanish, french and a bit of german. I saw the armed security coming for us and feared that we would be separated. He asked me where we were from and where we were going. He looked at the contents of my daughter's carry on. And then, I told him that I would not be separated from my daughter. He asked how old she was and I told him and said again I would not let my daughter go any where with out me. It was then that I actually saw a twinkle in the guards eye and he spoke to the the screener in Arabic and then turned to me and said that we were free to board. Some cultures have respect for mother and their devotion to protect their children.

I have been to many check points and I swear the worst is the US screener. I am embarrassed for my friends that come to visit us. They are commonly rude and generally lack common sense. I have had better treatment in other countries. I think TSA should be restricted to going after real terrorists instead of elderly, attractive young women, or toddlers. How miserable is it going to be for folks now on the plane after a child has been terrorized like this.


JUST WHO ARE THE TERRORISTS HERE?

[FlaGranny]

128. I've only been outside

the US twice, once to Canada as a child, and once to the Bahamas as an adult. Both times, some 50 years apart, coming back into the US was the hard part. Both times were BEFORE 9/11. Going into Canada by car was without delay or hold-up. A couple of quick questions and away we went. Coming back, we had to undergo a search and a much longer period of questioning and we were obviously just a normal family. The Bahama trip was by air. Very friendly and helpful people in the Bahamian airport. Coming back to the US, it felt like they thought we were criminals and smugglers.

I don't have much experience with this, so I don't know personally how it is with most other countries. I just know that I felt very much more uncomfortable coming back than I did going.

[AnneD]

205. And having traveled around I can honestly say....

we are not all that special that we should treat people that are our guests so rudely.

[FlaGranny]

249. And it's not only guests they treat rudely.

They make Americans worry about getting back home.

[rvablue]

227. Watch the video. Child wasn't terrorized and I cannot believe

you just wrote that someone should get a pass at airport security because they are "young, attractive women."

Oh. My. :eyes:

[AnneD]

242. Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix

were sued (I think a class action ) for such unnecessary groping and they had enough evidence to take it to court! The way I see it, if I were a terrorist and wanted to slip something on board, I'd go through Phoenix, I'd have an attractive woman in front of me to occupy the guards, and slip right on in.

Your are intentionally twisting the argument past the point of common sense, exactly like the TSA agents frequently do. You can stay home and wet your pants every time someone says bogity bogity boo a terrorist might get you-and give up your rights. But I fear an improperly serviced engine more than a toddler in diapers. Just because it may not have happened in this case, doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I have heard far more stories from my traveling friends along the lines of this. I can see it really happening-it just hasn't been captured on tape yet.

My 72 yo mom was strip searched last time she flew. Her crime-staying over an extra few days and buying a one way ticket two days before her flight. This woman just got her first traffic ticket EVER 3 years ago. Common sense would have dictated her just receive a routine screen and going through her carry on a little closer....BUT A DAMN STRIP SEARCH. She was so humiliated and I sent a letter of complaint for all the good it would do. Mom hasn't flown since and refuses to. As a senior with money and time....air lines kill for this demographic and she would rather die before taking a plane ever again.

[winyanstaz]

127. Isn't that kidnapping?

Just because you want to fly doesn't mean they can take your children..sheesh,,this is the second time I have read this article and it still upsets me a great deal.
What gives a private citizen the right to take a persons child away like that>?? I don't give a shit what company they work for..this is just wrong. I hope she sues them big time.
I feel for the mom and the baby as well. I don't give a fig how many times a metal detector goes off...they have NO right to take our children!
This is police state tactics and criminal!

[tammywammy]

153. Well the good news is that they didn't take her child from her.

http://www.tsa.gov/blog

[rd_kent]

163. No, its LYING. SHE LIED ABOUT THE WHOLE THING.

[winyanstaz]

229. Well damn it..I hate that when people do crap like that.

That women needs some mental help fast if it was a lie.

[tavalon]

130. when can we end our dog and pony show and get these brownshirts out of our lives?

[rd_kent]

177. What dog and pony show with brownshirts?

Nothing happened.

[tavalon]

243. TSA is all a big game

We are no more protected when we fly today than we were on Sept 11th. This is all just a show to make it look like they are doing something and they've hired people who couldn't get into police academies to staff the dog and pony show so stupid shit happens like this. Many TSA agents are on a power trip, just like brownshirts everywhere.

[onlyadream]

131. Another example of checking one's brain at the door...

people are not using their common sense. Just this past week we had the 6yo who was kicked out of school for bringing a boyscout camp utensil to school. People really need to stop it.

[Swede Atlanta]

138. That's why I fly as little as possible.....

The journey from getting to the airport, through check-in, security and to the gate now is as hard as the actual flight. As a result I travel as little as possible by air.

It has meant I only see my family about once every 12-18 months when I make the journey from coast to coast but we have other ways of keeping in touch including very frequent phone calls, e-mail, text messages, and even live cams.

I have discovered much of the scenic beauty and places of interest within a 2-3 day drive from my home. I can leave when I want to, stop when I want to, etc.

Farewell to those long expensive air journeys. If I ever set foot out of the country again it will be by ship or rail.

[Pavulon]

142. Hoax, guess balloon boy brings them out.

other poster put this up but the woman is a liar.

http://www.tsa.gov/blog

[tammywammy]

151. So this whole incident took around 10 min

That's about how long it's taken me when I'm pulled for extra security check, and I'm pulled every single time I fly.

[TicketyBoo]

194. 15 minutes

According to the video.

Still wondering if it is the same mother, though.

[DiverDave]

193. Other poster?

Just say "I" put it up.

I can't believe you are still here.

[Pavulon]

202. Who are you? I was to lazy to look up the poster

and did not want to claim "credit" for the link. I have been here many years and god knows how many posts. Nothing to do with you.

[Name removed]

239. Deleted message

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

[Pavulon]

246. Aww. did some body piddle in your galoshes..

listen you fool, I dont sock puppet inspector gadget, you need a c sock to do your business feel free. The people who look at ip addys can see where i post from 1 - 10,000 or so. You can dive on that.

pull my post count, and my time here. Then you can pick a hole and well..

We had a whole thread of drama over some blog post. Next we will be winding up over tweets..

I have been here long enough to know where I belong. And to know where you belong. You see pulp fiction? Ball gag is your friend.

[Jennicut]

149. When we went to Florida two years ago, my husband forgot to take

his keys out of his pocket. The TSA agents grabbed my 2 year old out of his arms and made her walk alone through the screeners. Needless to say, she was terrified and crying. These people overreact and are certifiably nuts. We are not going to fly any time soon. They were really rude at the Orlando airport. They were not great at Windsor Locks in CT either. They rushed us to put our stuff in the bins and rushed us to get out because we had two kids with strollers and we were holding people up. I lost some of my medicine I use for my diabetes (it has needles to go with it, had to get a Dr.'s note about it). I was pissed. Spent a whole week in Orlando without some of my medication. Jerks.

[Mrhyde719]

152. Every time I fly,

I get singled out. Pulled aside and searched (not full cavity yet!) and it is very embarassing. I think I'm on a list for visiting too many anti-bush sites. Thats the only way I can explain it. Oh well, Thanx TSA Gangstaz. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7AWw7t5zj0

[JTFrog]

157. BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAH!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6797671

Too bad you can't comment on her site.

[rd_kent]

159. All you bandwagon riders....SHE LIED!!!!!! THE TSA NEVER TOOK HER SON!

The TSA posted the security video of the incident, and guess what? SHE LIED!!!!

http://www.tsa.gov/blog/ (props to hedgehog for the OP)


Never happened. Whole thing lasts about 10 minutes.


To all who were riding the bandwagon and berating anyone who DARED to question this story......HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Blue Diadem]

160. Wow, after seeing that the TSA put out the video that disproved Mom blogger story, I can't

help but wonder if that Mom needs some help with her delusional state when she gets panicky.

Either she lied for a little publicity/attention/sympathy or she really believes it happened. If the latter is true and she really did not see her own child sitting right there in the stroller that she put him in, it calls into question her ability to keep that child safe.

For the child's sake, I hope there is a further investigation. Mom sounds delusional.

[tammywammy]

162. She also wrote that she put her son on the diaper changing table

in the bathroom as she "hit the floor." I'm just going off my time as a babysitter & an aunt, but you should never leave your child on a changing table without constant supervision.

[Blue Diadem]

184. She really shouldn't be travelling alone with that baby if her anxiety is that severe.

Feeling like she's blacking out and hitting the floor are not good signs.

[tammywammy]

186. Considering how much of her blog has been proven wrong

There's no telling if the "hit the floor" and "blacking out" are true too.

[theHandpuppet]

178. Amen to that. This child's Mom is a loon

That's what makes me feel sorry for this kid.

[AngryAmish]

161. Did the TSA put him in a balloon?

[DrZeeLit]

176. If this is a hoax, why not remove the thread so we do not waste our time with b.s.? Geez.

[Blue-Jay]

179. TSA agents kicked my dog.

[taterguy]

237. I'd never put my dog on a plane

Find a sitter

Take him to a kennel

Don't put him on a plane

[rucky]

200. Yes, but who took her Xanax?

[newspeak]

208. Some people forget that we actually had security BEFORE 9/11

I used to take my silver jewelry with me in a satchel, and it always set off the alarms, so they would check my bags. But, after 9/11, remember there was a debate about making security government or hiring private security companies? Well, privatizing won, again. Remember how many non-violent people made it on their "hit" list? Quakers, for God's sake. Then there was Al Gore searched twice, (our real president), no respect. Ted Kennedy made it on the hit list, but the * administration wouldn't tell us how they made their list.

After 9/11, my friend who lives in Texas (blond hair, blue eyes), had scheduled a trip to South America. The security at the airport was totally ignorant. Asking her questions like "are you a muslim?" "Ya'll know any muslims?" Here's a woman who has a very Texan accent and he's asking shite questions. I mean he should have been asking those questions to the * family, since they know plenty of "muslims."

I live near Vegas and I really have had no problems with TSA, however. They've always been friendly to me. Of course, we live in a tourist town. However, when I went to New York (upper state), coming back (I was so sick), they pulled me aside for one of those private checks (I only carry my purse, so as to make it easier). Anyway, all I wanted to do is go home, cause I was really in lala land. I asked them, why they picked me? The woman at the United Airlines desk called them for the search. That woman knew I was sick, she knew my daughter was in the military, and since my flight was canceled, I had to find an alternate flight, which she made. I wasn't angry at her, I just told her I just want to go home, so find me a flight. Well, anyhow, I no longer fly United. They've lost a customer.

[lib2DaBone]

209. Those who trade freedom for security...

"People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both"

Benjamin Franklin

[rd_kent]

214. What does that have to do with this?

[DRoseDARs]

225. The TSA has released the CCTV video of the incident; completely contradicts her story.

Thread here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=6798513

Link here:
http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/10/response-to-tsa-agents-took-my-son.html

And a picture of the woman making the false claim:

[winyanstaz]

230. That is a shame if she lied...I will never understand people that do things like that...

However I am bothered that the airlines has blurred out some of the film and am curious as to why.

[RoyGBiv]

232. Ya know what ...

People do that all the time, and not just with TSA officials.

People get involved in a situation that doesn't go as they desired, and they make shit up to place the blame on anyone but themselves.

Having been involved in some level of customer service most of my life, I've seen so many examples of this I could write ten books and not repeat a single incident. They are almost all absurd situations that are flat-out lies.

A student I dealt with the other day came to me because her check for her initial payment on her tuition payment plan bounced, and she was dropped from classes because of it. She came to me to discuss her options, but she started the conversation with, "I want to know why you fucking dropped me from class!" Not a great start. I explained the situation. She admitted she didn't have the funds in her account when she wrote the check. "So fucking what! You think I'm not fucking going to pay it!" I didn't say, but thought, yes, that's exactly what we believe when you sign a contracted stating that you'll pay the remaining 90% of your tuition after writing a check for 10% that then doesn't clear you bank.

In any case, she left, pissed off, and later that afternoon I got a call from the Dean of Students asking about a situation I'd had with a student in which I had, supposedly, "cussed her out" and called her "a liar" and used racial epithets to demean her. None of that ever happened, of course, but she knew how to get attention, thought that accusing me of something like racism would help her case, and never bothered to consider we have cameras and microphones recording everything that happens (thank goodness).

As I said, that's just one story, the most recent one. It happens constantly.

[Blue-Jay]

240. I smuggled 3.02 ounces of hair gel on my last flight.

The TSA agent didn't notice it. Oh, how I laughed and laughed while I was sticking it to The Man.

[lib2DaBone]

244. Does anyone notice the TSA Agent Trolls on this thread?

Should I name names.. or does anyone else see it? "Oh.. the TSA is such a bunch of Wonderful..law abiding brown shirts... we need this security to save us from evil muslim terrorism..."

Hello? People? ......

[Pavulon]

248. TSA "trolls" I am sure after an 8 - 12 dollar an hour 10 hour day

the tsa is all about defending its honor here. Check out the tsa next time you hit the airport, not exactly field agents in CIA operational branch. Recruited out of spec ops (rangers, ST6, delta), combat hardened individuals, to search your undies and take shit for touching you with a magnetometer. tip of the spear stuff. These guys would be driving cabs and serving drinks id TSA went away.