TSA Patdown of a 6 year old

[HERBIE1]

If that were my child, I probably would have ended up in jail over this. I GUARANTEE that no minimum wage cop wanna be flunky would be feeling up my 11 year old daughter. As the mother said in an interview, this kid assumed she did something wrong and was upset over the incident..

[island emt]

This video was shot in New Orleans as a TSA agent pats down a 6 year old little girl. Needless to say, it's caused quite the stir online. The video has gone viral, and the parents are claiming that the patdown amounted to nothing more than a 'grope session'.

Is TSA taking this too far?

If TSA IS taking this 'too far', what would you suggest as a logical option/remedy?

The logical thing to do if you don't want to be subjected to TSA assault is not fly!

Not saying what happened here is right , wrong or otherwise.

Or take the train or drive your car

[Dustdevil]

Texas Legislature is in the process of passing a state law criminalising TSA patdowns in our state, haha! I think that's awesome. They've already screwed it up though. Originally, it was going to be classified as Sexual Assault, a registrable felony. But they've cut it down to simple misdemeanour assault. Still funny though!

[Happiness]

Ok I know I am getting slammed on this one. I read the artical first and then I was just able to watch the video as youtube is banned at work.

Now in watching it first of all a terrorist dosn't give a crap about a 6 year old. And whether we like it or no there are sleeper cells in our countries. In watching the video the TSA worker was polite and explained everything she was going to do to the mother and while patting down the child. The child complied and didnt look like she was under any stress, she wasnt crying or fussing in the video at least. When I saw the statement Groping I assumed that it was a male TSA worker and not a female and yes that would have been different I guess.

Now the drug test, In my community there is a drug dealer that would put cocaine in his sons diaper to transport it. His son was mentally disabled so it was unlikely that anyone would check him and they never did. The worker seems to think that maybe the child could be carrying drugs and that is why they are doing the test. The parents could have said something that was very innocent and were red flagged. I hate flying but do have to do it for my day job. When I travel I do so a day before I have to so that I can take my lovely Adivan. When going through the gate after the adivan the lady said where are you going. I said oh Im off to Kamloops. She looked at me and said are you sure. Yep I'm sure when in fact I was going to Kelowna. RED flag and I was searched, my carry one was torn apart and even my computer was taken away for a bit to be tested for drugs and bomb stuff. I think I look like the person next door but I said something in a stoned up state that cause the flag.

Do I like the fact that our world has come to having to search 6 yr olds nope but that is the way it is. If she wasnt checked and was wired for a bomb or was carrying drugs and then it was found out, that TSA worker would be hanged for not searching her. We live in world of uncertainty and a whole lot of bad people so I guess this is the new way of air travel.

OK slam away

[Dustdevil]

I don't disagree with the need. What I disagree with is the policies and methods they specifically utilise, which are expensive, ineffective, and ignorantly administrated. I don't have a problem with invasive security, so long as it is deployed intelligently. And that is where the US TSA falls dreadfully short. It's just another expensive, unwieldy bureaucracy that simply does not achieve what they were designed to achieve. They are idiots from the top down. What are they preventing? A hijack or bomb in the sky? Tests constantly show them missing explosives and weapons in security screening, so that's still a risk. So would you feel better if the terrorists just blew you up in the screening line? Dead is dead. And the TSA does nothing to prevent that. They just create the problem by building long lines of sitting ducks waiting to be groped. So how are we safer, remind me again?

I liken the TSA to the president. I believe we need one, just not the one we have!

Edited April 15, 2011 by Dustdevil

[HERBIE1]

Ok I know I am getting slammed on this one. I read the artical first and then I was just able to watch the video as youtube is banned at work.

Now in watching it first of all a terrorist dosn't give a crap about a 6 year old. And whether we like it or no there are sleeper cells in our countries. In watching the video the TSA worker was polite and explained everything she was going to do to the mother and while patting down the child. The child complied and didnt look like she was under any stress, she wasnt crying or fussing in the video at least. When I saw the statement Groping I assumed that it was a male TSA worker and not a female and yes that would have been different I guess.

Now the drug test, In my community there is a drug dealer that would put cocaine in his sons diaper to transport it. His son was mentally disabled so it was unlikely that anyone would check him and they never did. The worker seems to think that maybe the child could be carrying drugs and that is why they are doing the test. The parents could have said something that was very innocent and were red flagged. I hate flying but do have to do it for my day job. When I travel I do so a day before I have to so that I can take my lovely Adivan. When going through the gate after the adivan the lady said where are you going. I said oh Im off to Kamloops. She looked at me and said are you sure. Yep I'm sure when in fact I was going to Kelowna. RED flag and I was searched, my carry one was torn apart and even my computer was taken away for a bit to be tested for drugs and bomb stuff. I think I look like the person next door but I said something in a stoned up state that cause the flag.

Do I like the fact that our world has come to having to search 6 yr olds nope but that is the way it is. If she wasnt checked and was wired for a bomb or was carrying drugs and then it was found out, that TSA worker would be hanged for not searching her. We live in world of uncertainty and a whole lot of bad people so I guess this is the new way of air travel.

OK slam away

No slam- simple observation.

The problem is, the terrorists have already won. Their purpose is to disrupt our lives and our way of life. Because they know we are insanely worried about being PC, we do not profile or target the actual people who are a threat. LIke it or not, 99.9% of terrorists have 2 things in common-a bastardized version of Islam as their religion and/or Arab ethnicity. As such we have ridiculous notions like patting down little old ladies, kids, and taking away nail clippers and limiting shampoo to 6 ounces.

The fact that we willingly submit to these things means we have a false sense of security, AND we look like fools.

[tniuqs]

Ok I know I am getting slammed on this one. I read the artical first and then I was just able to watch the video as youtube is banned at work.

Ok remember YOU asked for it twice ...

Now in watching it first of all a terrorist dosn't give a crap about a 6 year old. And whether we like it or no there are sleeper cells in <edit and recruiting> our countries.

Fact: Correct Canada with our immigration policies suck and is known as a haven for every extremist terrorist group on the planet, ah group hug. EPIC FAIL.

Fact: The 99.9999 % of terrorist high jacking / crashes are by Muslim MALES between the age of 18 to 45, travelling independently. Has there ever been a 6 year old anywear in the world ever been packing a suicide bomb ? EVER ?

IMHO: There SHOULD be racial profiling, it just the FACTS. Target the higher risk and reallistic threats. They do in Israel and not a lot of EL Al flights have had any issues. ps I have travelled EL AL and I wasn't "patted" down ? Why, because common sense was used I wasn't a high risk ... but 2 others were pulled out of the line IN the DUTY FREE with full auto pointed at their heads .. Good Job IDF the take down was AWESOME by the book !

But this is the USA: Does this Family LOOK like they are members of a radical group or any threat to anyone's security in any way ? A USA born child a Father that is an MD, that can authorise a passport issue in Canada WTF ? an MD father traveling on a flight within the USA, COME ON ?

In watching the video the TSA worker was polite and explained everything she was going to do to the mother and while patting down the child. The child complied and didnt look like she was under any stress, she wasnt crying or fussing in the video at least.

FAIL and listen really close SHE did protest x 3 and wanted to go walk back through the scanner Quote little 6 y/o girl but I don't want to get like groped)

When I saw the statement Groping I assumed that it was a male TSA worker and not a female and yes that would have been different I guess.

OK WHY ? OMG thats is a sexist comment and why is a male any different, lots of male RN, male MDs, and male school teachers too FAIL ! Now the extent that the female officer was way over the top BUT she missed the socks .. wierd eh ?

But the Stupidvisor (from the story) was the one insisting on the pat down, so was he getting his jollies off or his using his power's of his office for anything other than a power trip ?

The mother voice in background was asking why a "drug" test ... she was astounded that additional trace explosive testing was done, hell I could not see with my poor eye sight a handgun slid down her pants ? as if from Dusts post the TSA are anywhere NEAR accurate or catch even the undercover dudes actually testing them.

Now the drug test, <snip for brevity>

Ok so you were altered mental state, but legally with a prescription in your carry on because you are a afraidy cat ? Again does this Family appear in any way that they are smuggling drugs, explosives or firearms (well I must have missed something that the highly trained TSA eye caught I guess) Funny but and were they departing Columbia or Mexico or Canada ?

The parents could have said something that was very innocent and were red flagged.

Ok like WTF are these TSA morons idiots thinking or doing to my child ! and WHY ? One is alowed to challenge authority without fear of repercussion in a FREE SOCIETY !

RED flag and I was searched, my carry one was torn apart and even my computer was taken away for a bit to be tested for drugs and bomb stuff. I think I look like the person next door but I said something in a stoned up state that cause the flag.

Ok so you were altered mental state, but legally with a prescription in your carry on because you are a afraidy cat ? Security FAIL again ... has their been any national hi jacking / bombings enroute from northern BC to Kelowna or Kamloops ?

Do I like the fact that our world has come to having to search 6 yr olds nope but that is the way it is.

If she wasnt checked and was wired for a bomb or was carrying drugs and then it was found out, that TSA worker would be hanged for not searching her.

See Dusts post TSA proven to be ineffective ! Has the TSA or any sub contracted security agency (like Canada) found one 6 year old travelling on a national flight wired or body packing huge volumes of drugs ?

We live in world of uncertainty and a whole lot of bad people so I guess this is the new way of air travel.

We live in a world hugely over compensating to the idiotic ineffective maximum and NOT allowing racial profiling because of our over the top human rights tolerance ideology.

We live in a world where the terrorist groups have succeeded beating us mentally to live in fear, and spending hundreds of millions for generating a "false sense of security"

OK slam away

Thanks LOL that was a fun shred

The message this youtube sends to the world is that a power tripping minimum wage earners with any uniform on and very oblivious no skill in judgement, can with impunity with proven useless regulations laws permitted to harass all of us. <insert picture of George Orwell>

Terrorist WON

They are laughing at us, when when they can wear complete face veils and flowing garments and any contest by a TSA officers will end up in human rights complaint !

General North American population ZERO

[Medic2588]

When going to Japan last time, they took the nail file from me -- the wheelchair bound disabled veteran with US passport and military ID. Then I get onto the plan, only to be sat next to a third country national, who clearly had four or five foot-long metal knitting needles sticking out of her bag. WTF, over?

[Richard B the EMT]

Post 9/11, there is NO WAY I can conceivably see a skyjacking to be successful. Citizens understand the risk, and, I think, would be willing to fight back should something like 9/11 ever be attempted again. Could a dozen terrorists take over a plane now? NO, I don't think they could. The would immediately be piled upon by the other 100+ people on the plane.

"Dogs Pile On" at 70,000 feet? Perhaps I am a bit more pessimistic than you, even with the theme "Let's Roll" still on my mind. However, I think any hijackers or simply folks with evil on their minds would let on if they were planning to fundraise in exchange for passenger's lives, or simply hurt as many people as possible, to the point of turning the aircraft, and all aboard, into a kamikazi run.

Also, but speaking for myself, I don't have any idea how altruistic I might be, trying to take on an armed person at risk to my own health and safety.

[DwayneEMTP]

Where is Crotchity with his outrage? This was obviously a hate motivated attack by an adult black woman on a helpless white child!! What other possible explanation could there be?

I think the TSA as a means to protect us from terrorism is equally as valuable and successful as out War On Drugs. Both are doing exactly what they were intended to do. Create a bunch of above average paying jobs for those unqualified for them. Neither had a well defined path with checks in place to verify their success and that is because neither was ever about their stated charter.

Both are about money,. Both are about creating more jobs that produce nothing and allowing people to get paid for doing nothing.

And yeah, patting that girl down wasn't about being able to prevent a terrorist plot, it was about making sure that there were plenty of white numbers when the "Random" selections are evaluated to make sure that "minoritis" are not being targeted.

Also, the trauma that little girl went through was not pat-down related. Mom and dad had the opportunity to advocate for their child by saying, "You know what Babe, you didn't do anything wrong, they do this to many, many good people." But instead decided to stand in line and be selfishly indignant. Mom paid hardly any attention to what was going on with her child but checked numerous times to make sure that the camera was rolling. So mom plays into the whole, "Oh my God Baby! I'm so sorry that such a horrible thing had to happen!" And then will later say..."They traumatized my child forever...." When in fact worse things have happened to her on the school playground, yet she remained untraumatized as she didn't have the benefit of someone to label them as life altering for her.

And Ugly and a few others. I'm truly surprised by your comments that "They go to far..." and "I've never been offended by being patted down as they know where not to put their hands.." So, as long as they do an ineffectual search, then you're ok with it, but if they do a search that might actually bear fruit, so to speak, then you're opposed to it? Ask a cop how comfortable they would fell putting someone in their police car without touching their getting extremely intimate...

If it's going to be done, then lets do it and make it pay. Make public every month what was confiscated, as well as how much was missed during testing. Lets make them accountable or get them gone. Pretty simply really. Behavioral science demanded over 100 years ago that techniques should be tested and forced to validate themselves or be discarded...Someone should really invent a process to help determine if a given activity is working or not..(hopefully, that is obviously facetious)

Dwayne