Another act of terrorism prevented

[Bruno@MT]

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/02/16/crimesider/entry6212730.shtml

4 year old disabled kid had to walk through the metal detector on his own power without the braces with which he had just learned to walk...

Whoever hires these morons?

 

[Omar B]

Damn. I can't even put into words my rage!

 

[xJOHNx]

All 3 should be fired. On acts of immense intentional torture and most likely causing immense psychological damage.

Scratch that, they should get a lobotomy.

 

[Ken Morgan]

You just can't trust 4 year olds, they might just steal your m&m's when you're not looking...

This was almost a year ago, anyone catch anything else on the investigation?

 

[CanuckMA]

Scratch that, they should get a lobotomy.

Fairly broad assumption that there is anything to lobotomize.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Hey, at least they let him fly. If he was Kevin Smith he might have been deemed too fat to fly.

Why do I get the feeling that my last crap has more of an IQ than the average TSA employee?

 

[Gordon Nore]

Why do I get the feeling that my last crap has more of an IQ than the average TSA employee?

Because your last crap hasn't been made a federal employee yet?

Sorry, was that out loud?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

It's over qualified I think.

 

[Ken Morgan]

It's over qualified I think.

The extra income would be nice.

Now I have this urge to go watch some South Park episodes.

 

[grydth]

These stories have popped up repeatedly since the formation of the TSA. It is hard to say that any of them, however irrational or disgusting, is enough to indict the entire agency - - - but maybe that's the problem.

This incident is a year old, and we don't know if there was ever any accountability. That seems standard for most such tales. Neither Obama nor Bush before him seemed to put any importance on reassuring the public on this account. Many feel that 4 year olds or 84 year olds are harassed while the psychos get waived right aboard.... you'd think that would be imporatant enough for some word from on high. Apparently, it isn't - which, ultimately, is more troubling than the acts of some boob at entry level.

 

[MA-Caver]

Granted that folks have used children to meet their debased means, in Vietnam children were used to carry live grenades to unsuspecting American Troops in hopes that they'll be dropped close enough to kill a few. Still this is America and an American child with American parents... oh sure Americans can be our own terrorists (McViegh, et al) but c'mon!!

The Thomases eventually complied and Ryan made it through on his own, but Bob immediately asked for a supervisor. The supervisor was less than sympathetic and stood by the screener's actions. A fellow police officer even told Bob Thomas to drop it and go enjoy his vacation.
But Bob Thomas didn’t forget and after his trip he called the airport manager. Eventually, with help from Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Daniel Rubin, the TSA finally responded to the incident saying that the boy never should have had to remove his braces and they would be looking into what went wrong that day in March.
For the Thomases that probably feels like too little too late.

Overkill is an understatement I think. But is it a glimpse into the future? Will we all have to undergo some humiliating experience just to get on a plane, or even a train (not yet I don't think but wait... just wait) how about a Greyhound bus? Remember the "T" in TSA stands for Transportation.

A Google search with the tags ryan thomas, 4 years old, TSA, showed the follow up story here: http://content.usatoday.com/communi...d-to-remove-leg-braces-at-airport-screening/1

The Transportation Security Administration concedes that a 4-year-old boy heading to Walt Disney World for a birthday celebration should not have been forced to remove his leg braces during an airport-security screening in Philadelphia, a Philly columnist writes.
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Daniel Rubin writes that the incident occurred last March when Ryan Thomas was flying to Orlando with his parents, Bob and Leona, but that the TSA apologized last week only after the columnist got wind of it.

Read Rubin's full column here.
​

Well, at least they got an apology... :shrug:
Never mind the confusion, and emotional trauma the kid suffered -- scared that he might fall down, big tall authority types (to the kid they were) ordering his parents around and yes, feeling his parents distress though they probably didn't show it.
This is going to be one story in a long list of stories about the TSA's desire/actions to keep everyone safe.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I'm sure this is a rare occurrence.

The TSA - True Professionals.

 

[5-0 Kenpo]

And these are the people you want running your health care.....???

 

[xJOHNx]

Fairly broad assumption that there is anything to lobotomize.

Apparently!