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slefain
slefain Dork
10/16/09 3:37 p.m.

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

I've only been a dad for a few weeks, but I'd probably be in jail for beating a TSA agent senseless.

I fear the day when I have to fly with our son, but I sure will remember this when getting everything ready for "security".

Strizzo
Strizzo SuperDork
10/16/09 3:46 p.m.

i saw the security agents pat down a toddler at heathrow the other day.

MrJoshua
MrJoshua SuperDork
10/16/09 3:51 p.m.

Note to self-if being searched, do not let go of child.

jrw1621
jrw1621 Dork
10/16/09 3:55 p.m.

My airport advise: Get the wheelchair service.

You do not need to prove that you need it and there is no cost (though it is customary to tip a few bucks.)
We first did it when we traveled and my wife had a sprained ankle.
You get cuts in line at security and often off to the side. Then from there you get a guided tour every time you move around from gate to gate.

Now, my real question about TSA and airport security lines.
Why is that if I pay a private company more money (buy a first class ticket or frequent buyer) then the Government (TSA) will serve me quicker (shorter line) as apposed to the people who pay regular rates?

ignorant
ignorant SuperDork
10/16/09 4:01 p.m.

BDL airport has a family and old folks line at the security screening. They were great. Wife has flown twice with an under 6 month old.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
10/16/09 4:03 p.m.

there was a case around here that the workers in the duty free shops got arrested by the TSA because their back hallway was beyond their checkpoint. They had been using it for years and suddenly some TSA manager realised that they could come and go without a patdown and had them all arrested

cwh
cwh Dork
10/16/09 4:13 p.m.

My wife and I are flying to Trinidad in December. Now, I am afraid. Arggghh

slefain
slefain Dork
10/16/09 4:19 p.m.

Having witnessed the Hartsfield-Jackson crack TSA team in action, this does not surprised me. And having flown through several other cities and going through their TSA check points I realize that Atlanta must be the re-training center for the TSA.

914Driver
914Driver SuperDork
10/16/09 4:27 p.m.

OK, don't let your kid out of your sight.

OTOH my wife flew in from D.C. on a Friday night, the kid and I went to the airport and waited.

Flight delayed.

Flight delayed.

Flight delayed.

As I'm trying to stay awake and my kid is trying to focus on CNN we watch the TSA guy hand wand the patrons.

Men. Quickie scan, move along.

Women. Nice ones.

Feet back and spread 'em; wand the camel.

After two hours of this I ask my 13 year old "You seeing this?"

"Yeah".

The Wander finally sees us and shrugs with a smile.

Graveyard shift sucks I guess.

poopshovel
poopshovel SuperDork
10/16/09 4:40 p.m.
crack TSA team

Pretty much. I've gotten the "I'm a federal employee now, so suck it, Whitey" treatment there about 90% of the time.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
10/16/09 4:46 p.m.

TSA employees are more like wannabe federal employees.. it was either that or flipping burgers at McDs

HunterJP
HunterJP GRM+ Memberand New Reader
10/16/09 4:52 p.m.

I am not a parent. But I know if I were in her situation, I would probably have ended up in jail. I have no problem with authority, until it is being abused.

vladha
vladha New Reader
10/16/09 5:10 p.m.

Geezus... I definitely would have been on the 11:00 news. Under no circumstances do you ever touch one of my children, and heaven help your azz if you try and take one of them away.

Thanks, I needed to read that... caffeine has not been doing a good job of waking me up, today. This did the trick.

And yet another reason, I'll drive 1000 miles before going through an airport.

Mark

DrBoost
DrBoost HalfDork
10/16/09 5:11 p.m.

I know there's always those people that say "man, if that were me, I'd have done XXXXXX to them." I'll say this, I would have been in jail as well. If I did manage to keep my cool, I'd be giving the entire TSA organization hell on earth right now.

billy3esq
billy3esq Dork
10/16/09 5:14 p.m.

The mistake the blogger made is not standing up to them. These are the same $7.50/hr unqualified to work at McDonald's drones that did airport security before 9/11. Their uniforms don't make them any smarter or more likely to know what they're supposed to do or what you have to do.

Let them go get "the authorities," a supervisor--or, better yet--a real LEO. They'll shape up quickly.

Now, Chinese immigration officials I'm afraid of.

Gearheadotaku
Gearheadotaku GRM+ Memberand Reader
10/16/09 5:36 p.m.

Our security at airports sucks. Lax staff, poor, unclear procedures, etc. It will take a ton of $$$ to fix and no one wants to pay.

TucoRamirez
TucoRamirez New Reader
10/16/09 6:46 p.m.

Put the items you may be worried about in a locked bank bag. Tell TSA you're the ambassador from Uranus and your pouch is soverign.

914Driver
914Driver SuperDork
10/16/09 7:22 p.m.

The Ambassador from Uranus never leaves Florida or children.

Wowak
Wowak SuperDork
10/16/09 7:44 p.m.

I don't even have kids but that story makes me angry enough to want to break things, because I know from experience that its likely entirely true. Hell, if I'd have been a witness to that I'd have probably wound up in cuffs. But honestly, stories like this are why I choose not to fly. In the last 3 years I've flown twice, and I plan to fly less than that in the future.

Mental
Mental SuperDork
10/16/09 8:08 p.m.

Every moron who thought federalizing airport security was a smart play should read that.

thatsnowinnebago
thatsnowinnebago GRM+ Memberand Dork
10/16/09 8:35 p.m.
TucoRamirez wrote: Put the items you may be worried about in a locked bank bag. Tell TSA you're the ambassador from Uranus and your pouch is soverign.

I don't think its ok to put children in locked bank bags

jrw1621
jrw1621 Dork
10/16/09 8:39 p.m.

TSA = Thousands Standing Around

Xceler8x
Xceler8x GRM+ Memberand Dork
10/16/09 10:02 p.m.

The two best things we did for airline security is putting the pilots behind locked bulkheads and letting the flying public know they'd have to fit terrorists if they wanted to live.

The TSA is worthless.

Kendall_Jones
Kendall_Jones Reader
10/16/09 10:50 p.m.

That blog sounds like it was written by a total drama queen. Yeah, I have kids & I know the drill. I would have missed the f'n flight before anyone took my kids away. "they took my son" = you let them.

I once flew from detroit to orlando to cali (and back) with a fully loaded clip from my glock next to my laptop (i totally forgot about it, honest). never a question or inspection.

I've been in irish, british, & german airports where they publicly check underwire bras for "the wire" (done by women of course). never a question or drama blog because of it. 4 times I flew to europe & 4 times I got my baggage with a TSA "we searched you" note inside.

I think the TSA is hit or miss, usually miss. I also think theres a spin on the story...

Kendall

Spinout007
Spinout007 GRM+ Memberand Reader
10/16/09 11:07 p.m.

Yeah I'd have been in jail, and on a first class flight home, there would have been 6 or more people applying at McDonalds after they got out of the hospital. Fed employee or not, you can search my kid right there, in front of me. What THE @#$@#$ do you need to take em to a private booth for? Nah that would not have gone over well with me....
I'll drive thank you, or fly myself if it's that far away, my old man has his pilots license and I plan on finishing mine by march/april time frame. Thank god you don't have to deal with TSA's in the FBO's yet.

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