With Jackson still sitting in my lap (he was being so good despite all of this chaos) I said ok and continued to hold on to my son, expecting the male TSA agent to start touching Jackson.
He then told me, “I’m going to have to pick him up to inspect him.”
I rolled my eyes and sternly told him “It’s his pacifier clip that went off, can’t you just run that back through the belt and let us go. We are going to miss our flight.”
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.”
The male TSA agent repeated, “I’m going to have to pick him up to inspect him.”
I handed him my son.
I handed him my son and he walked away with my child.
My eyes welled up with tears, I stood up from my chair and I asked the female TSA agent, “Where is he going? Where is he taking my child? Why is he leaving?”
Read the whole pathetic story.
Found by Jalen Jade via Twitter.
#20:
Americans are such crybabies and hypocrites. While they whine about not having health insurance, their tax dollars are paying for soldiers to kill the innocent parents of innocent children in the Middle East…
whatever.
This shit is all orthogonal.
All the naysayers here are missing the point:
a strange man took her child out of view, and was alone with him for ten minutes.
see comment #16 if you’re too dense to get it.
First, this has nothing to do with Chicago. This happened in Atlanta.
Second, the woman is a recognized manic. She keeps Xanax on her for emergencies.
Third, this woman is a ticking time bomb and a huge threat to her child.
Fourth, geeze I wish people would read the effen article before posting.
Fifth, I think most of this story is embellished if not invented. If they took her baby any NORMAL parent would have at least attempted to follow. She didn’t.
Number6 said The days when government employees were public servants, if it ever was the case, are over.
And there you have nailed the TSA problem. These people should be Federal employees, complete with benefits, oversight, and with administrative and Congressional oversight. What we have now is run by private companies, undoubtedly deeply involved with the Republican Party. This, as you observed, is simply wrong.
Is there anything that was created by the bush Maladministration that isn’t completely fucked up?
#23, Mr. Fusion, being part of the problem …
First, the stories about the brutes at TSA are happening all across the USA. We’re not safe from them anywhere.
Second, of course he TSA is only ever thuggish to crazy people. You’ll never have to worry because your a normal American.
Third, those brilliant public servants at the TSA could tell that women was a terrorist in the making. They are as psychic as you, and know she was just itching to be a threat to you normal people.
Fourth, only people you agree with read the article. Anyone you disagree with couldn’t possibly have read the article and come to a different conclusion. Not unless they are as crazy as this women who actually doesn’t like having her kid taken from her.
Fifth, It didn’t happen anyway. The TSA is always kind to the people they control … oops, sorry I meant serve. Crazy lady just made it up. Nothing to see, nothing to worry about. Everything is fine, and the good people in uniform are our friends. Well, at least it wont happen to NORMAL people like you … you can tell she’s not NORMAL because it happened o her.
#23:
Some people carry Xanax because they’re afraid to fly.
Anecdotally, I know lots of people taking Xanax who simply suffer from moderate anxiety, and aren’t a threat to anyone.
It is absolutely HORRIFYING to me that any decent, civilized person with an IQ above room temperature could defend how this woman and her child were treated in the once free United States of America! These TSA morons are PAID PUBLIC SERVANTS and they should ACT like it, and not like little tin gods who can force any of us to do damn near anything! As others have pointed out here, this is a perfect set up for a child molester – among other things. How the hell do you know what this man did to that baby for that period of time in private? And if you were the mother – or father – you’d damn well be upset too! If there was any inspection to be done, it could and should have been done right in public with the parents present!
It used to be that slavery was forced on people, but judging from some of the comments here defending the TSA, many of you are more than willing to accept it and are probably forging your own shackles.
Agreed, stupid behaviour of authorities, but might be a better story if the person telling it shouldn’t be locked up in a mental institution. I’m with you #6 & 19.
The *whole* incident took place over 10 minutes “she thinks” including being locked up in a plastic booth for what at first appeared to be forever reading her story, and she can’t remember calling her husband etc. etc. The ‘incident’ probably was over in less than 5 minutes from start to finish in reality.
Was brutally forced by the evil woman and her vicious fire breathing dog to sit somewhere far from her belongings, but then somehow was miraculously able to reach out to pick up her mobile phone! No exaggeration of course.
Perhaps she had her Inspector Gadget extending arm fitted, which is what set off the alarm?
Ever since the major investors in transportation, moved their wealth from Railway Travel, to Air Travel. The special laws of business conduct enjoyed first by Trains, moved to the Airlines. For decades now, the airlines have been a nation unto themselves. Peoples’ rights seem to end at the airport terminals. In the name of various excuses. Whether it’s safety, security, or financial reasons. The air travel industry seems to be able to do whatever it pleases. And the courts and government won’t touch them. Mainly, because their owned by billionaires. Who have elected officials and politicians ousted if they cause them trouble.
Before 9-11, the airlines were allowing people to carry on all manner of knifes and things. Doing any kind of decent security check would cost them money. Since 9-11, the taxpayers pay for the TSA to do the security work the airlines refused to do. Basically it’s a government subsidy.
But because some critics keep pointing out how all these checks aren’t catching deliberate attempts at getting explosive devices on board planes. The TSA has just gotten hard-assed about treating everyone like a criminal.
I think the real problem is not enough railway travel, to keep national transportation from being monopolized by only one industry. This “all eggs in one basket” approach, makes Air Travel way too vital to allow it to suffer the slightest difficulty or inconvenience.
I remember when the air traffic controllers wanted to strike, how President Reagan threatened to fire them, and did. So even though technically they’re civilians. ATC workers can’t strike for better wages or improved working conditions. They’re under federal law the same way the military servicemen are. And in the same way, have been screwed over, with pay raise freezes and increased workloads.
The same thing has happened in the past, whenever labor threatened to get organized and cause trouble for a huge monopoly industry. Like steel or an automotive plant. Cops were sent in to crack heads. Never mind what human rights were being violated. Government stood with the industry, or its owners, against the common worker. The excuse always being, said industry was too vital to be halted by disruptive workers. Who are probably communists. This was before labor unions formed to do the job the government refused to do. Look out for the common man.
Now it’s the federal TSA cops, for the airline industry, and against the common traveler. Who are all being treated as potential terrorists, because it’s easier than to make intelligent choices. All this draconian security is slowly killing off the airlines’ business, though they won’t admit it. At some point they’re
either going to have to relax the security, to regain customers. Or totally dispense with this “Security Theater”. At the airline industries’ demands, not the air travelers.
Now for the rest of the story…..
http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/10/response-to-tsa-agents-took-my-son.html
It’s all over Twitter this morning- she faked the whole thing. TSA released the security footage, it never happened.
#32 — well, surprise surprise. Again, I know full well that checkpoint authorities get away with being arrogant prix. But there are so many signals of hysterical exaggeration in the story this woman tells, and it’s so clearly emotionally manipulative … Let’s hone up on our critical reading skillz, people!
I just watched the TSA video. Wow, is that what people have to go through these days to fly?
I don’t travel much, so I have no first-hand experience with the TSA.
so why didn’t they put the kid through the xray machine and be done with it?
#31, JustSaying,
Thank you for posting that link.
#25, Number 5 1/2,
First, the stories about the brutes at TSA are happening all across the USA. We’re not safe from them anywhere.
And you will find that many of them are extreme exaggeration as we see here. I fly often and am always met with professionalism. When you know what is expected and help make their job easier, things go much smoother. Make an ass of yourself and yes, their job becomes a little more difficult.
Second, of course he TSA is only ever thuggish to crazy people. You’ll never have to worry because your a normal American.
I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen the TSA act “thuggish”.
Third, those brilliant public servants at the TSA could tell that women was a terrorist in the making. They are as psychic as you, and know she was just itching to be a threat to you normal people.
So you now claim she is a terrorist? And here I thought she was just interfering with the TSA agents doing their job.
Fourth, only people you agree with read the article. Anyone you disagree with couldn’t possibly have read the article and come to a different conclusion. Not unless they are as crazy as this women who actually doesn’t like having her kid taken from her.
Anyone applying some critical thought and analysis to her blog would certainly ask questions about inconsistencies. Although I have no way of knowing who read the article, several people before me raised questions about the veracity.
As I said earlier, if someone takes a child, the parent will attempt to follow. She mentions only that they took the baby and she cried about it. If that isn’t a big sign something ain’t right then I don’t know what is.
Fifth, It didn’t happen anyway. The TSA is always kind to the people they control … oops, sorry I meant serve. Crazy lady just made it up.
Well, you got one right. She made it up and the TSA did post a video of what really happened. One out of five is still a pretty miserable failure rate.
http://tsa.gov/blog/2009/10/response-to-tsa-agents-took-my-son.html
#31 you go ahead and just say it!
Excellent post, that lying bitch, now I’m pissed off for ever feeling sorry for her. Her body language isn’t fearful or like someone with an anxiety attack. And her son was never taken from her. Boy that makes me angry!
Check out the extra traffic the story is generating for her ad-laden blog… jumped from 100/day to 40,000/day!
Hey, she may have faked it, but that doesn’t change the fact that Atlanta-Hartfield is a shit airport…